The Shelby Farms Greenline will be soon be extended a few more miles to the east.
A contract has been negotiated between the CSX railroad and the Shelby County Public Works Division to purchase the deserted right-of-way from Farm Road to the old Cordova train station, allowing the greenline to extend four more miles. Once the project is complete, the greenline will be 10 miles long.
Currently, the former rail line turned jogging and cycling path runs from Tillman on the west to Farm Road on the east. The total cost for the greenline so far has been $4.8 million, 75 percent of which has been covered by federal grants. The rest was allocated from Shelby County government or donated from the Shelby Farms Conservancy.
“This is another significant step to provide our community a first-class recreational route for walkers, joggers, and bikers. It will encourage physical fitness and provide a unique way to link our neighborhoods,” said Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.
“We’re pleased Mayor Luttrell and his staff at Shelby County Government have successfully negotiated the contract with CSX, and we look forward to assuming the management of this section of the Shelby Farms Greenline. Indeed, this is another major development for the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. The Greenline extension through Cordova will bring even more people to the wonderful recreational assets we provide,” said Laura Morris, executive director of Shelby Farms Park Conservancy.
The Shelby County Commission must approve the railroad right-of-way contract before bids can go out for construction. That is expected to happen in early 2015, and construction should begin next spring.
