Highway 56 Project May Be Delayed

The first section of the proposed Highway 56 improvement project is scheduled for a TDOT bid letting in June but may be delayed again.
The original plans called for building a four lane road from south of the Warren County line (in Warren County) to near Magness Road in DeKalb County. TDOT now proposes to build a new two lane road (typical section) with twelve foot lanes and ten foot paved shoulders and passing lanes along the 3.30 mile existing alignment.
“The 3.3 mile section of SR-56 in DeKalb County from south of Warren Co. Line to Magness Road is currently scheduled to be let to contract on June 23, 2017, but it may be pushed back pending some environmental document re-evaluation issues,” Jennifer Flynn, TDOT Community Relations Officer told WJLE.
“This is an Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) project, and the construction re-evaluation of the environmental document needs to be approved by the Federal Highway Administration because the EPD recommendations do not match the original environmental document that was done for the full-build project. Once we get the re-evaluation approved, the project should move forward to the construction letting. Once the environmental document re-evaluation issues are resolved, we will submit the project for the next available letting. Currently our Project Development division is working with the Federal Highway Administration to arrive at a solution,” said Flynn.
Meanwhile, the second phase of the Highway 56 improvement project is tentatively scheduled for a bid letting next year.
“The project from South of State Route 288 to east Bryant Street in Smithville is currently tentatively scheduled for a summer 2018 letting. This is also an EPD project and subject to the same action by the Federal Highway Administration. The construction re-evaluation of the environmental document needs to be approved by the Federal Highway Administration because the EPD recommendations do not match the original environmental document that was done for the full-build project. We will need to get permits and most likely will reassess some of the environmental issues. That should take place this summer,” said Flynn.