A preliminary study for a toll bridge across the Tennessee River in North Hamilton County has been completed, and two public hearings will be held early next year to get citizen comment.
Hamilton County officials were told Wednesday afternoon that planners are zeroing in on Alternative 3 with a cost of $105.8 million.
The projected toll for one way across the bridge is $3 for cars and $4.50 for trucks. That is down from earlier projections of $3.75 for cars and $5.25 for trucks.
Alternative 3 goes from I-75 at the Volkswagen exit along a new road to Highway 58 at Clark Road, up Highway 58, then veering west and crossing at Pearson Road. All routes come out near the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant at Sequoyah Access Road. Alternative 3 comes out at Highway 27 at Miller Road.
Alternative 1 connects further north on I-75. It goes along Ooltewah-Georgetown Road before veering west to the crossing at Pearson Road. It comes out further north on Highway 27 at Clift Road.
Cost of Alternative 1 was put at $155.8 million.
The study by the CDM Smith firm put 2021 volumes on the toll bridge at 9,900-10,700 vehicles per day. It would rise to 12,300-12,900 vehicles per day in 2035 and 15,100-16,300 in 2060.
Tennessee Transportation Commissioner John Schroer, who was at the meeting at the Hamilton County Courthouse, said the Hamilton County toll bridge is one of only two toll roads under study. The state now has no toll roads. The Legislature approved a study of toll roads, but has not yet authorized one to be built.
The other toll road being studied is a bridge across the Mississippi River. Commissioner Schorer said that is "a very, very, very expensive project" and would require cooperation with Arkansas and Mississippi.
He said if the Hamilton County project is built it would be state funded.
Commissioner Schroer noted, "We are very proud of the fact that in Tennessee we have no transportation debt." He said Governor Bill Haslam wants to keep it that way.
He said if the Hamilton County project goes forward it likely would be either under revenue bonds that would be paid back through the tolls and not a state government obligation or through a partnership with private investors.
Without a toll, he said the project "probably won't happen for a long, long, long time."
Soddy Daisy Mayor Jim Adams said his community wants the bridge, but he said the present configuration "doesn't help Soddy Daisy at all."
He also questioned placing it close to the nuclear plant and along Sequoyah Access Road, which he said is congested with four-way stops and many side roads.
Mayor Adams said a better alignment would be to connect it via a controlled-access road with Highway 111 on the west and with U.S. 64 on the east. He said it is "just six minutes down to the Volkswagen exit" from the U.S. 64 exit on I-75. He said that would also bring a connection to the proposed Corridor K highway.