COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (WDEF)- State transportation officials say that the timeline for some local construction projects has been delayed.
This as one Hamilton County community celebrates new infrastructure.
The Collegedale and Apison areas have reached a new milestone as a new bridge connecting State Route 317 from the Southern Adventist University area to the rest of Collegedale, has been completed.
This, as drivers across Hamilton County wonder when other projects across the area are due to be completed.
The new $100 million dollar bridge from Ooltewah-Georgetown Road to Layton Lane has been a long time coming for the fastest growing part of Hamilton County.
Collegedale Mayor Morty Lloyd said, “We’re excited about growth. We’re going to have planned growth, and this is a part of that planned growth.”
It replaces the Old Apison Pike, which is a two lane road that cuts through the Collegedale Gap in White Oak Mountain.
The new bridge is important for McKee Foods, whose plant sits on the Apison side of the bridge.
State legislators say they were vocal in keeping the project afloat.
Sen. Bo Watson said, “There were times when we were meeting on a weekly basis to discuss this project because of its complexity.”
Even with this bridge opening, there are still other projects ongoing across Hamilton County.
Notably, work has been ongoing at the Interstate 24/75 split, and at 75’s interchange with Hamilton Place Mall.
During an event on the Apison Pike Bridge in April, TDOT said the 24//75 project, which was scheduled to be completed this summer, had been pushed back to Labor Day.
That timeline appears to not have changed.
TDOT Commissioner Will Reid said, “Yeah I don’t have an updated completion date right now, I don’t know if our Regional 2 director has an update, we’re still assessing that, but we have had some delays on that project and we hope to get it back on schedule as quickly as we can.”
He says that weather has not been a factor in the delay.
Reid said, “We plan for that when we set contract completion dates, but it is always something we have to work with. We work close with our contractors to make sure we have resources they need to get things done as quick as they can.”
Officials say this bridge will be dedicated in the fall, and be named after Medal of Honor winner and Chattanoogan Desmond T. Doss.
