Photo courtesy Shelby Farms Park Conservancy
The Shelby Farms Greenline will get about four more miles Thursday.
Officials will cut the ribbon on the newest expansion of the bike and pedestrian trail in a ceremony at the Greenline Trailhead at the corner of Mullins Station and Farm Road at 10 a.m.
The project will expand the Greenline east by 4.15 miles and will connect Midtown to Cordova. The Greenline will begin, of course, at Tillman (close to Walnut Grove) and it will now end at B Street/Macon Road at the Cordova Depot in Cordova.
“This new section leading through the heart of Cordova will provide a unique and scenic setting for walking, running, and biking,” Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr. said in a statement. “It’s encouraging to see more of our citizens using the Greenline as a way to build physical fitness into their routines.”
There will be six entrances to the Greenline extension at cross streets, including Appling Road, which will become a 3-way stop. The trail will also safely cross Germantown Parkway.
Construction on the extension began in August 2015. The project cost $4.3 million, of which $3.3 million came from state and federal funds provided through the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
More than 200,000 people visit the Greenline each year, according to the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. That number is expected to grow exponentially and will be tracked using new counters, which will tie into the existing seven counters keeping track of park and trail visitors.
“Shelby Farms Greenline is one of the region’s most popular multi-use trails,” says Jen Andrews, executive director of Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. “Everyone can use it for free and as equals on this unique public asset owned by them. The Greenline connects thousands of neighbors to the trail, to the park, and to each other.”
The Greenline expansion is one of many projects around Shelby County that will add miles of protected pathways for cyclists and pedestrians.
