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Work may start this summer on a $2.4 million pedestrian bridge across the U.S. 129 Bypass in Alcoa.

The Transportation Planning Organization Executive Board gave final approval Wednesday to the plan to erect the bridge over the bypass between Alcoa Municipal Building in Springbrook Corporate Center and Anderson Lumber Company.

Alcoa City Manager Mark Johnson briefed City Commission about the bridge project and other city business in a meeting Thursday morning.

Johnson said Alcoa was fortunate to have the bridge project "shovel ready," meaning it has gone through design and environmental reviews and can be ready to go to bid in 120 days. "Otherwise that would have had to sit on the shelf for a long time," he said.

The plan is for the pedestrian bridge to expand the Greenway Trail system to the western portion of the city.

Kenny Wiggins, Alcoa director of public works, said the project will include extending a trail link to St. Ives Subdivision and building a sidewalk along Louisville Road. The sidewalk will run from Andover Subdivision to Louisville Road and follow the road to Culton Creek, where asphalt trail connectors will be built. The cost estimate on that work is $480,000.

Andrew Sonner, assistant public works director and city engineer, has made initial contact with all property owners in this project area. He will be obtaining easements and rights of way for the sidewalk and trails.

The construction on the bridge, which will be bid out, is expected to take six to mine months.

City crews will build the sidewalk and trails at the same time as the bridge.

"We have to get a formal notice to proceed from TDOT (Tennessee Department of Transportation) before we can let that project out for bid," Wiggins said.

Alcoa Highway project

Alcoa is also ready to move on Alcoa Highway improvements at Wright Road. TDOT had already set aside $100,000 for partial funding of the project, and that amount has been raised by $120,000 to $220,000.

The work will include improvements to the deceleration and left turn south at Wright Road and to the northbound right turn movement onto Wright Road.

The project will also include closing the median cut in the center that served the old Farrport IGA before it was demolished.

Johnson said that part of Alcoa Highway is the hottest spot between the split and the county line that needs work.

The city will also have to get a formal notice from TDOT to proceed on this project.

Middlesettlements meeting

Johnson announced that residents along Middlesettlements Road, which is being widened, are invited to view options to tie side streets into Middlesettlements. The meeting will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Pellissippi State Technical Community College.

Johnson also announced that Hamilton Crossing developer Jay Dunlap will be erecting a south entrance to the development in the Bessemer area near Kmart. The intersection with McCammon Avenue will also be improved.

Three lots with restaurant pads were improved last week by Alcoa Planning Commission. Johnson said multiple parties are interested in each of the three lots for restaurants.

He said an additional entrance from the one on Calderwood Street is needed for traffic flow into the development.

More cuts loom

Johnson, who just got back from Nashville, said Gov. Phillip Bredesen thinks it will be 2012 before the state gets back to 2008 revenue levels even with stimulus money.

He also said all the department heads are looking for more ways to cut their budgets. "There's not much fat in the budget and we're getting down to where there's not much meat on the bone," he said.

The city is looking at no cost of living raises for employees and maybe no merit rases for the next fiscal year.

Alcoa will be cutting back on mowing and letting nature reclaim some areas as a cost-cutting move.

Some residents in the Hall community have asked the city if they can use some of the city-owned lots in their neighborhood for community gardens. Johnson said city staffers are looking into this request and how such gardens would operate.

He said the city is also looking at the landfill to determine whether it generates enough gas to convert to energy.