KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Work was supposed to start months ago on a bridge in the Gibbs area that would connect Gibbs Middle School and Gibbs High School, according to Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. The bridge is expected to be dedicated to Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, from East Tennessee. He was one of the last U.S. servicemembers killed while forces pulled out of Afghanistan.
Jacobs said construction was originally expected to start at around this time of the year. He said funding issues with the state and challenges with utility alignments and permitting caused work on the project to be pushed back around a year.
“Obviously, this is a disappointment. Our Engineering folks have been pushing to move forward, but unfortunately, the processes we must follow aren’t always the most streamlined. We’ll keep everyone updated as things proceed," he said during a release.
In October 2022, the county announced it received a $1.9 million grant for the pedestrian bridge. The money came from the state's 2022 Transportation Alternatives Program. It is meant to give staff, students and community members a way to cross Tazewell Pike and more easily reach the area's three schools.