Public feedback wanted for I-75 corridor study

With narrow lanes and abrupt splits in the road, Mike Duncan thinks Interstate 75 has too many dangerous turns before arriving in Chattanooga.

"It's real dangerous with narrow lanes (and) people driving too fast," said Mr. Duncan, of East Ridge. "Something needs to be done."

For the past year, Tennessee's Department of Transportation has studied 160 miles along the I-75 corridor from Chattanooga at the Georgia state line to the Kentucky state line to find out if opinions similar to Mr. Duncan's are accurate, officials said.

Next week, the public will have the opportunity to express opinions about the interstate at a series of public meetings in Knoxville, Cleveland and Chattanooga, where TDOT will present their findings, said Terry Gladden, the department's transportation manager.

Findings in the I-75 Corridor Feasibility Study will prioritize what types of projects should be done, including widening main sections of the interstate, diverting freight off the interstate or adding parallel access roads along the side of the highway, Mr. Gladden said.

"We're going to bring those solutions out to the public," he said. "And basically try to get some feedback from them ... what they feel like is the best answer."

Attendees will be encouraged to fill out a survey suggesting what solutions should be the highest priority, he said.

One driver from Ringgold, Ga., thinks the traffic is thick at the Interstate 24 and I-75 split and the road is too bumpy.

"(The) pot holes need to be fixed," Deanne Locke said.

TDOT wants to find the biggest problems in order to spend the state's money wisely, Mr. Gladden said.

The I-75 study will identify places where local and state departments should begin projects along the corridor that stretches through seven counties, he said. Any projects that come out of the study are funded separately by local or state funds, he said.

TDOT's long-range planning committee is working with three Rural Planning Organization areas and three Metropolitan Planning Organizations, including Chattanooga's MPO.

"We're in the process of updating our long-range plans," said Melissa Taylor, director of transportation planning for the Chattanooga and North Georgia Planning Organization. "Anything that comes out of their study we are hoping to (use)."

Ms. Taylor said she will be at the Chattanooga meeting next week to find out what the study has discovered so far about the corridor through Chattanooga.

After the series of meetings, TDOT will have a draft of the study ready by October and the study should be complete by Dec. 1, Mr. Gladden said.

"This is (the) overall big-picture study of what needs to happen in the corridor," he said.

If you go

Knoxville meeting:

* When: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday

* Where: Farragut High School, 11237 Kingston Pike

Cleveland meeting:

* When: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday

* Where: Museum Center at 5ive Points, 200 Inman St. East

Chattanooga meeting:

* When: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday

* Where: Hamilton Branch YMCA, 7430 Shallowford Road

BRIDGE REPAIRS:

Several Southeast Tennessee projects are among 111 bridge repairs or replacements that the Tennessee Department of Transportation will perform using money from bond sales.

Bradley

* Repair Hiwassee Street bridge on U.S. 11/SR 2 over Hiwassee River and Southern Railroad near McMinn County line.

Hamilton

* Repair eastbound over ramp from I-24 to I-124/U.S. 27 N

* Repair northbound lane of I-75 over Big Spring Creek near the I-24/I-75 split

* Replace St. Elmo Avenue bridge over stream near St. Elmo Church of Christ

* Repair South Seminole Drive over I-24

Marion

* Repair Alvin York Highway (SR 283) bridge near Powells Crossroads city limits

Polk

* Repair U.S. 64/SR 40 over Brush Creek about three miles east of Ocoee Whitewater Center

Rhea

* Repair left lane on SR 29/U.S. 27 Bypass over Richland Creek in Dayton

Source: TDOT