The Chattanooga Department of Transportation has announced the closure of Gunbarrel Road between Shallowford Road and Preston Circle for six weeks beginning Wednesday, July 13.
While closed, construction crews will make roadway changes to increase vehicle capacity and create pedestrian facilities, transportation engineer Bert Kuyrkendall said in the released statement. It serves as the initial phase of a larger project that runs all the way to Min Tom Road.
The department will detour traffic along McCutcheon Road, Elam Lane and Lifestyle Way during this time. Vehicle access to Preston Circle and all properties on Gunbarrel Road will occur from the north end of the closure.
In December, CDOT Director Bythe Bailey said the road-widening project intends to balance the needs of local neighborhoods and commercial growth at the northwest corner of Gunbarrel Road and Shallowford Road.
The project calls for additional lanes, tree-lined streets and multi-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists.
Concerns over traffic congestion and accidents, especially in the two-lane sections of Gunbarrel Road, have been cited by local residents