NEWS RELEASES City of Knoxville, Tennessee Madeline Rogero, Mayor FOLLOW THE MAYOR www.facebook.com/mayorrogero www.twitter.com/mayorrogero

City Council Workshop on Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge

South Waterfront October 4, 2011 - The City of Knoxville will host an open house and hold a City Council Workshop focusing on the proposed Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge that would cross the Tennessee River to connect the South Waterfront with the University of Tennessee. Both public meetings will include drawings and information about the conceptual design of the bridge as well as a look at the alternatives considered during the planning process. The open house - which is also aimed at gathering public comment on the conceptual design - is set for 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., Monday, October 10, in the Cityview Condominiums Club Room. That will be followed with a City Council Workshop with a formal presentation about the proposed bridge at 5 p.m., Thursday in the City County Building's Small Assembly Room. Both sessions will provide plenty of opportunity for review and discussion of the ambitious project. "The bridge project has progressed to the point where we would like to show the public the planning that has been completed to this point and what is being proposed," said South Waterfront Director Dave Hill. "We think it's a good design, we think this bridge would produce some great benefits to both the South Waterfront and UT, and we want to get some input on the plan." "We also want to present the conceptual design to City Council to see if there is a consensus to move forward into a more detailed design development phase," he added. The proposed bridge would span the river from the Scottish Pike area in South Knoxville to a landing on the north (university) side of the river that would be located between Thompson-Boling Arena and Pratt Pavilion. The bridge is part of the South Waterfront Vision Plan, which is a guide for the long-term development of the south bank of the Tennessee River. Much of the South Waterfront Project Area is directly across from the UT campus. In addition to improving access between the two areas the proposed bridge is also expected to spur redevelopment along the waterfront area. Last week the University of Tennessee expressed support for the city's continuing the planning process for the bridge after studying the current conceptual design. Lawrie Associates, a structural engineering firm based in Alexandria, Va., developed the design. If City Council and UT ultimately decide to pursue the project it would take several years to do the detailed planning, obtain the necessary permits from state and federal agencies and acquire funding before construction could begin. The presentation at the Council Workshop will feature a discussion of the issues ranging from the selection of the landing sites and developing the bridge within existing structures and utilities to meeting vertical clearance requirements over the river's barge traffic. More information about the South Waterfront Development is available at www.cityofknoxville.org/southwaterfront.

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