What you need to know about TDOT’s plans to widen Edgemoor Road in Anderson County

October 28 community members filled the Claxton Elementary School gymnasium to see and hear information about the $350 million $ project to add lanes on Edgemoor Road from Clinton Highway to Oak Ridge.

According to Tennessee Department of Transportation officials, 87 people in homes and businesses will be displaced during the 6.18-mile project. Before adopting the final plan, they said, TDOT officials will continue to study the plan to make sure each of those relocations is necessary for the project.

TDOT officials said the stretch of highway will have four traffic lights and the speed limit will be reduced from 55 mph to 50 mph.

Key highlights of TDOT’s presentation:

• Construction is scheduled to begin in 2029 and will take three and a half to four years to complete

• TDOT will begin acquiring the title and property of 18 businesses and 69 homeowners in 2026. at the beginning and this process is expected to take up to three years

• The design plans for the road project are conceptual and are expected to be completed in the first half of 2026. quarter

• When four more traffic lights are installed in Edgemoor, which currently has two, drivers will see six traffic lights on the road at the following locations: Meadow View, Melton Lake Drive, Old Emory Road, New Henderson Road, Dogwood Lane and Clinton Highway.

• Motorists may continue to use Edgemoor Road during construction

Officials said TDOT chose the project to ease traffic congestion on Edgemoor Road, which is expected to increase further, as well as correct geometric deficiencies.

Ophthalmologist Tim Powers, a Claxton resident who works at Oak Ridge Eye Center, questioned why Edgemoor Road was chosen because he believes the stretch of South Illinois Avenue that runs into Knox County’s Solway area is more dangerous for drivers. TDOT officials said a number of factors are taken into account when selecting the projects it tackles to include in its operations. 10 year plan which is reassessed annually. These factors include information provided to TDOT by local planning organizations and studies.

In deciding to widen Edgemoor Road, TDOT has already ruled out taking any action on the road beyond safety upgrades and maintenance, or improving only the major intersections of Melton Lake Drive, Walnut Valley Road, Old Emory Road and New Henderson Road.

October 28 a public hearing was held on the environmental assessment of the project, during which no significant impact was identified. This meeting was the second public meeting on the project. The next one took place on October 30. at Oak Ridge Baptist Church.

The multimillion-dollar project will be divided into two segments: one from Clinton Highway/US Highway 25W over the Edgemoor Road bridge and from the bridge to the South Illinois Avenue/Highway 62 interchange, TDOT officials said. Edgemoor Road is also known as State Route 170, which is why it is marked on TDOT plans.

In terms of economic impact, the report says rights-of-way will be required from the following locations: Centennial Bluff near Centennial Village housing in Oak Ridge, four parcels of land north of Edgemoor that have Oak Ridge duplex permits; and an unspecified area designated for future apartments.

Four potentially hazardous materials identified as the Edgemoor Road bridge over Melton Lake (the bridge contains asbestos) and two tracts of land listed as Tract 51 (1060 Edgemoor Road) and Tract 121 (601 Edgemoor Road) are not expected to be affected by construction. Erick Hunt-Hawkins, head of TDOT’s National Environmental Policy Act Group, said he would have to look up the information, but he thought it was two gas stations.

When asked if the parcels are related to land where fly ash from the closed TVA Bull Run Fossil Plant was buried, the official said TDOT is avoiding widening the road anywhere near that burial site.

What will happen now?

TDOT is seeking comments on the project as officials prepare a final environmental assessment document required by the National Environmental Policy Act. TDOT will finalize the document by the end of this year or in 2026. at the beginning

There are four ways to comment:

• Until November 20 mail comment to State Route 170, c/o Marlena Gore, Project Manager, Tennessee Department of Transportation – Region 1, 7345 Region Lane, Knoxville, TN 37914

• email by email to TDPT.comments@tn.gov with the subject heading “SR-170 Project” by November 20.

• Until November 11 call 865-396-4714 and leave a voicemail with your comment, name and phone number. A TDOT employee will call you back by November 20th.

Hard copies of the project’s environmental assessment and other documents are being printed for public reading at four locations: Oak Ridge and Clinton Public Libraries, Tennessee Centennial Golf Course, 101 Centennial Blvd., Oak Ridge; and TDOT Region 1 Office, 7345 Region Lane, Knoxville.

Oak Ridger News Editor Donna Smith covers news from the Oak Ridge area. Email her Email dsmith@oakridger.com.

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This article originally appeared on the Oakridger: Edgemoor Road widening project to begin in 2029