Governor’s budget includes McMinnville-Woodbury four lane
The proposed four lane between McMinnville and Woodbury is one step closer to completion as money to purchase right of ways for seven miles on Highway 70S was included in Gov. Don Sundquist’s proposed 2002-2003 transportation budget.
The governor submitted his $1.5 billion transportation budget to the General Assembly for its approval Tuesday. The proposed budget includes 55 road projects in 41 counties which comprise close to 300 miles of highway improvements and new road construction.
The local project, when completed, will expand the current Highway 70S from two lanes to four, and in some places five lanes, for a length of seven miles between McMinnville and Centertown. The funding in the governor’s currently proposed budget would be used to buy property adjacent to the highway where it would be expanded in future years.
According to Lou Anne Grandinetti, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the preliminary plans of the construction project, such as an environmental impact study, have been completed. Sometime over the next two months, she said, meetings will be held to show the design plans of the expanded road to the public to get their input. The actual acquiring of the property by the state will probably not occur until late 2002 or early 2003, she said.
The next and final phase of the project is construction. Funding for this phase, however, was not included in this year’s budget and will have to be included in a future budget. Grandinetti said it will most likely be two to three years before dirt is turned on the project.
Among the most pleased with the governor’s action is state Sen. Jerry Cooper, who has been one of the strongest supporters of a four-lane highway between McMinnville and Woodbury.
“I am tickled to death the governor has seen fit to include this money in the budget,” said Cooper. “This road will help lots of people by being both safer and cutting down on accidents and by helping to create another economic corridor in McMinnville.”
Though the money for the project has been put in the budget by Gov. Sundquist, it not yet a certainty as the budget must be passed by the state legislature. And with the current state budget in disarray, more than a couple of legislators have proposed using TDOT funds meant for new road construction to help balance the budget.
“If that happens we can kiss this highway goodbye,” said Cooper. “But I’m not gonna let that happen. I’ve worked too hard for too many years on this project.”
By law, the General Assembly must pass a state budget by June 30.