A struggle to secure federal funding for slope failure repairs on Lake Resort Drive have left the future of that and related Chattanooga projects unclear.
Ten inches of rainfall that inundated Chattanooga in just 10 days early last year led the Chattanooga Department of Transportation to begin slope repair on Lake Resort Drive, Hamill Road, Elder Mountain Road and Wilcox Boulevard.
The most notable project is a stretch of Lake Resort Drive that has been down to a single lane of traffic since Feb. 24, 2019, when about 800 feet of the eastbound lane dropped by nearly 8 inches because of the presence of bentonite clay, a slick material that could not withstand the heavy rains.
“It’s a material that, when it becomes saturated, effectively works like WD-40 and everything on top of it moves,” CDOT Senior Engineer Katie Snyder told city council members last summer. “So we think this is likely a mechanism for why the slope is moving.”
Now, with engineering complete for Lake Resort repairs, once estimated to begin construction in October 2019, the transportation department has initially been denied the Federal Highway Administration funding expected to cover more than $20 million, or around 75-80%, of the estimated cost of the four projects.
“This process is administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, who acts as the facilitator between the city government and the federal government. CDOT has been working closely with our partners at TDOT, who have been very supportive throughout the funding process, to ensure that the project is deemed eligible for these essential funds. Since the initial site tour, the City has worked with State and FHWA representatives to maintain Emergency Relief funding eligibility for several road repair projects, proceeding in compliance with federal requirements,” CDOT Director Blythe Bailey wrote in an email. “Recently, however, FHWA made a determination that Lake Resort Drive was not eligible for Emergency Relief funding, and so, with our partners at TDOT, who do not agree with this determination, we are working through the appeals process and doing everything we can so that Lake Resort can maintain FHWA funding eligibility.”
With Hamill Road repairs not scheduled to begin until after Lake Resort has been repaired, and funding for both the Hamill and Wilcox work as uncertain as Lake Resort Drive’s, the once speedy trajectory of the projects is unclear going into 2020.
Lake Resort
Traffic remains down to one lane on the stretch of Lake Resort Drive with the damage, and will likely be that way beyond CDOT’s previous estimated completion date due to the funding hurdles, despite the impact on traffic.
“The Lake Resort Drive project has been fully engineered and we have several options for how to permanently repair the slope failure, which was a result of the rain event in late February [2019]. Since completion of the engineering, CDOT has been pursuing federal funding through the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program,” Bailey said. “We recognize the impact and inconvenience the lane closure along Lake Resort Drive has had on the community. However, it’s vital we do not conceal the settled roadway so CDOT staff can continue to accurately monitor any additional movement.”
Elder Mountain
The second largest project is the repair of several small slope failures on Elder Mountain Road, estimated in May to cost about $7 million.
Repairs to Elder Mountain Road are well underway, due to the city finding “alternate” funding to complete the project.
“Elder Mountain road construction is nearing completion after extensive slope stabilization work, featuring soil nail and mesh reinforced walls as well as revegetation of the soil bank,” Bailey said. “When the construction contract is complete the City will perform drainage maintenance on the uphill side drainage ditches for long-term durability of the repaired roadway structures.”
Hamill Road
The next most significant repair will be to Hamill Road, which has experienced cracking since the February rains, suggesting potential for lane failure, despite being repaved in late 2018.
With Lake Resort and Hamill serving as alternate routes for each other, CDOT decided from the beginning not to have closures on both at the same time, forcing Hamill repairs to wait until after Lake Resort is back to capacity.
“CDOT has always planned to address Hamill after Lake Resort Drive since they work together as alternate routes of one another,” Bailey said. “Since Lake Resort Drive is down to one lane it is considered the higher priority, and we won’t attempt to repair Hamill, in its current, relatively stable state, until after repairs to Lake Resort Drive are addressed.”
In May, CDOT estimated the Hamill Road repairs would cost around $5 million.
Wilcox Boulevard
The most minor of the repairs is scheduled for Wilcox Boulevard near the tunnel, where a less severe slope failure occurred last year.
The city was also expecting federal funding for that project, which is estimated at $2 million, based on the same appraisals that pointed toward Lake Resort funding. While the project could face similar funding hurdles to its larger counterpart, Bailey said the repairs are less urgent.
“Similarly, from a funding standpoint, when we toured these sites with FEMA and FHWA representatives they indicated the slope/slide above the Wilcox Tunnel could be eligible for funding,” Bailey said. “We have cleaned the slide that resulted from the February 2019 rain event, and are currently monitoring that location. There are no apparent present dangers to the general public below the Wilcox Tunnel.”
While Bailey did not provide any specifics on budget or completion date changes, he said the city’s transportation department continues to prioritize and monitor the urgency of the projects while pursuing funding assistance.
“CDOT is continuing to pursue these projects as they are important to the safety of Chattanoogans and must be addressed. Our staff is working alongside our geotechnical engineering consultants for the various design scenarios and long-term maintenance impact,” Bailey said. “While that work continues, the City is working with our partners at the State, who is working with FHWA, to pursue all available funding sources to complete these repairs.”
Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at staylor@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow her on Twitter @sarahgtaylor.