Franklin Discusses Mack Hatcher Trail and River Walk

Two connectivity options were discussed during the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, one that would connect Mack Hatcher to Pinkerton Park and another that would go along the Harpeth River to connect parks.

The Harpeth River Walk, as it was so named, is being considered to run along the Harpeth River starting at Pinkerton Park and connecting to either the Eastern Flank Battlefield or Bicentennial Park. Both options included secondary options for the trail which would run on either the south or north side of the Harpeth River to make the connection. Eastern Flank River Walk

Building the Eastern Flank trail would entail the construction of a pedestrian bridge and a new river access parking area, and would terminate at Lewisburg Ave. The Bicentennial Trail would also entail building a pedestrian bridge across the Harpeth River, but would end up connecting to existing trails at Bicentennial Park.

The BOMA will make further decisions on the proposed options at their next meeting on May 26.

Four options were presented to the BOMA regarding the Mack Hatcher connection to Pinkerton Park. Two included a sidewalk and two included a multi use trail. City Engineer, Paul Holzen, said that in some cases the city would have to consult with the electric and phone companies in order to move power poles to place the sidewalks. The multi use path would also mean that bikes and pedestrians alike would have roomier access.

Overall, the community and the BOMA leaned in favor of the multi use trail, which was put on the consent agenda for the May 26 meeting.

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