TDOT Officials Take to the Road in Annual Bus Tour

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer likes to see firsthand how the state's road and bridge projects are coming along. And when his Projects Bus Tour swung through Knoxville in October, there were plenty of local officials on hand to make sure he understands just how vital TDOT is to East Tennessee's transportation network.

Schroer and several Nashville TDOT staffers were welcomed by Steve Borden and Amanda Snowden of TDOT's Region 1 (East Tennessee) office and a contingent of local elected officials for breakfast and conversation at the Outdoor Knoxville Adventure Center. Among those in attendance were the mayors of Knoxville and Knox County, three State Representatives, two Knox County Commissioners, a Knoxville City Councilwoman, several mayors from surrounding cities and counties, and the entire staff of the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).

In total, about 80 people turned out the welcome the group from Nashville.

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett opened the session by welcoming Commissioner Schroer and his staff and speaking to the importance of TDOT's role in funding essential transportation projects in the region. The Commissioner then addressed the crowd to share updates on TDOT planning and construction activity in the region.

"We really appreciate the time spent in our area by Commissioner Schroer. We think it's important that our state officials see projects on the ground, not just on paper in reports and budgets, to see the impact on our region," commented TPO Director Jeff Welch.

TDOT sends about $75-$100 million to the area each year through TPO's Transportation Improvement Program. Some of those funds are for TDOT-managed projects, but some are for projects overseen by local governments. So local officials want to make sure the TDOT Commissioner is well informed of area needs.

At the conclusion of the breakfast session, Commissioner Schroer and local officials boarded his bus and headed out to assess the progress of projects along Henley Street, Western Avenue, and Emory Road, among others in Knox County and surrounding area.

Posted 10-31-2012, written by Sarah Powell