For more than two decades, Walker County officials have dreamed of a major route to the interstate. That dream could now be closer to reality.

Volkswagen’s plans to build a $1 billion plant in Chattanooga’s Enterprise South industrial park by 2010-11 could help Walker’s dream come true.

Volkswagen is looking for suppliers, including possible ones in Walker and Catoosa counties. These businesses or industries would supply parts for the VW plant. They could include both existing and new businesses.

“I think Catoosa County is a super place for VW (suppliers) because the interstate runs right through it, and also Dade has access,” Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell said. “Both are good. But we are actually closer to Enterprise South. So what we need is a direct traffic corridor that would link us with Chattanooga to alleviate a lot of the traffic problems that now slow access into the city from Walker County.”

Possible route

Heiskell said the route she has in mind was first considered about 20 years ago.

The Central Avenue Interchange plan, as it is called, could connect Walker County to interstate system via Ga. 193 to Ga. 2 to Happy Valley Road to Wilson Road, and then into Chattanooga.

Once the route enters Chattanooga, it would be up to Tennessee officials to determine its path. But Heiskell said an earlier proposal by Tennessee had the route traveling north through the Piney Woods district along Central Avenue, then to Amnicola Highway, where it would then travel along Tenn. 153 to Interstate 75.

Heiskell said a Chattanooga architectural design firm, Arcadis, has estimated how much it would cost to design a route from Ga. 2 to Amnicola Highway.

“Right now the redesign will be up to Arcadis, and ultimately left up to Tennessee officials,” she said.

Heiskell said the route she has in mind could include widening of Ga. 193 in Walker County.

Click here for map of possible route.

How it began

The Central Avenue Interchange has taken several proposed routes in the past 20 years.

But recently it was dropped from the Metropolitan Statistical Planning Organization’s plans.

The organization includes Walker, Catoosa and Dade counties in Georgia and Hamilton, Bradley and Marion counties in Tennessee. Its role is, among other things, to look at how Chattanooga’s economy affects the surrounding region.

Heiskell said the initial Central Avenue Interchange plan called for it to travel through St. Elmo.

“When they built the interstate they stopped there at Central Avenue and there was a plan to come into Georgia, but that was 20 years ago,” Heiskell said. “They planned to come through St. Elmo. Then there was an election and whoever represented St. Elmo at the time didn’t want it to come through St. Elmo. So they ignored it and put it on the back burner. Later on St. Elmo became a historic district and they didn’t want truck traffic and that sort of a thing there. So it was eventually canceled.”

Heiskell said her office didn’t know until recently that the project had been dropped.

“We actually didn’t realize that it had been canceled until Don Oliver (Walker County’s attorney) began to research it and found it had been taken off the agenda,” Heiskell said.

“When the state of Georgia widened (Ga.) 193, they rerouted it, and it was redesigned as a four-lane and it was supposed to hit St. Elmo and into the Central Avenue Interchange,” Heiskell said. “But Georgia reserved putting four lanes there until Tennessee finished their part.”

Funding is the hang-up

Heiskell said the obstacle that will hinder the completion of the project is that funding for portions of the route must still be provided for by Tennessee, which currently is focused on Enterprise South and its direct traffic corridors.

“I know they have more important transportation needs closer to Enterprise South than this interchange. But when it happens it will be worth it. ... So we are trying to get this back on the agenda,” Heiskell said.

Walker County Coordinator David Ashburn spoke of the process of seeing the project put back on the Metropolitan Statistical Planning Organization’s Transportation Improvement Plan, or TIP.

“The TIP is where, if you are in the Metropolitan Statistical Planning Organization, you submit your projects, and GDOT (Georgia Department of Transportation) and TDOT (Tennessee Department of Transportation) work on the funding,” Ashburn said. “Usually these projects don’t interact. But because it is tied on both sides of the line, they will both be involved on this.”

Heiskell said she hopes that pressure from Georgia officials will encourage Tennessee officials to get back on board with the project.

“Georgia is very much interested in what happens with VW because it will affect Northwest Georgia’s economy,” Heiskell said. “I would like to get our governor to work directly with Tennessee’s Governor Phil Bredesen in getting this done because I feel confident some of the suppliers will be here.”

Heiskell said when the redesign plans are complete, they would be handed over to GDOT in hopes of having the interstate link reappropriated by state funding.

However, Ashburn said of the state’s commitment, “DOT (Department of Transportation) admitted this year they have committed to all kind of projects in the past they don’t have the money to fund.”

But Ashburn said that because of the importance of Volkswagen on the local economy, Georgia officials could put the proposal ahead of other projects being considered.