New bridges across the Little Tennessee River near Franklin have FROGS jumping for joy.

Last week another link was added to Macon County’s Little Tennessee River Restoration and Greenway Project. The historic Nickajack steel suspension bridge that served Cullasaja residents for 40 years was put in place, across the Little Tennessee near the mouth of Cartoogechaye Creek.

According to FROGS (Friends of the Greenway) chairwoman Hank Shuler, that puts the number of bridges in place along the Greenway at three. Shuler said another historic steel bridge has been obtained from Polk County and will be put in place just south of Main Street in Franklin by this winter.

Macon County Manager Sam Greenwood said the two steel bridges would compliment two wooden bridges that had been purchased and are already in place along the trail. One wooden, covered bridge is being put in place near the new Nikwasi Center and the second, an arched suspension bridge has been set behind Zickgraf Enterprises, just below the Phillips auto bridge.

Shuler said that while bridges were in place, ramps would still have to be built to make them accessible.

“The bridges have to be above the 100-year floodplain, so ramps will have to be installed to connect them to the trail,” Shuler said.

According to Shuler, Duke Energy and Services is installing the bridges. She said the county would build the bridge floors and construct the ramps.

Two 40’ x 65’ picnic shelters have also been set. They are at Tassee ( the public canoe launch just south of Wayah street) and Big Bear (just north of the Main Street bridge.) Shuler said the LBJ Job Corps was helping with the shelters.

“We hope to have them completed with rest rooms and landscaping by spring 2002,” she said.

Some segments of the 6-mile greenway between the Macon County Recreation Center (southern end) and Lake Emory (northern end) have already been paved and other segments will likely be paved in the future.

Beginning at the south end of the greenway, the trail segments include:

°Tartan Trail, up to the covered wooden bridge (Nonah Bridge).

° Trader’s Path, short section at the Nikwasi Center to the Nickajack Bridge.

° Tallulah Falls RR Trail, from Nickajack Bridge to Tasse Bridge (the wooden suspension bridge) just north of Wayah Street.

° Old Airport Trail, from Tasse Bridge to Walasi Bridge (yet to come from Polk County) near main street.

° The Morris Trace from Walasi Bridge to Lake Emory.

In anticipation of heavy use and to provide convenient handicapped access, portions of trail through downtown — between the Walasi Bridge and the Nikwasi Center — have been paved. According to Shuler and Greenwood, this segment of the trail, as well as others, is already seeing substantial usage.

The Greenway idea had been percolating since at least 1994 when Franklin MainStreet, the Nantahala Hiking Club and other groups and individuals began studying the feasibility of a greenway along the river. The project truly got off the ground early in 1997 when Nantahala Power and Light (now a part of Duke Energy) purchased 4.3 miles along the river to expand their transmission lines.

NP&L began discussions with the town of Franklin and Macon County about the possibility of using the property for a greenway. In March of 1997 Macon County commissioners approved the idea of the county serving as the lead agency in regards to the greenway project. In April of 1997 Franklin Town aldermen agreed to assist the county in planning for the greenway.

Monies for the project were secured in 1998 from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund and the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. F.P. Bodenheimer, president of Zickgraf Enterprises, boosted the venture in 1999 with a $300,000 donation.

In June of this year, Macon County commissioners agreed to enter a formal partnership with the FROGS allowing the group to work on behalf of the county with regards to details like landscaping, food vendors, commercial enterprises and protecting the environment. At that June meeting, Macon County Board Chairman Harold Corbin told the FROGS to “take the ball and run with it. This is something I want to see move ahead.”

“Hopefully we will begin landscaping this winter,” Shuler said. “And maybe by next May the entire four-mile stretch, of this phase, will be accessible.”

Plans for the Greenway include canoe put-ins, fishing piers, picnic tables, gardens and historical and environmental interpretive displays.

 

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