TDOT has made available the transcript of the public hearing held on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010.

Don't forget to submit your comments to TDOT regarding the proposed Alcoa Parkway/Bypass before November 30, 2010.

Comments must be postmarked by Nov. 30, 2010.

Here is the comment form provided by TDOT.

You can include additional sheets with the form if there is not enough room or you want to type your notes instead of hand write them. If you do this, don't forget to write "see attached" on the TDOT comment form and include your name, address, etc. on the additional sheets along with the project name, "Project Comments-SR-115 (Alcoa Hwy) Bypass"

Written statements and other exhibits can be submitted by mail to:

Project Comments-SR-115 (Alcoa Hwy) Bypass
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Suite 700, James K. Polk Building
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0332

Or by email to TDOT.comments@tn.gov

If you send an email, we suggest putting "Project Comments-SR-115 (Alcoa Hwy) Bypass" in the subject line.

Don't forget to submit your comments to TDOT regarding the proposed Alcoa Parkway/Bypass before November 30, 2010.

Contact TDOT with “Written statements and other exhibits.” Must be submitted within twenty-one (21) days after the meeting date to:

Project Comments-SR-115 (Alcoa Hwy) Bypass
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Suite 700, James K. Polk Building
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0332

TDOT.comments@tn.gov

If you send an email, I recommend you put "Project Comments-SR-115 (Alcoa Hwy) Bypass" in the message header.

According to The Daily Times,

“First of all we're firmly behind the Alcoa Parkway extension process. That's been something we've had multiple public hearings on. There's been involvement from the general public, governments (cities of Alcoa and Maryville, Blount County, City of Knoxville) Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, Motor Mile merchants and the Blount Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee,” he [Alcoa Assistant City Manager Bill Hammon] said.

I've been following the Alcoa Parkway bypass process and my records show the last public meeting was held by TDOT in 2004.

Maybe I missed some announcement in the paper, I don't know. I would like to know more about when and where these multiple public hearings were held. In addition, I'd like to know how the public was notified of these meetings.

I believe we all agree that Alcoa Highway is unsafe. One traffic fatality is one too many.

In the Nov. 5, 2010 Maryville Daily Times article, Alcoa Assistant City Manager Bill Hammon said, "There have been nine traffic fatalities on Alcoa Highway since January."

I'm only able to find articles referencing six fatalities. Of these six, four did not occur within this 3.1 mile section of Alcoa Highway. One accident occurred as a drunk driver was speeding on Hall Road to the Alcoa Highway entrance ramp. The other occurred at Topside Road, a mile or two north of the proposed Alcoa Parkway bypass.

In one of the remaining two accidents, someone pulled out in front of another driver. In the other accident, the driver hit another car while trying to change lanes. Both of these accidents could possibly have been prevented by corrections to the existing road.

A 3-5 mile high speed road that will flow into high density areas at both ends is a problem waiting to happen. Speed is a huge issue on all sections of Alcoa Highway. The Alcoa Police Department works hard to catch drivers exceeding the speed limit on Alcoa Highway. Drivers seem to ignore the warnings unless it directly affects them.

Slowing down the drivers and providing better controlled access to get off/on the existing road might better control the problem. Maybe a big flashing sign warning drivers to slow down would be helpful, or rumble strips on each side of the road and between lanes. I do believe that bridges over Alcoa Highway at Singleton Station Road, Airport Road, and Wright Road along with better frontage roads, and less median crossovers will make Alcoa Highway a lot safer, eliminating any need for a new 6 lane bypass.

According to the Daily Times,

Hammon [Alcoa Assistant City Manager] estimated there are more than 75,000 vehicles a day traveling Alcoa Highway, 20 percent of which are generated by McGhee Tyson Airport.

According to TDOT, the traffic counts are nearly 25,000 vehicles a day less.

• 40,825 - Alcoa Highway Station # 216, just north of Pellissippi Pkwy
• 54,620 - Alcoa Highway Station #15, just south of Pellissippi Pkwy
• 51,218 - Alcoa Highway Station # 13, just north of the airport interchange
• 51,491 - Alcoa Highway Station # 112, just south of Hunt Road

Also, I don't get the 20% generated by McGhee Tyson Airport. Based on the TDOT numbers above, it doesn't appear the traffic counts before/after the airport increase by 20%.

What are the actual traffic counts?

UPDATE: Apparently traffic counts are down from the all time high. Thus, even with the heavy residential growth in Blount County something has kept the traffic counts down. The traffic count just south of Pellissippi (station 15) is down nearly 14% from the all time recorded high in 2006, back down to 1998 levels. Is it because of the increase in gas prices? Is it because more jobs are moving to Blount County? Either way, there are better alternatives to a new 6 lane speedway through Alcoa.

In a USA Today article from May, 2008,

More than a dozen cities have proposals to remove highways from downtowns. Cleveland wants to remove a freeway that blocks its waterfront. Syracuse, N.Y., wants to rid itself of an interstate that cuts the city in half.

• Buffalo wants to get rid of its Skyway, an elevated highway that blocks access to Lake Erie.
• Nashville wants to replace 8 miles of interstate — parts of I-65, I-40 and I-24 — with parks and neighborhood streets.
• Washington has considered demolishing the Whitehurst Freeway, an elevated road that runs along the Potomac River in the tony Georgetown neighborhood. The plan is on hold because of cost.
• Akron, Ohio, launched a $2 million study on tearing down its 2.2 mile Innerbelt that leads downtown from I-76/I-77.

Highway removal proposals are also being discussed in Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Baltimore, Louisville, New Haven, Conn., Trenton, N.J., and Niagara Falls, N.Y. The Sheridan Expressway in the Bronx is another target.

It's time to think forward.

When: Tue. November 9, 2010 5:00 PM

A public hearing is schedule at the Alcoa Service Center on November 9, 2010, from 5 PM to 7 PM.

Alcoa Service Center
725 Universal Street
Alcoa, TN 37701
865-380-4800

The purpose of this site is to discuss the proposed Alcoa Parkway bypass along Alcoa Highway/U.S. 129 from Singleton Station Rd. to Hunt Rd. We believe there are more cost effective and less damaging solutions.