TDOT Commissioner Holds Ribbon Cutting for U.S. 27 Reconstruction Project in Chattanooga

Chattanooga, Tenn. – Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer joined state and local officials today to celebrate the official opening of the U.S. 27 reconstruction project in Chattanooga, Tenn.

During the project, a 1.6-mile section of U.S. 27 from the Olgiati Bridge over the Tennessee River to U.S. 127 (Signal Mountain Rd.) was expanded and brought up to current design standards.  U.S. 27 was widened from two lanes to three lanes in each direction with additional acceleration and deceleration lanes added at ramps to improve traffic flow.  The completed project includes 33 new retaining walls - the largest of which is nearly 50 feet tall - and six new bridges.  Drivers will benefit from new high-mast lighting that was installed for better visibility through the busy section, and a new Chattanooga SmartWay ITS System (traffic cameras) was incorporated into the project to assist with monitoring traffic incidents that may occur.

The contractor for the $105.6 million project is Wright Brothers, Inc. of Charleston, Tenn., and construction inspection and engineering services were provided by Volkert and Associates of Chattanooga.  During the course of the project, 34 different subcontractors were used.  When work was at its peak, the average number of workers on the project ranged from nearly 100 workers during the day to between 10 and 20 workers at night.

“We are very pleased to be here today to celebrate the completion of this important project with our state and local partners and the citizens of Chattanooga,” said Commissioner Schroer.  “This project will not only improve traffic flow to and from the downtown Chattanooga and Red Bank areas, it will serve as an entryway into the city and will benefit all motorists and area residents.”

Work began on the project in December 2011, and all lanes of U.S. 27 were opened to traffic on Saturday, February 14, over a week ahead of the project’s scheduled completion date of February 22, 2015.  Although the project is substantially complete, the public will still see construction signs and barrels throughout the project area for a while longer, because there remains some temperature-sensitive work to be done that may require very short lane closures.  Once warmer weather arrives, crews will be installing permanent pavement markings and repaving the local roads within the project area.  However, this work will be performed under traffic, so there will be no more long-term lane closures on the U.S. 27 corridor in the project area.

Senators Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and Bo Watson (R-Hixson) and Representatives Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga), Patsy Hazlewood (R-Signal Mountain), JoAnne Favors (D-Chattanooga), Mike Carter (R-Ooltewah), and Marc Gravitt (R-East Ridge) represent Hamilton County in the Tennessee General Assembly.

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