CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam was in Clarksville Thursday to announce a transportation grant enhancement for Clarksville.  The $626,360 grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation will extend the trail along the Red River to complete a walkway in the downtown River District.
 
The Governor was joined by Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan and other city officials a long with 40 elementary students from Moore Magnet School.  The 4^th and 5^th grade students walked with the Governor and Mayor to the north section of the McGregor Park Riverwalk.
 
The students were guests of Mayor McMillan as part of her Mayor’s Fitness Council and her efforts to make Clarksville a healthier and fitter city.  The Mayor talked about how the grant and the extension of the trail along the Red River would be a chance to focus on fitness and wellness all over the City of Clarksville..
 
“This project will provide Clarksville residents and visitors with a significant alternative transportation opportunity while also enhancing the city’s downtown district.  When complete, the project will create a great network of multi-use trails that connect key areas of the city and improve the quality of life for citizens,” Haslam said.
 
The project completes the pedestrian walkway in the downtown River District by joining the city’s north extension of the McGregor Park Riverwalk, including construction of the 12-foot-wide trail and installation of landscaping, benches and signage for points of interest and historical significance.
 
The grant is made possible through a federally funded program administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.  A variety of activities such as the restoration of historic facilities, bike and pedestrian trails, landscaping and other non-traditional transportation projects are eligible for grant funds under the federal program.
 
Mayor McMillan talked about the importance of the grant for Clarksville.  “I think it is a tremendous opportunity and I am so thankful for Governor Haslam and the state for selecting us as one of the projects to fund.  What this does is enhances our ability to not only provide a walking trail for families and children and others to come.  I just think it is a special opportunity and I am so thankful we were selected,” said McMillan.  




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