Advocates of the IMPROVE Act, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam’s signature road-funding and tax-cutting legislation, have launched a statewide media tour to tout its benefits.
On Monday, Transportation Coalition of Tennessee representatives discussed Chattanooga-area projects and dollars at the Hamilton County Business Development Center, the first stop of the 95-county tour. They said the boost in transportation funding will help provide much-needed increases to road capacity and safety.
The IMPROVE Act is projected to result in $511.8 million in Tennessee Department of Transportation projects and $41.4 million in new local revenue for Hamilton County over the next 15 years.
Key interstate projects include improving the I-24/I-75 split, a 10-mile stretch of I-24 from I-59 to U.S. 27 and modifying the I-75 interchange at Hamilton Place mall.
Gary Drinnen, founder of marketing and public relations communications firm Targeted Strategy, speaks at a Transportation Coalition of Tennessee news conference on Monday.Upcoming Hamilton County interstate projects
› I-24 from I-59 to US-27Length: 10.03 milesCost: $171,557,7852018: preliminary engineering› I-75 interchange modification at I-24Length: 0.4 milesCost: $65,000,0002018: construction› I-75 interchange modification at Hamilton Place MallLength: 0.42 milesCost: $40,000,0002018: preliminary engineering› I-24 interchange modification at SR-2 (Broad Street)/SR-58 (Market Street)Length: 0.87 milesCost: $37,000,0002019: construction› I-75 from north of US-64 in Hamilton County to US-74 in Bradley County Length: 8.84 milesCost: $95,065,8542018: preliminary engineering