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Knox County engineer updates board: Gibbs Elementary pedestrian bridge estimated at $4 million with federal grant, county funds and KUB easement
Summary
Knox County Engineering reported a Transportation Alternatives Program grant of about $2.5 million and a county capital contribution of about $1.5 million for a Gibbs Elementary pedestrian bridge, with construction expected to start in mid-2026 at the latest and finish around 2027; the county will request an easement from KUB.
Knox County Engineering Chief Engineer David Snowden (title provided to the board) updated the Knox County Board of Education at its Sept. 29 work session on the status of a pedestrian bridge project at Gibbs Elementary School, saying the project is funded primarily by a federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant of about $2.5 million and a county capital contribution of roughly $1.5 million, with an estimated total project cost of about $4 million.
"We're receiving a federal, TAP grant...about 2 and a half million dollars," Snowden said. He told the board the county's capital plan included approximately $1.5 million toward the project and that the construction contract will go before the Knox County Commission, likely in March or April. Snowden said construction would start worst-case in June and would probably take about 12 months, putting completion in 2027.
Snowden described design features and project coordination with the school. The bridge will include sidewalks that connect to existing facilities and will be powder-coated light blue. The county will grant an easement to the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) to relocate a gas facility alignment where the bridge abutments will interfere with the current utility alignment.
Snowden said the county plans to include bronze plaques in the bridge abutments to honor a service member; he did not provide a definitive name in the public remarks. The county said the bridge design will reflect features similar to an existing bridge in the district and that the project schedule assumes county-commission approval of the construction contract before work begins.
The board did not take formal action on the bridge during the work session; Snowden asked for board support for the item so it can proceed to the county commission and construction procurement. The county estimated the project would be substantially complete by 2027 if contracts proceed on the schedule presented.
