Jackson County commissioners approved moving forward with the installation of the Locust Creek pedestrian bridge even though the cost is higher than expected.

Building a footbridge over the Tuckasegee River will likely wind up costing more than twice the $641,000 it was originally supposed to, Jackson County Commissioners learned when bids for the project came in this summer.

Finding the patchwork of greenway paths scattered across Haywood County is a bit like a scavenger hunt.

No, I’m not late. I’m not talking about puking green beer or waking up with Leprechauns — I’m talking about green with a capital “G.”

Waynesville will soon have a new section of walking path along Richland Creek and, if all goes as planned, public access to a 15-acre wooded area adjoining the trail. 

An indoor swimming pool, a river park in Dillsboro and more greenways emerged as top priorities in a 10-year master recreation plan created by the Jackson County’s Recreation and Parks Department.

Construction could start in September on a paved 1.2-mile section of greenway along the Tucksegee River in Cullowhee.

Lackluster at best and run-down at worst, it’s no question the has-been commercial district on Western Carolina University’s doorstep needs a life line.

Jackson County will begin building the first leg of a long-awaited greenway along the Tuckasegee River this summer.

The vision is grand: a snaking, multi-use recreational path along the shores of the Tuckaseegee River — approximately 20 miles stretching from East Laporte to Whittier — lined with trees, dotted with parks, fishing spots, river access, picnic tables and pedestrian bridges.