If the city approves the Chattanooga Department of Transportation’s request for capital funding this summer, area residents will finally begin to see improvements on Davidson Road.
Locals have long expressed concerns about the road’s drainage issues, which has led to constant flooding, as well as its narrowness, which they say has caused more than a dozen minor accidents.
Since motorists tend to drive faster on roads that are wider, Chattanooga City Engineer Bill Payne said the project will focus on widening the shoulders on each side of the road instead of the lanes themselves – though that is contingent on the overall width of the road, he added. In areas where the roadway is too narrow, the lanes would be widened instead of or in addition to the shoulder, he said, referencing areas where the road is only 14 feet wide.
With the help of a consultant, Payne has also been working to develop a drainage system to deal with stormwater in open ditches.
“On this particular project, the drainage system has been the biggest impediment,” Payne said. “It’s just so flat, so difficult to drain in those areas. It makes it difficult to be able to figure out how to deal with the water leaks there.”
So far, he said, they have the concept and preliminary design elements locked down and are now working on finalizing minor construction details so the project can be put out to bid should the funds be granted.
Current estimates put the total cost for the project between $2 million and $3 million, Payne said. In order to balance that funding, the project could be broken into three phases, each costing about $1 million.
The funding request for fiscal year 2018 would cover phase one of the project. Once final costs are ascertained for the first phase, officials will determine how much ground it would cover and whether the entire project needs to be spread out over two or three years.
“Many times, it’s just a matter of dollars,” Payne said.
Chattanooga City Councilman Darrin Ledford, who represents the area, said he is encouraged by the project, asserting that the road has been on “life support.”
“I appreciate their working on this and their attention to this because they know this is a serious concern for the people in my district,” he said.
Still, not all are satisfied. Some residents have voiced concerns about the nearby bridge, which Payne specified would not be a part of this project, as well as the number of new subdivisions that will send more traffic along the road.
“That’s not going to solve the problems,” said East Brainerd resident Pam Mason, adding, “I just worry about the zoning continuing to happen to rezone this land for more use and the infrastructure not being there to support it.”
Ledford said he is conscious of the issue and is working toward steps to keep traffic off Davidson Road. Those steps, he said, involve adopting a new mindset when considering zoning requests, encouraging officials to review the road’s current conditions before making any decisions on development.
“This has to get fixed before more development can actually [take place],” he said. “It’s simple math.”
The Chattanooga City Council is expected to vote on the 2018 capital budget in August or early September.