State Route 70S nearly complete

By MIKE WEST, Courier Editor

Trouble with a gas line is among the issues that pushed back completion of the new four-lane version of U.S. 70S between Woodbury and McMinnville.

"The project was supposed to be completed by the end of September, but we are currently looking at a time extension for the contractor. It may be completed sometime in November." said Jennifer A. Flynn, Regional Community Relations Officer, Tennessee Department of Transportation.

"There is still a lot of work remaining on the project and there was an unexpected issue with a gas line that recently came up on the project. They are working as hard as they can to complete the project as quickly as possible," Flynn said.

Work started on this project on in late September 2013. In addition to paving, the project includes placing base stone, underdrains, guardrail and signs on the entire 12.9 mile section of new roadway from McMinnville to Woodbury, she said.

The field entrances, driveways and intersections are complete at this time and he base stone for the driveways and field entrances and final layer of pavement installed.

Work is progressing and near completion for topping mix on the east bound lanes except for the transition ends, Flynn explained.

Work is still progressing on completing the guardrail and will be complete possibly by Monday (Oct. 6) at the latest. Contractor is planning on preparing the shoulders for final layer of base stone and placing final layer of base stone on shoulders eastbound.

"We are not sure at this time exactly when we will shift traffic to the westbound lanes, but it should be soon," she said.

Highways Inc. is contractor for the U.S. 70S (State Route 1) project at a cost of $21 million.

The project was divided into two sections focusing on the paving of the new U.S. 70S beginning near S.R. 281 in Cannon County and extending to Centertown near S.R. 287 in Warren County with a project length of 7.003 miles. The other phase began near S.R. 287 in Centertown and extended to Spring Valley Road in McMinnville for a project length of 5.991 miles. The total project length is 12.994 miles.