Long-Awaited Sidewalk Project Moves Forward at Norris Middle School

After years of planning and delays, a new concrete sidewalk is being installed along Norris Square in front of Norris Middle School.

The Norris City Council approved a $33,077 contract with Tri-Star Contracting of East Tennessee at its July 13 meeting. The Clinton-based company submitted the lowest of 15 bids received for the project. The work is expected to be substantially completed before students return to school.

The new walkway is being placed about eight feet farther from the street than the deteriorating asphalt sidewalk it replaces. Moving the path closer to the school will help protect the root systems of the large trees along Norris Square.

Council members also approved a $4,800 addition to the project to build a concrete connection between the main sidewalk and the Lions Pavilion. Residents had raised concerns that the original plan did not provide an accessible route to the pavilion.

Connections between the new sidewalk and nearby crosswalks are not included in the current contract. City Manager Bailey Whited said the city needs to reconsider the locations of the crosswalks and the cost of the connecting sidewalks before that work moves forward.

The city has worked for more than a decade to replace the former asphalt path. Earlier proposals were complicated by funding requirements, engineering concerns, state-level delays and the potential effect of construction on nearby trees.