KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Knoxville City Council is set to vote to advance a proposal to convert nearly four miles of abandoned railroad tracks in South Knoxville into a multiuse trail.

If approved, 3.8 miles of railroad tracks from stretching from Kerns Food Hall to Ijams Nature Center would be converted into a greenway and 1.5-mile art walk. Gulf and Ohio Railways applied to abandon the tracks in December 2024 and donate the property to Legacy Parks Foundation.

The Knoxville City Council will vote to approve the rail-to-trail agreement at their Sept. 16 meeting. The proposal would then be subject to final approval from the Surface Transportation Board, a federal agency conducts regulatory oversight of railroads.

Construction of the trail is anticipated to begin late fall with the

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