TDOT Started Acquisition For New Ditty Road Project In Baxter

TDOT has started the right-of-way acquisition process for the new road towards Portobello.

Baxter Mayor John Martin said at a Tuesday night meeting that property acquisition will be going up Baxter Road across where the new Ditty Road will be.

“We’ve got quite a few that’s already agreed to donate the property,” Martin said. “And then TDOT highlighted that if people donate the property they can take it off their takes and they will provide them with an affidavit of how much the property was worth that they donated.”

Martin said that along with the acquisition, Baxter is getting ready to close old Ditty Road to insert a 12-inch water line and a sewer line. He said that as soon as the line is put in, they’ll patch the road and open it for travel until the new Ditty Road is completed.

Martin said that the need for this work as well as expanding to three lanes at Baxter’s 280 interchange was originally discovered five years ago in a corridor study. He said that the city’s development, particularly the Portobello project, showed the need to accelerate the process.

“The commissioner said that something had to be done out here because of the extra truck traffic that we’re going to be having come out of Portobello,” Martin said. “We’re going a three-lane from the interstate all the way to the top of the hill. And of course, there is going to be a $4.2 million road built there coming out of Portobello.”

Martin said that all of this work is part of TDOT’s desire to create a third lane on Baxter Road to the top of the hill. He said that then work will head east to Portobello on a new road.

“We’re talking about a $4.2 million project,” Martin said. “And the only thing the city of Baxter was required for is 50 percent of the acquisition of property.”

Martin said that they do not have a timeline for work on Ditty Road, but it will open as soon as the lines are put in.