Here is the weekly road construction report for Hamilton County:

I-75 widening project from 1.1 miles south of Lee Hwy. (SR-2 / US-11) to 1.2 miles north of Lee Hwy. (SR-2 / US-11) Each night throughout this report period the contractor will have lane closures on I-75 northbound and southbound between mm 10 – mm 12 from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. the following morning to set new barrier rail, realign existing barrier rail and accommodate paving and demolition operations. One lane of traffic will remain open at all times.

The contractor will have lane closures on Hill Top Road, Hunter Road, Snow Hill Road, Mountain View Road, Lee Highway, and Old Lee Highway from 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. to construct new roadway and accommodate bridge demolition and gas line construction. However, the contractor must move off the roadway from 2:30-3 p.m. each day during the shift change at Miller Industries. One lane of traffic will remain open at all times.

The temporary slip ramp to I-75 South is now open on Hilltop Drive. Drivers needing to access I-75 South from the Hunter Road area can now do so by using the newly-opened ramp from Hilltop Drive onto the interstate, thereby avoiding the Ooltewah interchange altogether. The slip ramp has its own dedicated lane onto the interstate, so drivers accessing I-75 South via the ramp are not required to merge when entering the interstate. The temporary ramp will be in place for the remainder of the project.

The bridge on Old Lee Highway is now open to traffic. Later in the year when the weather gets warmer, the contractor will place a final layer of asphalt on the roadway. The truck station located at the end of the project on I-75 South is now closed and will remain closed for the duration of the project. Motorists should use caution and be alert to changing traffic conditions. Estimated completion date is December 2010. (Bell & Associates Construction/KP).

Shallowford Road widening project from west of Mark Lane to west of Center Street Hickory Valley Road from Shallowford Road to Conner Lane is now open to traffic. There will be no lane closures scheduled for this time period. Motorists are also cautioned to observe the 35-m.p.h. speed limit throughout the construction zone. Due problems with speeding in this area, both state troopers and local police have increased enforcement. Motorists who must travel through this area are asked to be patient and to stay alert for changing traffic conditions. Estimated completion date is June 2009. (Greenstar, LLC/KP).

US-27 (I-124) repair of 15 bridges from I-24 (mm 0) to Olgiati Bridge (mm 2.0) Work on this project is underway. The contractor will have nightly lane closures from 7 p.m.-6 a.m. the following morning to install traffic control measures for the repair of 15 bridges on US-27. One lane will be maintained in both directions at all times during this nightly work. Once all traffic control measures have been installed, two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction daily from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. The bridge on the entrance ramp from Main Street to southbound US-27 (going toward I-24) that had been closed as a result of the bridge repair project is now open. Detours will be posted. There will be several portable message boards placed near the project area. Drivers are strongly encouraged to seek an alternate route around this work zone. Estimated completion date is September 2009. (Dement Construction Co., Inc./CG).

US-27 (SR-29) signal installation at Highwater Road. This project is complete and awaiting final inspection. Motorists should use caution and be alert while traveling through the construction zone. Estimated completion date is April 2009. (International Traffic Systems, Inc./CG).

I-75/I-24 Split sign installation project at various locations in the vicinity of the Split, including paving (The I-24 project area includes I-24 East and West from mm 183 near Germantown Road to mm 185 near the I-75 Split. The I-75 project area includes I-75 North and South from mm 3 near East Brainerd Road to mm 1 near Ringgold Road; also included is the portion of I-75 in Georgia from mm 1 in Tennessee to mm 353 near Cloud Springs Road.) Work on this project is underway. Throughout this report period, the contractor will have daytime shoulder closures between the hours of 9 a.m.-3 p.m. to drill footings for overhead sign structures. On weeknights the contractor will have nighttime lane and partial ramp closures the hours of 10 p.m.-6 a.m. the following morning to modify overhead sign structures, install guardrail, mill, pave and stripe. Motorists who must travel through this area are asked to be patient and to stay alert for changing traffic conditions. Estimated completion date is June 15, 2009. (LoJac Safety, Inc./KP)

Hamilton/ Bradley/ Marion County

I-75/I-24/SR-153/SR-29 construction of an intelligent transportation system on various interstate and state routes in and near Chattanooga Work on this project has begun. The contractor will implement shoulder closures throughout this report period within the project area on weekdays between the hours of 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and anytime on the weekend as part of the ITS construction. The contractor will implement nighttime lane closures throughout this report period at the following locations between the hours of 10 p.m.-5 a.m. the following morning to install components as part of the Chattanooga SmartWay ITS system.

I-75 North and South at mm 6.7, mm 13.7 and mm 23.2

I-24 East and West from mm 179.6 - mm 180.8

SR-153 North and South at mm 2.0

Motorists should use caution and be alert for changing traffic conditions. All work is weather permitting. Estimated completion date is December 2010. (Stansell Electric Co., Inc. /CG).