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In this Issue of Hey Cherokee County…
✅ Murphy Eyes 2027 Sidewalk Start as Bike and Pedestrian Plan Takes Shape
✅ Murphy, Cherokee County Plan 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
Cherokee County Events
September 9th
Bankers and Burglars Bash: 5p-8:30p
September 10th
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Auxiliary meeting: 6p (at sheriff’s office)
September 11th
September 11 Remembrance Ceremony at Center Stage at Town Square: 8:40a
September 14th
Andrews business owners meet-up: 11:30a–1p
September 16th-19th
Cherokee County Fair: 6p-10p Wed-Fri, noon-10p Sat
September 26th
Oktoberfest in Andrews: 11a-5p
October 24th
October 31st
October 31st
November 21st
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Murphy Eyes 2027 Sidewalk Start as Bike and Pedestrian Plan Takes Shape
Giphy
Downtown Murphy looks different than it did two years ago. The brick pavers are in. The new stage is up. The streets have been freshly milled and resurfaced. And if the timeline holds, the changes coming in the next 12 to 18 months will begin to fundamentally change how people get around Murphy on foot.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is now in the design phase for new sidewalks along Business 19, also known as Andrews Road, from Bulldog Drive to Pleasant Valley Road — a stretch of roughly one mile that runs past schools, hotels, apartment complexes, and local businesses. It is the top-priority project in Murphy in Motion, the town's first-ever comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plan, adopted by the Murphy Town Council in June 2025.
"I think it's reasonable to think that they could get started next summer,” Town Manager Chad Simons said regarding construction.
The project will fill what planners describe as critical gaps in the pedestrian network along one of the most-traveled corridors in town. Andrews Road is a primary accessway into downtown Murphy but currently lacks continuous sidewalk coverage along much of its length, making it difficult and dangerous for people on foot. The long-term vision calls for sidewalks on both sides of the road from Connahetta Street/Veterans Memorial Lane all the way to Pleasant Valley Road, with high-visibility crosswalks at key intersections including Hill Street, Maple Street, and Bulldog Drive.
The planning-level cost estimate for the project is approximately $2.09 million, though that number could fluctuate a bit. NCDOT is funding 100 percent of the project.
"We're going to start seeing some of our gaps being addressed very soon," Simons said.
Murphy in Motion recommends a series of projects designed to give residents safer, more connected ways to get around town on foot and by bike, including bike lanes and sidewalk improvements along Valley River Avenue from Hickory Street to Connahetta Street, a corridor that also serves Murphy Elementary School, the post office, and the Murphy River Walk.
The plan also proposes a 10-foot-wide multiuse sidepath along Hiwassee Street south of the Hiwassee River, connecting downtown Murphy to the commercial area along US-19/74/129, and designed to accommodate people walking, biking, using strollers, or relying on mobility devices.
The plan also recommends:
a sidewalk along Wells Connector Road between US-19/74/129 and Andrews Road;
sidewalks along Hilton, Hardin, and Thomas streets to improve access to Murphy Elementary and nearby county services buildings;
pedestrian and bicycle connections along Tennessee Street between Connahetta Street and Depot Street, including a proposed conversion of the adjacent rail bridge into a shared use path;
and a sidewalk along Texana Road from Joe Brown Highway to Connahetta Street, linking the Texana community to the downtown commercial area.
A separate planning effort, the Valley River Heritage Trail Master Plan, envisions expanding the River Walk upstream along the Valley River and eventually connecting Murphy to Andrews via a continuous greenway and water trail corridor.
Murphy, Cherokee County Plan 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
The Town of Murphy and Cherokee County will commemorate a quarter-century since the September 11 terrorist attacks with a community remembrance ceremony on Friday, September 11 at 8:40 a.m.
The event will take place at Center Stage at Town Square. Community members of all ages are invited to attend.
The ceremony aims to honor the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 attacks, as well as pay tribute to the first responders and civilians who rushed to help in the aftermath. Organizers also plan to reflect on the spirit of courage, service and national unity that emerged from the tragedy.
The 8:40 a.m. start time is significant. American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001.
The 25th anniversary represents a milestone moment, as an entire generation has now come of age with no personal memory of the attacks that reshaped American life and foreign policy.
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