A proposed roundabout would replace the confusing interchange between 3rd and 4th Streets and Riverfront Parkway on the edge of UTC's campus in downtown Chattanooga. After fending off a surprise opposition vote, the Chattanooga City Council took a pricey first step toward a major overhaul of East Third and East Fourth streets in downtown.
A majority of the council voted Tuesday to spend $446,826 with Parsons Brinckerhoff for engineering plans for the traffic project that aims to tie the two streets and Riverfront Parkway together with a roundabout. The state is picking up the remainder of the $2.2 million consulting bill.
The entire project is expected to cost about $15 million. But the state will pay 80 percent of that cost, since the project is in the state's regional plan -- and has been since 2000.
Despite there being no public opposition to the project by council members to date, a bloc of four, lead by Councilman Larry Grohn, rallied against it Tuesday.
Grohn, along with Yusuf Hakeem, Ken Smith and Chip Henderson, voted against the measure, although none gave any reason during the meeting.
Yet, after the meeting, three of the four gave very similar answers.
Grohn said even with the state covering 80 percent, it was just too expensive.
"I opposed it because it's a great amount of money with not a lot of benefit. Even if we are going to be able to get the money, at $3 million that's like our entire budget for a whole year for paving," Grohn said.
Smith, who leads the council's transportation committee, came to that same conclusion.
"I think a project that amounts to our entire annual budget for paving should not be a priority right now," Smith said after the meeting.
Hakeem, who said he thought he would be the only opposition, cited other infrastructure priorities as well.
"Main corridors, like Bailey Avenue and Third Street, they are bumpy. I have no problem with what we do for our visitors or tourists, but at what point do we start to invest money in the streets in the neighborhoods and the people?" Hakeem said.
Henderson did not immediately return a phone call by press time Tuesday.
But Councilman Moses Freeman, who represents part of the project's affected area, said his district has been passed over for 15 years in favor of developing areas.
"I just think that the funding has been dried up in other areas such as Hixson and East Brainerd, areas they represent," Freeman said.
Henderson and Smith represent parts of Hixson. Grohn represents East Brainerd.
"It was a total shock to me that council members who are getting all kinds of road projects in their districts would short-change my district, which is redeveloping," Freeman said.
In addition to the roundabout, early plans show the traffic reconfiguration will do away with East Third Street between Lindsay and Mabel streets and widen Fourth Street to four lanes.
The aim of the project is to break up traffic jams for motorists driving into Chattanooga from Amnicola Highway.
Tennessee Department of Transportation figures show an average of 18,347 drivers take that route daily. That exceeds traffic levels in the city's center. Market Street north of M.L. King Boulevard carries 14,647 drivers a day, records show.
City Transportation Director Blythe Bailey said in an agenda session before the voting meeting Tuesday that paying for the plans did not obligate the city to build the rest of the project. And the council will have a new vote for each payment.
Freeman says he will continue "to be a cheerleader for the redevelopment." But Hakeem said the opposition was "a message to the administration," and there could be more obstacles for the massive overhaul in the future.
"The council wants to see some change in the direction of funding as to where it needs to go. Unless some changes in priorities are brought about, we may get that fifth vote," Hakeem said.
Contact staff writer Louie Brogdon at lbrogdon@timesfreepress.com, @glbrogdoniv on Twitter or at 423-757-6481.
Roundabout plan