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The gift of paving: U.S. 27 rebuild just one of the traffic-tangling projects tieing up commuters in the coming year
For many Chattanooga-area commuters, 2016 is going to be a year of going nowhere fast.
Or maybe it will be a year when they seize the opportunity to learn about those little byways and back streets that can lead them around, behind, over or beside the big, messy-but-necessary roadbuilding projects starting or continuing in the coming year.
Commuters, truckers and business travelers will be threading their way through the major rebuild of U.S. Highway 27 between Interstate 24 and the north bank of the Tennessee River, and ongoing, multiyear widening work on East Brainerd Road and Apison Pike, as well as smaller projects around the area.
Here are the details:
Where: U.S. Highway 27 from Interstate 24 to north end of Olgiati Bridge
What: Widen and realign the highway through downtown Chattanooga, add more lanes to bridge
How much: $126 million
Completion: July 2019
Who: Dement Construction
Where: Apison Pike from Old Lee Highway to Ooltewah-Ringgold Road
What: Widening, grading, drainage and paving
How much: $46.5 million
Completion: May 2017
Who: Wright Bros. Construction
Where: East Brainerd Road from Graysville Road to east of Bel-Air Road
What: Widening, grading, drainage and signal installation
How much: $35 million
Completion: June 2017
Who: Mountain State Contractors
Where: Gunbarrel Road from Shallowford Road to past Min-Tom
What: Add lanes, multi-use paths and street trees
How much: $1 million
Completion: June
Who: Talley Construction Co.
Where: Wilcox Tunnel
What: Safety improvements and maintenance
How much: $2 million
Completion: February
Who: Hartman Walsh Industrial Services