A major construction project begins Monday at the Warner Parks, one of the most popular natural areas in Nashville. But it’s that popularity that has forced the city to make some tough decisions about the roads and parking lots.

More than a million visitors each year means that these parks are exceptionally popular, and the city is proud of that. But in an explanatory video, Metro Parks planner Tim Netsch
 says there’s also a downside.

“It also means that we’re seeing more and more signs of overuse — and even abuse of the parks. Some people say the Warner Parks are being loved to death,” he says.

Combine that popularity with an old road design — which never anticipated modern traffic — and it’s a recipe for haphazard parking that does damage to the 3,100 acres of wilderness. And there’s quite a bit of conflict among cars, joggers, and bicyclists.

“Part of the problem is the rules; you ask five different people what the rules are and you’ll probably get five different answers,” Netsch says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXNWXTAI1wo&feature=youtu.be

Netsch says the solution is to add parking lots in four places (two lots for Deep Well off Highway 100, and one each at Gaucho Road and near Chickering Road) — and to ban cars from the 5.8-mile road loop, thereby creating a 700-acre car-free zone.

That still leaves 10 miles for scenic drives. But it should reduce the wear-and-tear on land along creeks, where vegetation has suffered and oil has run into creeks.

And the trail system gets to grow by 7 miles, including a new route to Mossy Ridge, also known as the red trail.

All told, Metro Parks says the project will cost about $1 million — that goes for the parking lots, relocation of a playground, intersection improvements, paving and gates, trail work, landscaping and repairs to damaged natural areas.