Southern Connector idea resurfaces
TDOT gives Elizabethton residents chance to review new plans
By JOHN THOMPSON Elizabethton Bureau Chief jthompson@johnsoncitypress.com
ELIZABETHTON — The Southern Connector, a project thought long dead, has been resurrected by the Tennessee Department of Transportation as one alternative to finally pushing forward on developing a bypass around congested Broad Street and West Elk Avenue. Carter County residents got a chance to review the latest TDOT plans for a bypass during two public information meetings held at Elizabethton High School on Thursday. The Southern Connector was put back into play as a result of several suggestions for it by citizens who attended the last TDOT informational meeting on Feb. 22. The suggestions also helped TDOT narrow its focus on the Northern Connector. It was evident that TDOT planning is much further advanced on a northern route than a southern route. The maps provided for the meeting had two fairly narrow bands depicting where a Northern Connector would run along the north bank of the Watauga River. In contrast, the Southern Connector was merely a wide swath of land where the route could possibly go along the western and southern periphery of Elizabethton. Planning on the road project began soon after local elected officials recommended the bypass in 1996. Most of the work on the project during the past decade has been spent with environmental studies. Archaeologists have found several areas of significant historical artifacts along the possible northern routes. As a result, an environmental impact statement is now being conducted that will study several alternatives, including not building the corridor or providing improvements to the existing road. When the project was first proposed, some people delayed plans to make improvements to their property while they waited for the state to decide whether their land would be taken. The long wait has been frustrating for some, including the congregation of Pleasant Beach Baptist Church on Watauga Road, which is planning to build in a new location if the state condemns its land. Johnny Mills is another who is interested in what the state is going to do and when it is going to do it. Mills sits on the board of directors of the North Elizabethton Water Co-Op and is concerned about making improvements to waterlines on Lovers Lane. “Lovers Lane is one of the oldest waterlines in our system,” Mills said. “It needs a lot of work, but if we fix it and the state comes in and tears it up, we have wasted the money. We just can’t make any decisions right now,” Mills said. Gary Barrigar, a retired Elizabethton High School teacher and local clean river advocate, said he was intrigued by the state’s addition of the Southern
Connector. “The southern route might be a better alternative,” Barrigar said. “It would have less impact on the river and on Sycamore Shoals.” One citizen who wished to remain anonymous said he was concerned that Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area had not been indicated on the maps as an area of concern over the economic impact of the highway. He said a busy highway running on the north bank of the Watauga would have a serious impact on the park, which depicts 18th-century life of the first settlers to the region. He said there were also old fields and villages along the north shore. The next steps for TDOT will be to review the comments made by the citizens at the meeting. At the same time, TDOT will identify environmental and potential engineering constraints. Participating agencies also will provide input on their concerns. After reviewing all these concerns, TDOT will develop preliminary alternatives that meet the purpose and need of the project while avoiding or minimizing environmental impacts. Once the preliminary alternatives are identified, TDOT will hold another public information meeting.
