FRANKLIN COUNTY — Differently abled hikers at Tim Ford State Park may soon gain greater access to hiking trails with new porous pavement trails using recycled tire scraps meant to improve wheelchair accessibility thanks to a $217K state grant.
On Tuesday, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) announced a grant of $217,060 for Tims Ford State Park from the state’s Tire Environmental Act Program.
Tims Ford State Park will provide matching funds of $54,265 and use the grant to install three separate porous pavement trails using recycled scrap tires. The project costs $271,325 and creates ADA compliant accessible pathways for guests of all abilities supporting Tennessee State Parks’ Access 2030 initiative to become the most accessible park system in the nation.
“The Tire Environmental Act Program provides ways to retrieve old tires and repurpose them into community assets,” said TDEC Deputy Commissioner Greg Young. “These grants help make that happen, and we look forward to the results that come from this process.”
The approximate combined length of the trails will be over 0.5 miles and will recycle approximately 6,420 scrap tires. The trails will provide access to areas such as the beachfront and marina and provide a valuable outdoor recreational resource to support the overall health and wellbeing of residents of Moore and Franklin counties as well as out of state visitors.
The purpose of the Tire Environmental Act Program is to select and fund projects that best result in beneficial uses for waste tires. Projects must qualify for one of three categories: tire processing/recycling, tire-derived material use, or research and development. The program provides grant funding to eligible entities, including local governments, non-profit organizations, higher education institutions, K-12 schools, and for-profit businesses.
Tennessee established the Tire Environmental Fund in 2015. Upon the first retail sale of a new motor vehicle to be titled and registered in Tennessee, a flat fee based on the number of a vehicle’s wheels is assessed. The fee goes into the fund, which is used for projects creating or supporting beneficial end uses for waste tires.
Since 2015, grantees have been awarded almost $9.2 million, and approximately 7.6 million tires or nearly 82,000 tons of scrap tires have been diverted from landfills. The tires are repurposed for use in rubberized asphalt, tire-derived aggregate, tire-derived fuel, granulated rubber porous flexible pavement, and other beneficial end uses that result in tires being diverted from landfill for a higher and better use.
To learn more about Tims Ford State park visit their website or Facebook page. •
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