First Frontier Trail
Background:
The State of Tennessee, through the Governor’s Office via TDEC, has appropriated $2.4 million directly to the Town of Jonesborough for the First Frontier Trail. This is incredible news! A Letter of Agreement was approved by the Board of Mayor and Alderman.
The funding has been received by the Town and the first phase of the project was sent out for bids, and a contractor has been awarded the contract to proceed. Some details on the trail, including overview, historic significance, phasing, funding, etc., are provided below.
Overview:
As we as a town have discussed numerous times, we understand the significance of providing ample opportunity for our citizens and visitors to partake in outdoor recreation, especially as recreation improves public health and provides simultaneously for safe transportation opportunities.
In that spirit, the Town of Jonesborough, City of Johnson City, and Washington County had been working cooperatively to evaluate the possibility of creating a new trail system. The First Frontier Trail proposal sent to the Governor’s office was a vision to connect Jonesborough and Johnson City with biking and walking trails.
Jonesborough’s plans are to extend the sidewalk all the way to the city limits up East Main Street and do a short run over to the track at the old middle school that will then become a trail head with parking.
Also, the Spring Street one-way conversion the BMA approved includes plans for a sidewalk all the way to the city limits and to Stage Road Park as a part of this project. Finally, a connection from Oak Grove Avenue to May Drive and to the new Jonesborough K-8 school.
Overall, this trail will benefit all communities safely allowing pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists connection to ETSU, Downtown Jonesborough, multiple Town parks, Johnson City’s sidewalks and parks, and ultimately the Tweetsie Trail and Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park.
The existing trails in the area such as the Lost State Scenic Walkway in Jonesborough, the Tweetsie Trail in Johnson City, Elizabethton and Carter County, and other trails could fall under this overall trail system known as the First Frontier Trail.
Historic Significance:
The State of Tennessee began in East Tennessee, which also played a significant role in the creation of our country.
There is historical significance to this trail as it would establish a connection from the Sycamore Shoals Historic State Park and the Town of Jonesborough, the State’s oldest town. The trail could be connected to the Tipton Haynes Historic Site in Johnson City which is only a few miles from the Tweetsie Trail.
The International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough could assist with the creation of educational exhibits placed strategically along the trail system telling the story of the historic significance of Northeast Tennessee to the State of Tennessee and the United States of America. The interesting story of the State of Franklin could also be presented.
Phasing:
This is a multi-phase project. The first phase has portions in both Jonesborough and Johnson City. The second phase would be the physical connection of the two cities with a new trail. Without the infrastructure being in place in both cities initially, the trail connection would be an isolated trail segment that would have limited use.
The Johnson City portion of the initial phase is the extension of their trail system from the ETSU/Veteran’s Administration Campus area to Willow Springs Park and the construction of the bike skills park along with its connection to the Tweetsie Trail.
The Town of Jonesborough’s portion of the first phase of the project is to complete the Lost State Scenic Walkway by extending it to the east for future extension to Johnson City, to connect all their parks and connect to the new Jonesborough school. The trail would also extend to Boones Creek Rd (SR 354) for connection to another trail between the Town and Johnson City on the north side.
The first phase allows people to walk, jog, and cycle to parks, schools, businesses, other trails sections, and to destinations such as ETSU and Downtown Jonesborough while we continue to plan and construct the second phase.
Funding:
The total funding request for Phase 1 in the State’s FY2024-2025 budget for design and construction was $2.4 million for Jonesborough and $1.3 million for Johnson City.
Summary:
Washington County is the largest county in the State of Tennessee without a State Park. In lieu of a State Park, we requested funding to create a “linear State Park” or State Trail System.
The First Frontier Trail encompassing the current Tweetsie Trail, the recent State funded Tweetsie Trail extension further into Carter County, and this proposed extension between Johnson City and Jonesborough would create close to a 25-mile-long connected trail. That does not include additional existing and future trail spurs connected to this main trail.
Further phases could include extending the trail to the Nolichucky River using old abandoned railbeds one of which was known as the Embree Line. This old rail connected Johnson City, near Willow Springs Park to areas near the river. This could add another 10 miles of trail and come close to reaching the Town of Erwin in Unicoi County.
The First Frontier Trail will be an economic driver for Washington County, the Tri-Cities area, and the State bringing in people and dollars from adjoining states and the region. The ultimate First Frontier Trail could also compete with the Virginia Creeper Trail for hikers and cyclists.
Conclusion:
The first phase of construction will include East Main Street from Forest Drive to Headtown Road, Forest Drive from East Main Street to the old middle school football field, and Headtown Road to Lowes.
The majority of this project will consist of a five-foot wide, concrete sidewalk. There may be a section or two in which the width of the sidewalk is reduced to four feet in width due to an obstruction.
