Loss of funding won't halt bypass work

Future state road projects in Bedford County might be delayed after federal highway funds were rescinded, but work on the Shelbyville bypass will continue, a spokesperson with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) said.

A report published this past weekend by The Tennessean and The Associated Press claimed that about $250 million earmarked for road work from the federal stimulus act passed earlier this year, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, had been rescinded.

That money was how Tennessee was able to fund the long-awaited bypass around northeastern Shelbyville.

However, TDOT spokesperson B.J. Doughty told the Times-Gazette on Monday that the report was in error -- instead, it is the regular federal appropriation that each state receives, not the stimulus funding, that was impacted.

"That money has already been spent," Doughty said of the stimulus money. "The Shelbyville bypass will go on as planned."

But Doughty did say that projects currently under development might not move forward, and that TDOT officials are not sure which could be impacted.

Not the first time

According to TDOT, Tennessee has been impacted by over $556 million in rescinded federal funds since 2002 and the most recent rescissions removed over $190 million in future transportation spending from the state's balances.

The rescinded $190 million is completely separate from the $572 million in stimulus funding received for highways and bridges in Tennessee this year. Over 95 percent of those projects, including the Shelbyville bypass, are underway and those remaining will be committed well before the deadline set for March 2, with TDOT stressing that the projects funded by the stimulus will not be impacted by the loss of future federal transportation spending dollars.

While TDOT has managed to reduce the impact of the latest cut on core programs that fund bridge and major highway construction projects, the loss of money "did have significant impact on our Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality, Enhancement, and Safety programs," a statement from TDOT stated on Monday.

The federal cuts also "severely reduced" the money available to Tennessee cities and metropolitan planning organizations and these losses "will reduce the department's and MPO's flexibility in delivering transportation projects and programs," TDOT stated.

However, the impact these rescissions on specific projects in towns across the state "is still being determined at this time" and TDOT, along with local governments, is "currently in the process of reevaluating projects based on the funding available."

City recorder Betty Lamb said Monday that the city has not received any word from TDOT about any impact the funding cut would have on Shelbyville.

TDOT plans

Two local projects under development that could face delay are the widening of North Main Street in Shelbyville and turning U.S. 41-A South to Tullahoma into a four-lane route.

The next stage of the widening of U.S. 41-A was slated to be from State Route 276 (Thompson Creek Road) to west of Magnolia Lane near Tullahoma. However, in order to sustain funding for construction, the project was divided into two new segments.

Widening from Rippy Ridge Road to west of Magnolia Lane had been funded for fiscal year 2009-10 and TDOT said previously that the construction contract would be due in the spring of 2010.

The construction contract for the other section, from State Route 276 to Rippy Ridge Road, was forecast for late fall of 2010 and is not currently funded; TDOT said earlier this year it will possibly be in the budget for fiscal year 2010-2011.

No construction dates have been announced for the section of Highway 41-A from State Route 64 to 276.

The widening of the first section of the project, from the Moore/Coffee County line to North Washington Street in Tullahoma, was completed in March 2007.

As for the widening of North Main Street, TDOT has previously said that right-of-way (ROW) activities would occur in late 2009 or early 2010, during which time the ROW plans will be completed along with appraisals and the acquisition 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. TDOT has previously said.

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 funds.

TDOT will be responsible for all costs of the right-of-way and construction on both phases that exceed the half million dollars in STP money.

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