TDOT Announces Decision on State Route 357 Project

Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced today that the proposed extension of State Route 357 in Sullivan County will not move forward at this time. The extension project would have linked U.S. Highway 11E to the existing State Route 357 near the Tri-Cities Airport, but after nearly two years of extensive public involvement, Commissioner Gerald Nicely has agreed to make improvements to the intersection of U.S. 11E and U.S. 19E, rather than pursuing the proposed nine mile extension project.

“After months of meetings, it seems clear that the community feels there is no urgent need for an extension of State Route 357,” said Nicely. “We appreciate the work of the Citizens Resource Team who recommended improvements to the intersection of Highways 11E and 19E and the department will move forward with making those improvements, instead of pursuing the extension project.”

The State Route 357 Extension Project is one of 15 projects reviewed by the University of Tennessee Center for Transportation Research in 2003. As a result of the study, a 19 member citizen based resource team was formed as part of a process called Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS). The CSS team provided a public viewpoint of interests and concerns about the SR357 extension project. The team was made up of representatives from Sullivan County which includes the communities of Bristol, Piney Flats, Blountville, Kingsport and Bluff City.

Ed Cole, TDOT’s Chief of Environment and Planning explained that the State Route 357 Extension Project is not currently included as a priority project by either the Kingsport Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) or in the First Tennessee Regional Planning Organization (RPO). “These two planning organizations communicate to TDOT the need for certain projects in the Kingsport and northeast Tennessee areas. The absence of the SR357 Extension Project from their list of priority projects certainly was a factor in the decision to move forward with only intersection improvements at this time.”

The purpose and need of the project will continue to be evaluated during planning sessions with the local MPOs and RPOs to determine when this project should be prioritized and considered for funding.

TDOT will now begin working on possible solutions for improving conditions at the intersection of U.S. 11E and U.S. 19E. Additionally, TDOT will work to identify any additional locations on the existing roadway where improvements would provide safer and more effective facilities.