Shelbyville bypass gets funding

State Sen. Jim Tracy

State Senate Transportation Chairman Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) and State Rep. Curt Cobb (D-Shelbyville) have announced that the Tennessee Department of Transportation has included the Shelbyville bypass in its list of highway projects for the 2008-09 budget year.

The lawmakers have been working with state Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely on to secure funding for the project, which was far from guaranteed given the state of the economy and its effect on government revenues. Construction will begin late this year or early in 2009, Tracy said during a visit Monday to the T-G newsroom.

The two-lane road will create a loop around the northern section of the city.

"A great deal of work has gone into securing funding for this project," said Tracy in a news release. "This project has been a top priority of both our city and county governments. As a member of our local Bedford County Economic Development Council, we have been working on this project since the early 90s .... It will boost our Bedford County economy and ease traffic flow for the City of Shelbyville."

State Rep. Curt Cobb

"This project will not only improve the safety of our roads, but it will encourage development in this area of Bedford County, as well," said Cobb in a news release. "Good roads are essential to help our communities grow and bring in new and better-paying jobs. We are pleased that Gov. Bredesen and Commissioner Nicely have included this money in their transportation budget."

"This is an important road project for Bedford County," added Commissioner Nicely. "Construction of this route has been a priority of ours. We look forward to the completion of this project and the congestion relief it will provide to this area."

In the early 1990s, Bedford County Board of Commissioners, Shelbyville City Council and Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce issued resolutions proclaiming the need for a bypass. Tracy was president of the Chamber during that time.

The resolutions cited the continued growth of both new and existing industries in Middle Tennessee and claimed that, due to this growth, the upgrade and expansion of highway systems was becoming a necessity.

"This is an exciting day for residents of Bedford County," said Tracy. "We thank TDOT for making this important investment in our community."