Recycling gets a new look on Mud Island
Memphians depositing recycling at Mud Island are now greeted with easier access to recycling bins, along with new signage and landscaping. It is edged by a new pedestrian and bike path running along Island Drive, tying into the River Line trail that connects Greenbelt Park and the Wolf River Greenway to Downtown Memphis.
It’s all part of a broader set of improvements coming to the north entrance to Mud Island and infrastructure upgrades at Mud Island Park.
In 2018 the Partnership opened Mud Island Park year-round with expanded hours and an invitation to use the park for bike-riding and dog walking. The entrance from Island Drive, the north entrance to the park, is more active as residents and visitors add biking, walking, and running the park into their daily routine.
Led by Meg Johnson, Director of Special Projects and Design for the Partnership in collaboration with the Engineering and Solid Waste Management Divisions of the City of Memphis, the north gate project creates site improvements that streamline recycling efforts and access to the park. City Engineer Manny Belen and Amanda Fryer, Recycling Administrator, led the city’s efforts on the project.
“The renovated entrance to Mud Island Park is the result of a great collaboration with our city partners,” said Johnson. “We’re excited for the public to take advantage of the robust recycling program on site and enjoy improved connectivity between our beautiful river parks to the north and south.”
The City of Memphis is investing $4 million from Accelerate Memphis dollars and the city council allocated an additional $5 million to fund safety fixes and improvements to the original infrastructure of Mud Island Park.
Park visitors will see additional infrastructure improvements, complete or underway, around the island, including a newly paved parking lot, improved connectivity and signage, new lighting on the pedestrian bridge and along the river model, refreshed bathrooms, and refurbishments to the escalators, elevators, electrical, HVAC and fire safety systems.
