An armed robber made off with pain medication from Tallent Drugs in Copperhill Monday morning.
23:01
10
February
2010
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Information about the project will be presented next week at two public workshops: Feb. 16 at Polk County High School and Feb. 17 at Copper Basin High School, with each workshop running from 5-8 p.m.
Consultants working on
the Transportation Planning Report for Corridor K have developed seven options
for improving transportation through the Ocoee Gorge, including a “no build”
option. The Citizens Resource Team asked them to include an eighth, a “hybrid”
that had been discussed that would keep the current route to some extent at
each end before relocating the highway.
None of the cost
estimates comes close to the $2.1 billion estimated for an earlier alignment,
which has been scrapped. TDOT started over completely with the current study,
emphasizing Context Sensitive Solutions.
No recommendation has
been made for an alignment, nor has a decision been made about whether to move
toward a two-lane or four-lane highway. The next step, the Environmental Impact
Statement, will study the possibilities in greater detail before alignments are
considered.
Information about the
project will be presented next week at two public workshops: Feb. 16 at Polk
County High School and Feb. 17 at Copper Basin High School, with each workshop
running from 5-8 p.m. There will not be a formal presentation, so citizens can
come and go at their convenience. TDOT will have a number of stations providing
information on various aspects of the project.
Improvement options
include rebuilding the existing highway, spot improvements to the existing
highway, three possible corridors north of the Ocoee River, and two possible
corridors south of the river. The new location possibilities are 2,000 feet
wide, allowing flexibility for an actual roadway.
A comparison matrix was
developed to show the impact of each option on a variety of parameters:
transportation, economic, human and social, natural, cultural and visual,
archeology, community, ecology, hazardous substance, and parks and public
lands. Analysis of new routes was done for both a two-lane highway with passing
lanes and shoulders and a four-lane highway. Consultants told the Citizens
Resource Team that a two-lane highway would meet projected traffic counts and
also noted that there is not a lot of difference in travel time because of the
relatively short distance involved. Conceptual costs are provided but do not
include mitigation costs.
Shown below are some of
the parameters.
Option 1, no build: Conceptual cost, no
change.
• Would not improve
deficiencies to Hwy. 64, low potential to meet design standards, low potential
to accommodate sufficient and safe parking areas, low pedestrian and bike
safety, medium connectivity east-west and north-south.
• No potential for new
scenic views or effects to existing views, high access to hiking biking, lakes
and marinas, medium access to Ocoee, high access to Ocoee Whitewater Center,
medium access to Cherokee National Forest. No effect on trails,
solitude/wilderness experience, watershed, no historic sites or cemeteries
affected.
Option 2, improve
current highway: Conceptual cost, $304.6 million, 2-lane; $497.8 million, four
lane. 65 right-of-way tracts, 1 relocation.
• High potential to
improve deficiencies and meet design standards, but roadway would have to be
closed 4-8 years during construction, according to consultants. Medium
potential for parking, pedestrian/bike safety. High east-west and medium
north-south connectivity.
• No potential for new
scenic views, low effects to existing views, high access to hiking biking,
lakes and marinas, medium access to Ocoee, high access to Ocoee Whitewater
Center, medium access to Cherokee National Forest. Low effect on trails, no
effect on solitude/wilderness experience, low effect on watershed, low effect
on historic sites, medium effect on cemetery.
• 44 stream crossings.
High effect from pyritic (acidic) rock. Low effect on terrestrial species,
aquatic species; high effect on cliff lines/habitat.
• Medium potential to
improve deficiencies on Hwy. 64 and meet design standards. Low potential for
parking, pedestrian/bike safety. Medium north-south and east-west connectivity.
• No potential for new
scenic views, low effects to existing views, high access to hiking biking,
lakes and marinas, medium access to Ocoee, high access to Ocoee Whitewater
Center, high access to Cherokee National Forest. Low effect on trails, no
effect on solitude/wilderness experience, low effect on watershed, low effect
on historic sites, low effect on cemeteries.
• 11 stream crossings.
Medium effect from pyritic (acidic) rock. Low effect on terrestrial species,
aquatic species; medium effect on cliff lines/habitat.
• Low effect on wildlife
refuge/management area.
Option 3. N-4. $824.5 million, 2 lane;
$1.289 billion for 4 lane. 128 right-of-way tracts, 5-8 relocations. Goes above
the Little Frog Wilderness, includes part of Kimsey Highway, comes out in
Ducktown.
• Low potential to
improve deficiencies on Hwy. 64; high potential to meet design standards.
Medium potential for parking, pedestrian/bike safety. High east-west and medium
north-south connectivity.
• High potential for new
scenic views, high potential for effects to existing views, medium access to
hiking biking, lakes and marinas, Ocoee River; low access to Ocoee Whitewater
Center, high access to Cherokee National Forest. Medium effect on trails, high
effect on solitude/wilderness experience, high effect on watershed, medium
effect on historic sites, low effect on cemeteries.
• 40 stream crossings.
High effect from pyritic (acidic) rock. Low effect on wetlands, high effect on
terrestrial species, high effect on cliff lines/habitat.
• High effect on wildlife
refuge/management area sites.
• Low potential to
improve deficiencies on Hwy. 64; high potential to meet design standards.
Medium potential for parking, pedestrian/bike safety. Medium north-south and
high east-west connectivity.
• High potential for new
scenic views, high effects to existing views, medium access to hiking biking,
lakes and marinas, Ocoee River; high access to Ocoee Whitewater Center and
Cherokee National Forest. High effect on trails, medium effect on
solitude/wilderness experience, medium effect on watershed, low effect on
historic sites, no effect on cemeteries.
• 44 stream crossings.
High effect from pyritic (acidic) rock. Low effect on wetlands, medium effect
on terrestrial species, medium effect on cliff lines/habitat.
• High effect on wildlife
refuge/management area site.
• Low potential to
improve deficiencies on Hwy. 64; high potential to meet design standards.
Medium potential for parking, pedestrian/bike safety. Medium north-south and
high east-west connectivity.
• High potential for new
scenic views, high effects to existing views, medium access to hiking biking,
lakes and marinas, Ocoee River; high access to Ocoee Whitewater Center and
Cherokee National Forest. High effect on trails, medium effect on
solitude/wilderness experience, medium effect on watershed, low effect on
historic sites, no effect on cemeteries.
• 43 stream crossings.
High effect from pyritic (acidic) rock. Low effect on wetlands, medium effect
on terrestrial species, medium effect on cliff lines/habitat.
• High effect on wildlife
refuge/management area site.
• Low potential to
improve deficiencies on Hwy. 64; high potential to meet design standards.
Medium potential for parking, pedestrian/bike safety. Low north-south and high
east-west connectivity.
• High potential for new
scenic views, medium potential for effects to existing views, low access to
hiking, biking, lakes and marinas, Ocoee River and Ocoee Whitewater Center;
medium access to Cherokee National Forest. Medium effect on trails, high effect
on solitude/wilderness experience, high effect on watershed, medium effect on
historic sites, medium effect on cemeteries.
• 48 stream crossings.
High effect from pyritic (acidic) rock. Medium effect on wetlands, high effect
on terrestrial species, high effect on cliff lines/habitat.
• High effect on wildlife
refuge/management area sites.
• Low potential to
improve deficiencies on Hwy. 64; high potential to meet design standards.
Medium potential for parking, pedestrian/bike safety. Low north-south and high
east-west connectivity.
• High potential for new
scenic views, medium potential for effects to existing views, low access to
hiking, biking, lakes and marinas, Ocoee River and Ocoee Whitewater Center;
medium access to Cherokee National Forest. Medium effect on trails, high effect
on solitude/wilderness experience, high effect on watershed, medium effect on
historic sites, medium effect on cemeteries.
• 50 stream crossings.
High effect from pyritic (acidic) rock. Medium effect on wetlands, high effect
on terrestrial species, high effect on cliff lines/habitat.
• High effect on wildlife
refuge/management area sites.
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