Friday, October 10, 2008
A bridge to somewhere
A readin goes here and here and here four decks.
Greenways planners are working to obtain funding to complete a missing section of the route near Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
Mark Taylor is outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times.
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@roanoke.com
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Mark Taylor
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While Alaska's "bridge to nowhere" never got built, Roanoke's did.
The short span on the Roanoke River Greenway crosses the trickling Crystal Spring outlet near Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, and then abruptly ends.
But hopes are the bridge will soon serve an important role in helping to connect a gap in the 5-mile-long stretch and easing congestion at one of the busiest spots along the route.
"We've got a design that's developed and now we're looking at funding options," said Donnie Underwood, Roanoke's Parks and Greenways planner.
Groups involved in the planning include the city, local greenways officials, and potential private partners including Carilion and Novozyms Biologicals.
The design will take the greenway under the foot bridge connecting the hospital complex with its parking garage. The trail will then rise back up to road level and run along Hamilton Terrace road before dropping back down to the existing path along the river.
To make room for the greenway, car traffic lanes will be made narrower, Underwood said. The greenway and road will be separated by a barrier, likely one made of timbers, and will probably include greenery.
Underwood said the project's initial cost estimates are about $500,000. He said he hopes funding sources can be identified soon enough to begin seeking bids prior to the 2009 construction season. If that happens the section could be complete by this time next year.
--Mark Taylor
