News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Bids will be later this month for a project to add traffic signals at the intersection of Highway 111 and Interstate 40.
Mayor Ricky Shelton said city, county, and state officials have advocated for the project to take place for several years.
“We are very thankful that this is going to be done and make it a much safer intersection,” Shelton said.
A number of accidents have occurred at the intersection over the years as drivers attempt to turn onto Highway 111 from the I-40 exit ramps. Officials hope the new signals will bring down the number of traffic crashes at the location.
“We appreciate our state partners for working on this and getting it moving ahead faster than we had been told,” Shelton said. “There have been a number of traffic accidents there and it’s a very dangerous intersection so we are very happy to get this moving ahead now.”
The Tennessee Department of Transportation had delayed the project several times since first approving the signalization project in September of 2016.
The project will involve widening the exit ramps for stacking of traffic and adding signalization both east and west.
“It’s a very comprehensive and large project,” Shelton said. “Now that it’s at the point of being bid we will probably see some schematics of what it’s going to look like in the near future.”
Shelton said construction is scheduled to start sometime in October.
