KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County has received a grant to help build a pedestrian bridge in Gibbs dedicated to the late Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss.
The $1.9 million grant, which is under the state's 2022 Transportation Alternatives Program, will soon go before the Knox County Commission. It is expected to be approved, according to a press release from Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs.
The groundbreaking for the bridge was in October 2021 and the Knox County Engineering & Public Works Department has already started design work. Construction for the bridge is set for early-to-mid 2024.
Knauss was a Gibbs High School graduate. Jacobs said local leaders felt dedicating the bridge is a great way to keep Kanuss's memory alive.
“This bridge will be a visible reminder of the sacrifice Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss made so that we could enjoy the blessings of freedom and liberty,” Jacobs said. "My hope is that when folks walk across or drive under this bridge, they will reflect upon Ryan's life, selflessness, and heroism which is an example to us all."
The bridge will also provide staff, students and the public a passage across Tazewell Pike between the community's three schools.