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Sep 01, 2023

Road project begins at busy Germantown intersection

FOX13 Memphis Reporter WATCH: Road project begins at busy Germantown intersection GERMANTOWN, Tenn. - Construction on a multi-million dollar road project started on Wednesday in Germantown. Crews set

FOX13 Memphis Reporter

WATCH: Road project begins at busy Germantown intersection

GERMANTOWN, Tenn. - Construction on a multi-million dollar road project started on Wednesday in Germantown.

Crews set out barrels along Germantown Road leading up to Wolf River Boulevard. At least one lane will be closed in any direction throughout the entire road project.

The project will add multiple lanes in several directions as well as improve traffic signals, add more traffic signs, and make the intersection compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

FOX13 spoke to several drivers, including Patrice Moses, who take Germantown road every day.

“It’s always bumper-to-bumper,” Moses said. “Usually, you would expect that about 5, but it's like that, you know, earlier, even lunchtime, even about 2. It's just busy.”

Moses travels the busy road at least two to three times a day.

FOX13 also spoke to driver Patty Fowler, who experiences the same issues as Moses.

“It’s very frustrating because you’re late, it’s just not good,” said Fowler.

Ethan Skaggs, Director of Engineering for the City of Germantown, told FOX13 this improvement project has been in the works for nearly a decade.

“The initial planning for this project began in 2014. So the project was initially bid for construction in 2020, just a few weeks prior to the pandemic, kind of closing down life as we all knew it. And so there were some hurdles during that time in 2020,” Skaggs said.

On top of the pandemic, Skaggs said the project cost came in over budget, so his department had to work through lowering the cost before the project was rebid for construction at the beginning of 2023.

The total cost for this project is approximately $15 million dollars.

Skaggs told FOX13 the project will be broken down into four phases.

“Right now, the current estimated schedule is 9-10 months for Phases 1 and 2, and Phases 3 and 4 are expected to take roughly 8-9 months,” Skaggs said.

Skaggs is hopeful the project will be finished by February 2025.

Skaggs said that date is dependent on potential weather delays and supply chain issues.

Skaggs told FOX13 that throughout the project, only one lane of traffic will be closed in any direction to help prevent major traffic issues during construction.

“The contractor is required to notify us about any changes in lane closures or traffic control in the work zone,” Skaggs said. “TDOT has to approve that because it’s a state road and the city has to approve it, too, because we’re executing the project.”

Skaggs said construction workers are allowed to begin work as early as 7 a.m., but Germantown city leaders have asked if work can begin closer to 9 in the morning to prevent construction going on during peak rush hour traffic times.

During the entirety of the project, Skaggs is asking drivers to be patient.

“One thing we say is that it's a temporary inconvenience for the future improvements and better functionality of this corridor and all of the intersections in the project," Skaggs said. "So, we just ask people to be patient and be safe there."

Moses and Fowler told FOX13 they are hopeful this project can fix the ongoing traffic issues.

“Now, that would be something to see because it’s been like this for year,” said Moses.

“If that's the end of the outcome, then yeah, I think that would help. I think in the meantime, it'll be very frustrating,” Fowler said.

The City of Germantown has put up an interactive map that will show you where lane closures will happen.

The city is also urging people to sign up for its alert system in order to stay up-to-date with any changes in the construction projects timeline.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

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