US 27 Reconstruction in Downtown Chattanooga

Overview

Construction on US 27 in Hamilton County, from I-24 to the Olgiati Bridge, including widening the Olgiati Bridge over the Tennessee River, began in December 2015. The $126 million project is the most expensive project ever let by TDOT to date.

Purpose and Need

Originally built in the 1950s and 1960s, this section of US 27 covers 2.3 miles. Reconstruction is needed to address safety and capacity issues to better serve the nearly 70,000 vehicles that travel this route every day.

Design

The project design calls for a major reworking of the downtown Chattanooga freeway, in an effort to straighten it and add traffic lanes. The new road will consist of six travel lanes (three in each direction), with dedicated lanes for traffic entering/exiting the roadway. Several new bridges will be constructed. New frontage roads, multiple walls, and a wider footprint separating downtown Chattanooga from the old Cameron Hill section will also be part of the project.

On the Olgiati Bridge, a new travel lane and shoulder will be added in each direction. The necessary bridge supports were put in place several years ago during a separate widening project that was completed in January 2003. At that time, the substructure (support system) was constructed wider than the superstructure (deck) in anticipation of the future widening of the bridge in conjunction with the US 27 corridor improvements.

Construction on US 27 and the Olgiati Bridge is estimated to be completed in January 2020.

Details

• Add additional travel lanes and additional ramp lanes in each direction on US 27
• Modify interchanges at West Main Street, Martin Luther King Boulevard, and East 4th Street
• Construct nine (9) multi-phase bridges and 31 retaining walls
• Add collector-distributor road on US 27 South to improve access to 4th Street, 6th Street, and Martin Luther King Boulevard
• Construct dedicated ramp to 4th Street and dedicated ramp from Martin Luther King Boulevard along US 27 North
  
• Remove “S” curve from US 27
• Construct project in limited footprint to use mostly existing right-of-way

Additional Information

Roadway length - 1.623 miles long

Bridge length - 0.665 miles

Total project length - 2.288 miles

Lane Closures

• For information on US 27 construction activity and expected lane closures, see the Timeline section of this project page.
• As the project progresses, short-term, temporary lane closures on city streets within the project area may be necessary for the safety of the traveling public. Traffic will be flagged to assist motorists with these closures. Closures will be properly signed in accordance with the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and notice will be provided on the Timeline section of this project page.

Project Map