House OKs funds for new battlefield entrances on The Murfreesboro Post

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House OKs funds for new battlefield entrances

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By: THE MURFREESBORO POST

Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:25 pm

The U.S. House of Representatives approved $1 million to assist Stones River National Battlefield with creating new park entrances and making upgrades to its driving tour, announced U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon Wednesday.

Plans are in the works to add two new entrances on Thompson Lane that will bring visitors into the main park area and the Artillery Monument area.

Stones River National Battlefield attracts more than 200,000 Civil War enthusiasts every year, but many assume that dozens of others overlook or can’t find the park due to its out of the way location on Old Nashville Highway.

“This will bring the park out to a main road and that is very important,” said Stuart Johnson, battlefield superintendent.

Initial planning of the improvements has been completed, officials said. The next step is to finalize more detailed planning and engineering concepts, which will include construction specifications.

Johnson said the project will cost a projected $6 million, and construction would not begin for several years.

The funding for the improvements was included in a federal appropriations bill that funds the U.S. Department of Transportation. The House approved the bill Tuesday, and the Senate must now approve the measure.

“The battlefield is a national treasure right here in Rutherford County,” Gordon said in a press release. “While thousands of battles were fought during the Civil War, Stones River is one of only 45 that had a major impact on the war. As our county continues to grow, it’s important to preserve this space and make sure visitors get a complete picture of the enormity of the battle.

“Entrances on Thompson Lane will greatly improve park access and make the park more attractive to potential visitors,” he said. “The new entrances will increase the park’s visibility in an area of Murfreesboro that is experiencing tremendous growth.”

With Gordon’s help, the battlefield has doubled in size since the current tour route was established in the 1960s. As a result, newer portions of the battlefield are inaccessible from the present driving tour, which only partially interprets the battle’s major action.

“With the growth of Rutherford County and the Murfreesboro area, we see this project as absolutely essential to the future of the battlefield,” Johnson said. “It is important to provide our visitors with excellent access to the park and a first-class experience once they are in the park. This comes right on the heels of our visitor center project and is critical to give visitors the experience we want them to have.”

More than 82,000 Union and Confederate soldiers fought between Dec. 31, 1862, and Jan. 2, 1863.

“The battlefield is our county’s top tourist attraction, bringing in visitors from across the state and history buffs from across the nation,” said Gordon.

Tagged under Bart Gordon, Congress, Stones River Battlefield

Member Opinions:

By: Curious on 7/25/07
Sounds like a great idea to have an entrance on Thompson. Might give our City Fathers a bit more awareness that the Battleground is more important than retail stores.

By: DMW37128 on 7/27/07
And they are doing it with free money.

By: THIRTEEN on 7/30/07
BIBLE LAND IS MORE IMPORTANT