Local, state and federal officials gathered Friday morning to celebrate a dream come to life — the completion of the Tweetsie Trail through Elizabethton.
Friday marked the official grand opening of the newly completed section of the trail which now extends 10 miles from end-to-end; six of the trail’s 10 miles are located in Elizabethton.
The Elizabethton end of the trail starts at Hatcher Lane near the Elizabethton Electric Department. From there the trail follows the old Tweetsie railroad bed along State Line Road, passing through the historic downtown, on through the West End of the city before passing through Happy Valley on its way to Johnson City. In Johnson City, the trail begins at Alabama Street and travels toward Elizabethton.
Many of the officials who spoke at Friday morning’s ceremony praised the cooperation between the two cities and the support from the community to make the project a reality.
“This has been a dream for a long time,” said former Johnson City Mayor Steve Darden. “We brought the dream to life.”
“It’s really amazing what can happen when everyone sets their mind, works together and cuts through red tape.”
While that dream has now been achieved, Darden said he does not want to see the two cities and the community stop now.
“We’ve done a great job and we should celebrate this, but let’s not get complacent,” he said. “Let’s stay focused, work together and continue to do more to improve our region.”
“There is some talk about taking this trail all the way to Roan Mountain, and that is very doable,” he added.
Darden was not the only one to discuss future expansions of the trail. U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, himself a former mayor of Johnson City, also expressed a desire to see the trail continue on through Carter County.
“I think it’s going to end up at Roan Mountain State Park,” Roe said. “When that comes to fruition, it will be one of the best trails in the nation.” Having a trail of that length winding through the mountains of East Tennessee would become a draw for tourists all around the country, he added.
To see the type of benefit the trail can bring to a community, Roe pointed to the town of Damascus, Va., home of The Creeper Trail.
“I have seen in Virginia how Damascus was revived by a bike trail,” he said. “That town was going under before that trail.”
Since the Tweetsie Trail began, Roe said he has already seen the economic impact it is having on the two cities.
“You are already seeing restaurants and bike shops pop up,” he said. “I can hardly wait until you can ride a bike from Johnson City to Elizabethton and then float back on the Watauga River. That’s going to happen; someone will start a business doing that.”