Two projects are in the works aimed at widening Apison Pike from Old Lee Highway to Layton Lane near the Collegedale Airport.
TDOT's Jennifer Flynn said bids were opened last month for a project to widen Apison Pike from Old Lee Highway to Ooltewah-Ringgold Road. The contract was awarded to Wright Brothers Construction Co., Inc. for a total of $24,092,771.
Ms. Flynn said work should begin soon on the project. The completion date is on or before May 31, 2017.
This project will widen Apison Pike from two lanes to five lanes (two through lanes in each direction, plus a continuous center turn lane) and add bike lanes and sidewalks. The project is nearly 2.3 miles in length.
There is also a project that TDOT has in development to widen Apison Pike from Ooltewah-Ringgold Road to near Layton Lane near the Collegedale Airport.
This project is 2.4 miles in length, and it was proposed in TDOT’s most recent 3-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program to receive right-of-way funding in Fiscal Year 2015.
Ms.
Flynn said final right-of-way plans should be completed in March of 2015.
She said, "Although it was proposed in the three-year program to receive right-of-way funding, it is not funded for the right-of-way phase at this point. The right-of-way phase is the phase where TDOT acquires all properties necessary to construct the project."
She said the estimated cost for the right-of-way/utility phase is nearly $15 million.
The project is not funded for the construction phase at this point.