Tennessee DOT (TDOT) Commissioner Clay Bright joined federal, state, and local officials on Friday to officially break ground on the S.R. 317 (Apison Pike) improvement project in Collegedale, Tennessee.
Work is slated to begin soon on the 3.4-mile road construction project to widen and improve the Apison Pike corridor from S.R. 321 (Ooltewah-Ringgold Road) to east of Layton Lane near the Collegedale Municipal Airport. The project includes grading, drainage, construction of several new bridges and retaining walls, signals, and paving. Once completed, the roadway will have five lanes with curb and gutter, sidewalks, bike lanes, and greenway connections. Much of the project will be constructed on new alignment, including a large bridge that will span the railroad tracks.
Wright Brothers Construction Co. Inc. of Charleston, Tennessee is the contractor for the $93.1 million project. The project is slated for completion on or before June 30, 2025.
“Once complete, this project will improve accessibility for local and regional traffic and enhance safety in the area," Commissioner Bright said in a statement. "Having a large bridge over the railroad tracks will eliminate the necessity for traffic to use the at-grade crossing, thereby making travel times much more predictable.”
Over the next several weeks, the contractor will be performing clearing operations on the project, followed by grade work. TDOT says every effort will be made to minimize impacts to drivers throughout the life of the project.
This project is funded through the state's IMPROVE Act. In addition to the current project, there is also a future IMPROVE Act project in development on S.R. 317 (Apison Pike) that will widen a 0.9-mile section of Apison Pike to three lanes from Layton Lane to East Brainerd Road, including bike lanes and sidewalks. These projects will complete improvements on Apison Pike from I-75 to East Brainerd Road.
------
SOURCE: Tennessee DOT
