Work is set to start later this year on the $80 million reworking of U.S. 27 in downtown Chattanooga.
TDOT's Jennifer Flynn said all of the right of way has been acquired and construction bids are tentatively scheduled to be opened in August.
The 1.4-mile project includes U.S. 27 from I-24 to south of the Olgiati Bridge. Work was completed earlier this year on the $106 million redo of the hilly section of U.S. 27 between the Olgiati Bridge and Signal Mountain Road.
New frontage roads, multiple walls, and a wider footprint separating downtown Chattanooga from the old Cameron Hill section will be hallmarks of the major reworking of the downtown freeway to straighten it and add traffic lanes.
One new frontage road will parallel the freeway on the Cameron Hill side going from Fourth Street, over Sixth Street, past the MLK intersection and then onto the southbound lanes of U.S. 27.
Another new frontage road on the downtown side will go from the MLK Boulevard exit over Sixth Street, and on to Fourth Street and then to an access point on the northbound lane of the freeway near AT&T Field.
It will be a different way to access the freeway for those coming from downtown heading east. There will no longer be a southbound on ramp at Fourth Street. The new access will be to go under the freeway at Fourth Street, then go left on the new frontage road, over Sixth Street, through the MLK intersection, and then merge on the freeway's southbound lanes.
Traffic coming from downtown will also be able to access U.S. 27 south by way of Seventh Street to Chestnut Street, then left on Sixth Street to the frontage road, TDOT officials said.
Going from the current 4-6 travel lanes to 6-8 travel lanes and straightening out the curve near the Olgiati Bridge will take another chunk out of Cameron Hill. There will be a wall 60 feet high by the new frontage road at the foot of the hill at the Blue Cross Blue Shield complex.
The project will feature 30 other walls.
The state has filed a condemnation suit against Eureka Foundry in connection with the project.
Ms. Flynn said, "All the property that TDOT needs is 1,791 square feet and a temporary construction easement adjacent to U.S. 27 during construction." Eureka Foundry has over seven acres. Ms. Flynn said none of its buildings would be affected.
No homes were in the path of the freeway changes.
Ms. Flynn said only two businesses were relocated as a result of the project. They are First Title Insurance and Dr. Charles Holt. Both of these businesses were located side-by-side on Carter Street.
Also, a new lane in each direction will be added on the Olgiati Bridge. While the bridge widening is a separate project, it will be bid at the same time as the companion widening project.
In anticipation of this work, the necessary bridge supports are already in place. When TDOT widened the bridge several years ago (a $26.9 million project started in February 1999 and completed in January 2003), the substructure was constructed wider than the superstructure in anticipation of the future widening of the bridge in conjunction with the U.S. 27 corridor improvements.