The Tennessee Department of Transportation has awarded the contract for Phase II of the I-75 at I-24 interchange modification in Chattanooga to Wright Brothers Construction Company, Inc. of Charleston, Tn., for $160,954,545.
The project will extend from Spring Creek Road to Germantown Road on I-24 and from the bridge over the railroad to the East Brainerd Road exit on I-75. It will continue the widening of I-24 from the interchange to Germantown Road, replace the bridges at Moore Road and McBrien Road over I-24, improve exit ramps to North and South Terrace along I-24, continue the widening of I-75 from the interchange to the East Brainerd Road exit, and replace both bridges over the railroad on I-75.
Perhaps most importantly, Phase II will widen each interchange ramp to at least three lanes, which will alleviate remaining traffic congestion now being experienced, officials said.
The project will be constructed using the design-build alternative delivery method. Design-build is an alternative project delivery method that combines all or some portions of the design and construction phases of a project into a single contract.
Officials said, "Phase I of the I-75 at I-24 interchange modification was a successful example of design-build and TDOT plans to increase its use of the method to expedite delivery and streamline the design process. The winning design-build proposal will complete design and construction of this project in less than three years."
“By using the design-build delivery method for this complex project, we were able to explore every available option to deliver it in the most timely and cost-efficient way,” said Assistant Chief Engineer/Region 2 Director Joe Deering. “The process resulted in several innovative concepts, and the winning proposal will save an entire year of expected construction time when compared to traditional methods.”
Over the next several months, the design-builder for Phase II of the I-75 at I-24 interchange modification will complete the design of the project and acquire necessary permits. Construction is scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2023. Once construction begins, every effort will be made to minimize impacts to drivers, it was stated.