A national engineering group has selected Lexington’s Town Branch Commons, a two-mile route through downtown, for a national award.
The American Council of Engineering Companies has selected the project for a National Recognition Award.
This is the third national award the trail system, which connects the Town Branch and Legacy trails, has received in recent years.
The path runs through much of downtown and starts at Central Bank Center. It goes down Vine Street, up Midland Avenue to Third Street. Completed in 2022, it took four years to build and cost $22 million.
It was the brainchild of former Mayor Jim Gray, who is now secretary of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The Town Branch Commons is part of a nearly decade-long renovation of downtown, including the renovation and expansion of Central Bank Center and Town Branch Park, a 25-acre park adjacent to Central Bank Center that is expected to be completed in 2025 opened.
“The Town Branch Commons receiving a national ACEC award is a testament to the excellence of the project and our commitment to innovation, collaboration and the vision of a more accessible and beautiful city for all residents and visitors,” said Brandi Peacher, the city’s director of project management, who oversaw the construction of the trail.
Town Branch Commons was designed by SCAPE Landscape Architecture and the engineering was supervised by Gresham Smith.
“This project will continue to have a profound impact for decades to come, serving as a highly functional piece of infrastructure and an exemplary complete streets initiative that promotes safety, accessibility and economic vitality for our entire community,” Peacher said.
mayor Linda Gorton said the multi-use path through downtown has also been a boon for pedestrians and cyclists.
“The linear park and trail system provides safe, accessible transportation for pedestrians and cyclists, creating a connection between neighborhoods, people and public spaces,” Gorton said.
The National Recognition Award ceremony, held last month in Washington DC, celebrated exceptional engineering projects across the country.
Town Branch Commons previously won an award from the American Society of Landscape Architects and a 2022 Environmental Excellence Award from the Federal Highway Administration.
