Cars pass through the Wilcox Tunnel on Friday. Chattanooga has applied for a $27 million federal grant to help fund a project to build a second tunnel through Missionary Ridge and use each tunnel for one-way traffic.
Site of Wilcox Tunnel in Chattanooga.One more try.
Chattanooga will again seek a multimillion-dollar federal grant to replace the narrow and crumbling Wilcox Tunnel.
On Tuesday, the City Council will vote on whether to apply for the $27 million grant, which would require a local match of $25 million. The city has applied for similar grants at least twice before.
“We are hoping that the third time will be the charm,” council member Moses Freeman said. “It is very much needed. It’s a main artery in and out of downtown Chattanooga.”
City officials have long wrangled with how to fix the Wilcox Tunnel problem. The two-lane tunnel has water leakage problems, ventilation issues and has no room for pedestrians or bicyclists to traverse from one end to the other.