Northwest Tennessee construction of I-69 continues this summer

Bill Revell (right), Tennessee chairman for the I-69 Coalition is pictured with Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, at the National I-69 Coalition meeting held recently in Washington, D.C. Revell, who has spent approximately 18 years working on the project, said he will be very excited to see construction efforts resume in Tennessee this August. Oberstar is accredited with leading funding efforts for I-69, asking the House for $500 billion in federal aid to be included in the new Highway Spending Bill. [Click to enlarge]

Revell, who recently met with other members of the national coalition in Washington D.C., says construction in the Obion County area will begin in August.

Approximately four miles of I-69 will be built in and around Union City and Troy; this area is represented by federal site maps as "Sections of Independent Utility - 7" or SIU-7. The super-highway will incept north of Union City on U.S. Highway 21 and will run north to Kentucky and southwest, behind Goodyear and Hampton Inn. It will also continue running east of Troy, intersecting U.S. Highway 5. The interstate will then merge into existing U.S Highway 51, which will be upgraded and converted to I-69, between Troy and Dyersburg.

The purchasing of private properties and businesses in the Union City and Troy areas are now being finalized.

"I-69 will be an asset to the community," said Don Thornton, city manager of Union City. "It will increase traffic flow and aid in economic development. Union City has always wanted to be located on an interstate route, and the city is fortunate, being that it will have several exits for 'hot spots', tourist attractions, fine dining and such for passers-through."

The Kirkland Foundation, a $100 million Discovery Park of America, will be built in Union City to complement the development of I-69 along the northwest Tennessee region. The foundation, privately funded by Robert and Jenny Kirkland, will promote recreation, education and tourism. The park is expected to open in 2011.

Federal information forms provided by Revell say that the $24 billion international highway will span more than 2,600 miles, beginning at Port Huron, Mich., which is next to the Canadian border. It will "span the nation's heartland" connecting Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

SIU-7 will be one of the first segments of I-69 to be built in Tennessee. Furthermore, once constructed, the stretch will provide an additional four miles to the existing 600 fully constructed miles already open to traffic in the states of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Mississippi. The remaining 2,000 miles along the I-69 corridor in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and developing sections in Mississippi have yet to be constructed.

The most recent segment built was the SIU-10 section of I-69, stemming southwest of Memphis and running from Hernando to Tunica, Miss. It has been open to traffic since October 2006, thanks to partial and private funding by Tunica Casinos and taxes thereof.

Because Mexico and Canada are the United States' leading export markets, the development and construction of I-69 will stimulate international trade and economic systems worldwide by speeding up trade procession.

I-69 is expected to reduce travel time by eight hours from Canada to Mexico, thus saving fuel consumption, emissions and costs. The straightaway route is projected to "erase congestion on existing circuitous routes", according to the I-69 federal information forms.

U.S. Department of Transportation selected I-69 as one of six National Corridors of the Future and awarded the I-69 states $800,000 to study innovative financing.

In April of last year, Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, asked the House for $500 billion in federal aid to be included in the Highway Spending Bill to be dispersed exclusively for further progression of I-69.

The existing bill will expire in September of 2009 and the new bill is now being drafted in the House.

Two additional projects, concerning I-69 construction in Tennessee, are scheduled for the September 2009 letting, according to federal information forms.

The annual I-69 meeting will be held at the Memphis City Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, May 13, at 11:30 a.m. The meeting is open to dues-paying members of the national I-69 organization. Both city and county mayors serving the northwest Tennessee region are invited to attend.

Revell said information on the development and construction of I-69 will be released to the public as it becomes available.