I-75 construction: what’s been doneOther improvements in Ooltewah widening project:Redesign of Ooltewah interchange to improve traffic flow and safety.New loop ramp to I-75 South for travelers on Lee Highway.New traffic signals at I-75 ramps on Lee Highway.Hunter and Mountain View roads moved farther west to allow more vehicles on Lee Highway.Lanes added to Hunter and Mountain View roads near Lee Highway.350 feet added to Lee Highway to allow for more vehicles.Portions of Hilltop Drive, Hunter Road and Old Lee Highway relocated for I-75 widening.New bridges over Wolftever Creek on Hunter Road and Old Lee Highway.
It’s not clear whether Relocation Way was named as a joke, but the road hits Kathy Morrow a little too close to home. It runs halfway between Interstate 75 North and the place she manages and loves, Linda’s Produce.
Packed inside a wooden cabin, the outdoor Ooltewah fruit stand sits near a freeway littered with dozens of orange barrels and ominous machines.
Ms. Morrow estimates all the barrel dodging and confusing lane changes cause hundreds of potential customers to breeze past Exit 11, which travelers must navigate to sift through bananas, tomatoes and grapes, to name a few.
In other words, a little too much driver relocation going on before people can spot Relocation Way on their way to the fruit stand.