Lincoln Park resident Wiley Morton, right, voices concerns about the proposed Central Avenue connection to Riverside Parkway with Chattanooga Department of Transportation Administrator Blythe Bailey during a recent meeting.The long-awaited project to connect Central Avenue directly to Riverside Drive could break ground in the fall of 2018 despite continued objections from Lincoln Park residents who say the project will hurt their historic neighborhood.
The plans say the new road would increase access to Riverside drive, improve emergency vehicle response times and provide additional pedestrian and bicycle access to the Tennessee Riverwalk area.
But Lincoln Park residents’ opposition is unabated despite tweaks to the plan after public input over the last few years.
Residents’ fears and frustrations resurfaced in a recent meeting with Chattanooga Department of Transportation representatives. The neighborhood is bounded by Erlanger hospital, the railroad overpass, Third Street and Riverside Drive.
“This is the gateway to the beginning towards exterminating the community here, doing away with it,” neighborhood association secretary Tiffany Rankins said, citing the historical importance of the neighborhood.