Baxter Council Approves Highway 56 Improvement Plans

Baxter City Council members voted Thursday to adopt TDOT’s Highway 56 corridor study.

Baxter Mayor John Martin said the study will be used as a guide for the future development of Baxter near I-40.

“It’s really kind of a 10-year plan of what’s really going to be taking place as far as the growth we’re going to experience,” Martin said. “We did not obligate the City of Baxter of any monies towards this. They had figures as far as what the cost would be as far as doing parallel roads on 56 or the west side.”

City officials discussed the proposals during a special-called meeting with the Upper Cumberland Development District prior to Thursday’s council meeting.

Martin said the plan will be useful as Baxter looks to add more industry and increase its population.

“When we get ready for the growth that we’re getting ready to experience, anything that we do we will look at this plan and try to follow that as close as we can,” Martin said. “But we all know that down the road, there’s got to be something done to the interchange out here.”

During the UCDD meeting, officials discussed plans to create a frontage road network, a left turn lane on First Avenue into Love’s Travel Center,and realigning Flea Market Road.

Baxter and TDOT officials met last fall to discuss the corridor study and various improvements needed along Highway 56.