State officials have pulled the planned $80 million reshaping of Highway 27 in downtown Chattanooga and the widening of the Olgiati Bridge after criticism of the project at a recent Urban Design Challenge.
Jennifer Flynn of TDOT said, "In addition to adding more travel lanes on US-27 (I-124) from I-24 to south of the Olgiati Bridge, the proposed project would have modified the interchanges at West Main Street, Martin Luther King Boulevard, and East Fourth Street.
"After years of working closely with the city of Chattanooga and the River City Company to plan and design a US-27 project that would be a proper gateway to the city, it became apparent following the River City-sponsored Urban Design Challenge for the Fourth Street Corridor that there was not a consensus about the design.
"Due to the fact that consensus could not be reached in time to include the next phase of this project in the three-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, TDOT Commissioner John Schroer made the decision to remove this project, along with the companion project to widen the Olgiati Bridge, from the three-year program.
"This decision falls in line with Commissioner Schroer’s commitment to local leaders across the state that TDOT will not proceed with major transportation projects that the community does not fully support.
"At this point, we are waiting to see if local leaders and designers can come to an agreement on project design plans that TDOT engineers believe safely and effectively meet the transportation needs and gateway aspirations of the area."
Work continues on widening a section of Highway 27 north of the Olgiati Bridge to Signal Mountain Boulevard.
That is a $100 million project.