Chattanooga’s roads and related infrastructure have many problems, but few are more vexing than those related to the Wilcox Tunnel in East Chattanooga. The aging structure is in increasingly poor repair, ill-suited to handle modern-day traffic and a growing impediment to travel and development. Costly remedies are available, but they must be pursued if traffic is to flow smoothly and the city to continue to mature. Members of the Chattanooga City Council know that, and took a positive step toward resolving the Wilcox Tunnel issues this week.
The council voted to apply for a $25 million federal grant to repair the existing tunnel and to construct a twin through Missionary Ridge. There’s no certainty that the city will win the funds; an earlier application for a similar grant was rejected. Still, the application signifies a willingness to directly address a festering infrastructure issue.
Resolution won’t come cheap. Even if the application wins favor, the city will have to come up with about $17 million in matching funds for the work to be completed. That’s a lot of money, especially in the current economic climate, but there is really little choice other than making the investment. The return promises to be significant.
Repairs to the current structure and construction of an adjacent tunnel would relieve congestion on other routes through or around Missionary Ridge. It would increase traffic flow from Amnicola Highway along Wilcox Boulevard to Shallowford Road and improve access to the airport and growing areas in eastern Hamilton County. City and state planners embrace those plans.
The state is widening Shallowford Road on the tunnel’s east side. The city has plans to widen Wilcox to four lanes from Amnicola to its junction with Shallowford. That work would serve little purpose if the tunnel bottleneck remains.