The long awaited beginning of the widening of North Main Street in Shelbyville kicks off Monday with the first phase: work on the intersection with Colloredo Boulevard / Fairfield Pike.

Word was received late Wednesday from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) that work would soon be underway, according to public works director Mark Clanton.

Wright Paving Contractors, Inc. was awarded the project last month by TDOT at a low bid of $260,626. This phase of the widening project will run from Cedar Street, south of Colloredo, to Chockley Street, north of Colloredo.

The cost of this section of the project is financed with federal and state funds.

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(T-G Video by Brian Mosely)

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Clanton said the project to add turn lanes was anticipated to be completed by November, but he stated he believed it would not take that long, estimating a project length of 60 to 90 days. Gas and water lines will need to be relocated.

"There will be a little stacked up traffic until this is done, but once the state gets it done, I think it will be a great asset," Clanton said. "It's one of the most congested intersections we have."

Tommy Wright of Wright Paving told the T-G in March that the biggest problem they were going to have is with signalization, adding that they are planning on doing much of the milling and paving work at night to keep the aggravation to the public at an absolute minimum.

Wright added his firm intends to keep four lanes of traffic open to lessen commuting headaches. Clanton said work will be done on the Fairfield Pike side of the roadway.

As for the second phase of the widening, which will add a center turn lane all the way out to Lowe's, the project will not be let by TDOT until the end of 2008 or the beginning of 2009, Clanton estimated.

Clanton also had high praise for State Sen. Jim Tracy and State Rep. Curt Cobb getting the project underway. With the funding for the Shelbyville bypass approved as well, he said it was great to have two "heavy hitters up there fighting the battle for you.

"Hopefully within the next two or three years, we'll have a big change in the traffic here," Clanton said.

According to TDOT, right of way (ROW) activities will occur in late 2009 or early 2010, during which time the ROW plans will be completed along with appraisals and the acquistion of the properties. No homes, businesses or non-profit organizations will have to be relocated.

By the summer of 2010, complete construction plans for the widening should be ready with scheduling and funding to be determined.

In January 2007, the city council approved the agreement for a survey and roadway design for the widening of North Main, which is to be done by the design firm of Gresham, Smith and Partners for a cost of $358,000.

According to the firm, it is intended that the widening be completed on the eastern boundary of the road and handicap ramps on the west side of the road will also be updated in the project.

In August of last year, City Manager Ed Craig said that the city had only spent $25,000 so far on the engineering phase.

Intersection improvements will include design of the signal and road work to allow for exclusive left-turn lanes on North Main. Also, preliminary intersection studies will be completed using traffic figures provided by the city to analyze levels of service for the design.

Shelbyville is to fund the engineering phase with local dollars and will commit a maximum of $500,000 from the city's allocation of federal Surface Transportation Project (STP) funds. TDOT will be responsible for all costs of the right-of-way and construction on both phases that exceed the half million in STP money.

The cost of TDOT's part of the North Main project is estimated to be $5 million, which includes environmental approval, additional right of way acquisition and utility relocation.