April 8, 2022, was a landmark day in Union County. On that date officials from all levels of government along with representatives of the Tennessee Department of Transportation “turned some dirt” to begin the last leg of the widening of SR 33 known as Maynardville Highway from the Knox County line to SR 144 West for a distance of 5.2 miles.
Steve Borden, Region 1 Director, coordinated the groundbreaking and represented Tennessee Commissioner of Transportation Joe Galbato, III. Director Borden noted that the total project will establish a five-lane corridor from Knoxville to Maynardville, will include a 200 foot I beam bridge, will help traffic flow and will boost economic development. He also commented that many partnerships were formed since the official TDOT planning began in 1998.
Senator Becky Massey, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, also thanked the community for supporting the project. She remarked that Governor Lee has committed money from the general fund for roads and infrastructure. She commented that this commitment will be an improvement for everyone as more and more people move to Tennessee.
She also shared that Senator Frank Niceley was unable to attend because of his 50th wedding anniversary, but that he was very proud to see this project being completed since he had worked on this project for many years.
Representative Dennis Powers greeted the crowd and remembered the widening of SR33 had been a concern before and during his election in 2010. He complemented TDOT, the local leaders and others who had made this project possible. He assured everyone that as concerns arose during the construction, TDOT and he would be ready to resolve any issues.
Maynardville Mayor Ty Blakely expressed gratitude to have this project provide a main corridor to the interstate. He was thrilled to take part in the ceremony and thanked all who fought for two to three decades to bring this kind of growth for businesses and residents especially in Maynardville.
Union County Mayor Jason Bailey noted that the project is not just the widening of the road but also the widening of opportunity. The road will be a safer and smoother ride to jobs for commuters in Union County and Claiborne County. According to Bailey, the road will be an opportunity for economic development. He said that people will also want to follow SR 33 to Union County for low taxes, for access to broadband, for recreation, and for affordable housing. In closing, he welcomed Blalock Construction to a long partnership in Union County.
Representatives from the offices of Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty, and Congressman Chuck Fleischmann were present to lend federal support. Missy Jones, Chelsea Wyrick, and Candis Mullins were among the many TDOT workers who made the ceremony run smoothly.
The project will expand SR 33 to four 12-foot travel lanes, a center turn lane, and 12-foot shoulders. The bid was let to construction on February 11, 2022, to Charles Blalock and Sons, Inc., for $50,280,578.07 and is scheduled for completion by October 31, 2025. The total investment from Halls to Maynardville will be some $122M.
Mark Nagi, Region 1 Community Relations Officer, will keep the community updated on the construction progress through a website: https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/state-route-33.html and also through Twitter when necessary.