By Natalie Hohn
Staff Writer
Dennis Tumlin, executive director of the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council, Inc., is in charge of the greenway project that will be happening over the next couple of years.
The greenway is a pedestrian route planned for Dayton. It will have three points that will allow pedestrians to cross Highway 27. According to Tumlin, the greenway will use existing paths that will cross under Highway 27, which is much more cost effective than building bridges over the highway.
Grants that will hopefully finance the project may take up to a year to be awarded. If the RETC is the recipient of the two requested grants it will take a few months to get the project underway. One of the grants they have applied for is for a pedestrian bridge over 27 and the other is for greenway passage under two current bridges on 27.
“We estimate that we could potentially see construction begin in about 18 months with construction taking 6-9 months. We know that this is not a speedy project, however we know it is a very worthwhile project,” Tumlin said.
The greenway will serve many purposes. It will connect many activity centers with a safe route. It also connects Bryan College to the economic center of downtown Dayton. Additionally, the greenway will promote a healthy and active lifestyle, hopefully also helping Dayton with industrial recruitment.
