As the city of Elizabethton continues to work toward final completion of the Linear Path, the Parks and Recreation Department is taking steps toward making improvements to the path that is already in place.
Parks and Recreation Director Mike Mains said the department would be working to improve slope issues over the next few weeks on three different portions of the Linear Path.
“There are a couple of areas that need to be focused on,” Mains said. “There are areas where the slope is too steep or it is angled that needs to come into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Mains said the goal was to have the work completed by June 30.
The three areas on the trail that will be part of the work are in the East Side community near the start of the trail; in Edward’s Island Park near the Rotary Pavilion and on the trail off from the Cherokee Industrial Complex behind Lowe’s Home Improvements.
Mains described the area near the Cherokee Industrial Complex as the area that will be receiving the most work through the project.
“There is a long sloping hill in that area,” Mains said. “What we will do is add a landing area in the middle so that people are able to stop and catch their breath if they need to.”
Mains said each of the areas that would be reworked through these improvements have different issues that need to be solved.
“Each one is different,” he said. “Some have a combination of issues that are there, like the slope being too high with a curve in place.”
This round of improvements is not the end of upgrades for the Linear Path. After these slope and grading issues are taken care of, Mains said directional signs will be put in place along the trail and another slope problem at the Broad Street Bridge will be fixed.
“This is a continued part of our self-evaluation process,” Mains said. “We are constantly looking to see what we can do to improve our facilities.”
The Parks and Recreation Department has hosted a series of public meetings to gather input from citizens about the Linear Path. The next public meeting will be held Monday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
The path will stretch from East Side Elementary to Sycamore Shoals State Park when complete. Currently there are two remaining portions, from Mill Street to Riverside Park, and from Lowe’s Home Improvement to Sycamore Shoals to be completed to officially finish the trail. The city’s goal is to have the trail completed in the upcoming fiscal year.
For more information on the meeting, contact Mains at 547-6441.