TDOT’s interstate ‘Split’ project hits the gas

In just over a year, motorists passing through Chattanooga on interstates 75 or 24 will start seeing orange barrels at the infamous traffic-snagging interchange at the Tennessee-Georgia state line known as the “Split.”

State officials have issued a request for letters of interest from firms seeking to land a design-build contract for the long-awaited revamp of the interstate area, notorious for traffic backups and crashes for the past three decades. The project cost is estimated at $65 million, according to the IMPROVE Act list signed into law in April by Gov. Bill Haslam, who visited the interchange project site in June.

“Design-build” is a project delivery method that combines in a single contract all or some parts of the design and construction phases, including design, right-of-way acquisition, regulatory permit approvals, utility relocation and construction.

“The winning design-build team will take care of all aspects of the project,” said Jennifer Flynn, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. “We should have the design-build team on board by the end of the year.”