By: Chloe Smith
With the construction of the bridge on Apison Pike nearing completion, a lane shift took place on Saturday to redirect traffic on the road.
According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) website, the bridge remains on track to be completed by summer 2025. In a Facebook post published on March 20, the city of Collegedale’s government notified residents of the lane changes that would be made.
“You may have noticed a significant increase in activity from TDOT on the Apison widening project,” the post from the city read. “They are tentatively planning to shift lanes through the new traffic signals before the bridge span starting March 31st.”
Construction on Apison Pike began in March 2020, and the project aims to improve safety and route operation with better accessibility, according to the TDOT website. The project is divided into four segments, with the first two being completed and the third, being the bridge currently under construction.
The bridge’s construction on Apison Pike is split into three phases and is currently in its third phase. According to a TDOT press release, this phase of the project involves a shift in traffic and temporary traffic control.
“The modified traffic pattern is necessary to accommodate work on a box culvert near Ooltewah-Ringgold Road and will remain in place until construction of the bridge over the railroad has been completed,” the release states.
Drivers can reference the TDOT SmartWay Map for the most up-to-date traffic information, according to the release.
Some students from Southern Adventist University shared their experiences navigating the lane shift.
Sarah Castillo, sophomore physical therapist assistant major, said she did not like the traffic flow in the area.
“I think the first day [of the lane change] was Saturday, and I was going to church, and then we were there for probably 10 minutes to get up to the light, and it just took a really long time to get out of school,” Castillo said.
While she thinks there are traffic problems now, Castillo believes there will be less traffic once the construction is complete.
Another student, Nathan Bartlett, second-year freshman, majoring in English professional writing, shared a sentiment similar to Castillo’s.
“Well, when we went through, it was very slow because there’s a lot of traffic,” Bartlett said. “I wasn’t sure if that was because it was [the] first [time it was open], but it was ample more traffic.”
Like Castillo, Bartlett also believes that once the construction is finished, traffic will get better.
Two students, Ashauna Simms and Challgney Lin-Ao, both junior nursing, pre-licensure
majors agreed that the road change improved traffic.
“I kind of feel like it’s a longer route, so I feel like it’s kind of less traffic because there’s more time for the cars to go,” Simms said. “So, I’m still kind of fond of it.”
Lin-Ao said that she believes that it is a great addition. “It’s cool,” she said. “Because I’ve noticed that the road is always under construction, and it has been for a long time.”
In an interview with the Accent, Jason Allin, staff planner for the City of Collegedale, gave his thoughts on the status of the project and its completion.
“We’re being told August is when the bridge is actually going to open,” Allin said. “Whether that happens or not, I’m not sure.”
Many community members posted comments on the city’s Facebook post to give their feedback on the update.
“Really looking forward to being able to avoid the backup from the railroad crossing,” one comment from Matt Callahan read.
The original road beside the bridge will be used for driving onto Southern’s campus, according to the City of Collegedale.
For further information on the Apison Pike project, visit the Tennessee Department of Transportation website at tn.gov/tdot
