Construction is set to begin on Sunday and last about one month on a long-sought fix for Northpoint Boulevard in Hixson.
The repairs to bring the road up to standards and increase safety are expected to cost about $500,000.
On Thursday morning, Mayor Andy Berke, District 3 Councilman Ken Smith, and area business representatives stood together outside FirstBank to announce that the city would be remediating the road.
Businesses that own parts of Northpoint Boulevard have agreed to donate the rights of way in order for the city to make repairs to the road.
“This area has experienced tremendous growth over the last several years, with about 10,000 people traveling this route daily,” said Mayor Berke. “Since taking office in 2013, we have worked hard on a long-term solution for Northpoint Boulevard, which was only possible after reaching this partnership agreement with the businesses. We are proud to announce a solution today to create a safer, more sustainable road for all Chattanoogans.”
Following years of new development and significant growth in the area, Northpoint Boulevard serves as a connector between two major highways - Highway 153 and Hixson Pike. Currently, parts of Northpoint Boulevard are owned by the city of Chattanooga and the rest by various private entities.
“One of my first priorities upon taking office in 2013 was to address the poor road conditions in Hixson, especially Northpoint Boulevard as it was a primary thoroughfare for our community but could not be paved since it was a private and publicly-owned road,” said Councilman Smith. “After years of work with the property owners and with support from the Office of the City Attorney, the Transportation Department, and Mayor Berke’s administration, I am pleased the city can finally fix and pave Northpoint Boulevard without using eminent domain or city tax dollars to acquire the privately-owned portion of this key road in the Hixson community.”
In order to make the significant repairs and pave the road, multiple businesses who own the remaining parts of Northpoint Boulevard are donating those portions to the city of Chattanooga. While it is not standard practice for the city to accept donations of private roads, Northpoint had a series of road defects impacting the safety of numerous Chattanoogans who travel the road daily for work and to access businesses, officials said.
“Our businesses rely on our customers and visitors having easy and safe access to our front doors,” said FirstBank Chattanooga President Jim McKenzie. “I want to thank Councilman Smith, Mayor Berke and the city for their leadership in taking on a difficult situation and guiding the many partners toward a solution that serves our community and the affected businesses well.”
Northpoint Boulevard will be closed for the resurfacing project starting on Sunday, and is scheduled to be complete by Monday, Aug. 7. Hours of operation will be 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day. Detours will be posted using Hixson Pike and Highway 153. Property and business access will be maintained.
In order to view a map of these closures, please visit: http://www.chattanooga.gov/transportation/traffic-engineering-a-operations/special-events-a-street-closures