Gov. Phil Bredesen today released a final list of projects to be funded with federal stimulus funds, including a major project of improving US 127 as it passes through downtown Chattanooga.
The funding also includes a study of widening of the Olgiati Bridge as well as work on widening US 127 north of the Olgiati.
It includes enhancement work on the two welcome centers on I-24 and I-75 entering Chattanooga.
The three-tiered program represents more than 450 projects statewide touching every county in Tennessee.
"The Recovery Act is fundamentally about creating and retaining jobs during one of the toughest economic times our nation and state have faced since the Great Depression," said Gov. Bredesen. "This three-tiered program represents a record investment in Tennessee's transportation system. The Recovery Act, along with the bridge bonding and TDOT's regular program, will put thousands of Tennesseans to work rebuilding and strengthening one of Tennessee's largest economic drivers, our transportation system."
The Legislature is currently considering the transportation budget for approval. TDOT will let to contract all Recovery Act projects in May and June of 2009.
"Not only will these transportation projects help create or save tens of thousands of jobs for Tennesseans, the end result of this investment will be a more reliable transportation system," said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. "This three-tiered program represents a responsible, balanced and community based approach to transportation. Years of planning and study have gone into each of the projects funded for construction."
Hamilton County projects include:
Rehabilitation of South Seminole Drive over I-24
I-24 Welcome Center reconstruction
Enhancement of I-24 over ramp to I-124 north
I-75 northbound over Big Spring Creek
Enhancement of the I-75 welcome center
I-124/US 27 north of I-24 to south of the Tennessee River Bridge (additional lanes)
Resurface Lilac Avenue to the Norfolk Southern Railroad overpass
Replace St. Elmo Avenue over mountain stream
Resurface Dayton Pike to Old Dayton Pike
Additional lanes north of the Tennessee River Bridge to U.S. 127
Preliminary engineering for the widening of the Olgiati Bridge
Preliminary engineering on 4.1 miles of Brainerd Road
Projects in Bradley County include
Preliminary engineering for an interchange at I75 and U.S. 74
Resurfacing 5.6 miles of Highway 60 to four miles south of the McMinn County line
Resurfacing 2.2 miles of Highway 11 from the Cleveland city limits to Highway 40
Rehabilitation of Hiwassee Street over the Hiwassee River
Construct 2.4 miles of Golf Drive from Highway 60 to Highway 64
Replace Spring Place Road over the overflow of the Conasauga River
Preliminary engineering for a new interchange on U.S. 74 between exit 20 of I-75 and Highway 11 in Cleveland
Resurfacing 3.2 miles of Highway 308 from I-75 to Highway 2
For more information on Tennessee's transportation portion of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act visit www.tn.gov/tdot/recovery.