Contributed photo – From left, Senator Todd Gardenhire, TDOT Representative Brad Scott, East Ridge Councilwoman Esther Helton, State Representative Marc Gravitt, East Ridge Industrial Development Board Chairwoman Ruth Braly, East Ridge Mayor Brent Lambert, East Ridge Councilman Brian Williams, East Ridge Fire Chief Mike Williams, East Ridge Councilman Jacky Cagle, East Ridge City Manager J. Scott Miller, East Ridge Chaplin Denny Manning and CW Matthews Representative Matt Wardlaw.
The City of East Ridge celebrated its official groundbreaking of the Exit 1 reconfiguration project on Friday morning.
Tennessee Department of Transportation representatives and dignitaries that were instrumental in seeing this project to fruition were on hand at the ceremony that has been several years in the making.
At the end of 2015, the City received a notice that Betterment Funds from the State of Tennessee in the amount of $1 million were available to be used for the reconfiguration project. Hamilton County provided an additional $500,000, with the City providing the remainder of the funds to complete the project. The total cost of the reconfiguration is estimated to be $7 million.
Due to increased costs and unforeseen issues, the City made a request to the State, with the help of our State Representative, Marc Gravitt, for additional funds. On June 1, 2017, the City received word that the State would provide an additional $500,000 towards the project.
This project will transform the outdated cloverleaf on/off ramp pattern for a safer and easier access of Interstate 75 North. The two current North-bound exits (1A and 1B) will combine into one exit (Exit 1) and allow travelers to safely turn East or West onto Ringgold Road at a signalized traffic light.
Drivers will also be able to cross Ringgold Road onto Camp Jordan Parkway/Fred Pruett Memorial Parkway into Camp Jordan Park and the new Jordan Crossing Development, which is home to Bass Pro and other future dining, shopping and lodging needs.
The original entrance onto Camp Jordan Parkway will terminate at Lenora Road in order for the abandoned strip of roadway to be used for future business development. This will take place after the intersection to the new portion of Camp Jordan Parkway/Fred Pruett Memorial Parkway is opened, currently slated for the end of November 2017. This is just the first phase of a multi-phase plan of the Exit One Reconfiguration Project. The entire project is estimated to be completed by May 2018.
