Four-lane to Woodbury keeps moving despite cuts

By JAMES CLARK / Editor for the Southern Standard

Area road crews have been busy working atop Harrison Ferry Mountain to prepare a stretch of road outside Spencer for improvements. (Photo provided)

A proposed four-lane highway to Woodbury is still in the works despite budget woes that have most state departments trimming 9 percent from their budgets.

“The four-lane to Woodbury is still a go and that’s good news,” state Sen. Jerry Cooper told local residents earlier this month during the annual Legislative Breakfast.

Gov. Phil Bredesen’s proposed budget has the Tennessee Department of Transportation making around $65 million in cuts. As a result, TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely has said the department is going to continue a recent trend and eliminate the 50 positions it currently has open. Over the last three years, TDOT has lost around 600 positions state wide.

“We’re sharing this burden and feeling the pain just like all the other departments,” said Mike Jacobs, who is field supervisor for the construction office in McMinnville. “Cutting 9 percent is something we can work with.”

Jacobs said he hasn’t heard from the state about possible reductions in road construction and road resurfacing in Warren County. He said while $65 million may seem like a tremendous figure, it’s not that much in terms of major road projects and a TDOT annual budget that stays in the $1.5 billion range.

“One four-lane project could easily get up to $20 million,” said Jacobs.

Fortunately for local residents, the four-lane to Woodbury is proceeding through the proper channels, although no money for actual construction has been approved yet.

The next step is purchasing property and gaining right of ways. TDOT spokesperson Luann Grandinetti said property appraisals are scheduled to start this August.