Cuts put off Signal Point work

Upgrade to the parking lot at Signal Point have been put off for at least a year due to federal budget cuts.

Photo by Tim Barber.

Cuts made by Congress to the national transportation budget have delayed plans to rebuild the access road and parking lot at the Signal Point national battlefield park for at least a year.

But the project design is still under way and the public is being asked to comment on a proposal to pay for it with $250,000 to $500,000 from the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division Transportation Improvement Program.

Cathy Cook, superintendent of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, said the reconstruction originally was scheduled for fiscal 2014, but now may be delayed until 2015 or later.

"We certainly recognized that the work needs to be done," Cook said. "Our purpose really is to continue to manage the cultural landscape there and to protect the cultural resources at Signal Point, so visitor access ... is critical."

She said the design work will continue. Plans call for repairing drainage systems and curbs, stabilizing turf and topping the road and parking area with about 3.5 inches of fresh asphalt.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is seeking public comment on amending the state Transportation Improvement Program to accept the federal funding for the work. More information on the grant is at www.tn.gov/tdot/programdev/amendment.asp.