Dayton Boulevard work may take 90 days

About 15,000 people drive down Dayton Boulevard every day, so Chattanooga and Red Bank officials know what they're up against when they begin repaving four miles of it in May.

"Everybody is in a hurry and everybody's got to be somewhere," said Eddie Tate, an assistant city engineer with Chattanooga. "We try to do our best to move folks along, but we'll hear from people."

The project's speed depends on several variables. Officials said the actual repaving takes only three weeks, but weather and workload could push Dayton Boulevard toward the 90-day mark, Mr. Tate said.

No matter how long it takes, he believes the worn-down road needs serious repair.

"If we don't do the work now and we allow it to deteriorate, the short-term traffic inconvenience pales in comparison to what will happen a few years down the road," Mr. Tate said.

Contractors working the northern Chattanooga end will pave about three miles of Dayton Boulevard from Gadd Road to Highway 153.

Red Bank hasn't received permission from state authorities to pave one mile from Memorial Drive to Signal Mountain Boulevard.

Red Bank City Manager Chris Dorsey said the snag wasn't a problem and believes the city will get a notice to proceed "shortly." He anticipates Red Bank's part of the project should start around the end of May.

"A lot of people have complained about Dayton Boulevard because it's hard to tell where the lanes are," Mr. Dorsey said. "We think most people will be appreciative once the work is done."

One business owner didn't seem bothered with the project. Mitch McGrath, owner of Mitchell Roberts Studio and Salon on Dayton Boulevard, said he welcomes any improvements to Red Bank, which he says has great development potential.

"I watched the transformation of North Chattanooga," he said. "People want to be close to downtown but cannot afford North Chattanooga. Red Bank is next. It has what people are looking for and is close to town."

Engineers said contractors will lift an inch and a half of existing asphalt before refining and recycling it. The alternative is a reconstruction job from "virgin material," which Mr. Tate said would cost about $1.5 million for every mile of roadway.

He said the current approach, which will cost $500,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, makes a lot more sense than the expensive alternative.

Both officials said traffic problems should be minimal since people will be able to drive during construction. For instance, while the asphalt from one lane is refined, the other lane will be opened.

Mr. Dorsey estimated that the complete resurfacing project will cost about $405,000 in stimulus funds. That cost is fluid since the city has not started the bid process.

He said city officials will talk with every affected business about the project's scope before work begins.

"We don't want them to find out things and say 'we didn't know about this' or 'we didn't know about that,'" Mr. Dorsey said. "We want to make sure everyone has access to their businesses once we start this thing."