321 East Parkway (US 321, State Route 73) - Project Background
The widening of State Route 73, US 321 in Gatlinburg, from Glades Road to State Route 416 was designed in two phases. Phase I, widening the road from Glades Road to Buckhorn Road, was completed in 2006. Phase II, from Buckhorn Road to East of State Route 416, is not yet constructed. The public desired greater input in Phase 2 design, so in 2005 TDOT announced that this phase would be developed with a Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) process.
A Community-Based Resource Team (CBRT) was assembled from members of the community to work with TDOT to create a proposed improvement concept. This community-based template includes wide, undisturbed, naturally landscaped medians with sidewalks and trails connecting the community with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). For complete information on the project's public involvement including Resource Team Member Meetings, Public Workshops, and the Public Hearing, please visit the project website at http://www.tn.gov/tdot//us321/.
This public and agency input was incorporated into the state-funded draft Tennessee Environmental Evaluation Report (TEER), which is located in the project library link. Currently the project has funding to complete the environmental document.
Project Location Map.
Current Status
In 2011, the Department decided to move the project forward using federal funds. This required the Department to convert the state-level TEER document into a federal-level Environmental Assessment (EA) document, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EA will follow the TESA process with updated technical studies and inter-agency reviews. The Draft EA is scheduled for submittal in mid-2012. Resource agencies, local officials, and former members of the CBRT have all been informed that the project has been re-initiated.
