After weeks of uncertainty and delays tied to TVA approvals, work has officially begun on the highly anticipated Bill Dance Signature Lake upgrades at Winchester City Park.
Winchester Mayor Sean Crabtree confirmed Wednesday morning that the first boat ramp was removed, marking a major milestone in the project. The work comes after state and local officials were forced to step in and help push the project through regulatory red tape that had stalled progress. Concerns had been mounting in recent weeks that the improvements would not be completed within the established January 12 through March 31 closure window.
With construction equipment now on site and demolition underway, those concerns appear to be easing.
The project is part of the statewide Bill Dance Signature Lakes initiative — a collaborative effort between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee State Parks, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Bill Dance Outdoors. Tennessee is investing $15 million in improvements at 18 lakes across the state, including Tims Ford Lake.
At Winchester City Park, the upgrades include replacing aging docks and improving boating access with larger, extended piers designed to accommodate year-round fishing and potentially attract major professional tournaments. As part of the agreement, the City of Winchester is investing $225,000 to construct new restroom facilities at the Winchester Bass Club in exchange for upgraded piers funded through the initiative.
Local leaders have consistently described the project as a major economic opportunity for Franklin County, citing tourism growth, increased tournament traffic and expanded lake access as long-term benefits.
Residents can follow the project’s progress through the City of Winchester’s live camera feed here:
https://www.winchester-tn.com/home/pages/live-cam
With demolition now underway, the transformation of Tims Ford into a premier Bill Dance Signature Lake access point is officially in motion.
