Pedestrian bridge plans chug along downtown

KINGSPORT — Plans for a pedestrian bridge that would cross over a section of CSX railroad by Centennial Park in downtown Kingsport are chugging along. Those plans went through Kingsport's historic zoning commission this week. The paperwork outlines two elevators connected by a 180 feet long bridge that would allow pedestrians to cross the tracks using the bridge and for trains to pass underneath it. The project touches a part of the downtown historic district on Hill Street, which is why it was slated on that commission's agenda for its Monday meeting. Developments within a historic district typically come before historic zoning commissions to ensure they align with the nature and look of other structures within the area. In Kingsport, elements of a new development like the exterior of a structure and landscaping are considered as part of that. "That's why we took it [to the historic zoning commission] is to make sure that what we were planning, as far as the finishes and construction, that they agreed and met the district needs," said Michael Thompson, Kingsport public works director. The pedestrian bridge has been discussed for almost a decade, Thompson said, and work actually began about five years ago. Various entities and paperwork are involved in moving it forward, including CSX Transportation. Over $2.6 million for the project is funded by TDOT grants as part of the Transportation Alternative Program, a program that distributes funding to local governments to build sidewalks or bike lanes and update transportation structures so they're accessible to people who are disabled. The bridge crosses a total of four rail tracks — mainline tracks and maintenance tracks — which makes crossing the railroad with a vehicle more difficult, Thompson said. The crossing is closed at various times throughout the day and trains sometimes sit at the crossing for an extended period of time. "We wanted to make there be a pathway that was reliable from downtown, from the housing, the miracle field, the ball field, you know, everything that's being built over there… to all the different things that downtown provides," Thompson said. Next year, construction plans will wrap up and the bidding process for who will take up that construction will begin. "The most important thing is a consistent, always available option to get across the tracks," Thompson said. "No matter what the rail operations that are going on there, they will always be able to either take the stairs or the elevator up and go across the bridge, come down on the other side."