Washington County mayor says FEMA design approvals moving Cherokee Road rebuild toward construction; residents press for timeline

A Washington County resident told commissioners he and his neighbors still lack a firm start date for rebuilding a damaged county road, saying the delay is preventing them from finishing homes and restoring driveways.

County Mayor Randy said the county is making “reasonable progress” with federal and state partners and that design work is now under way with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and the county highway department. He said the county expects to advertise the first contract for bid soon and that construction on the first section could take about eight weeks once a contractor begins.

The resident, identifying himself at the podium as Bob Lehi of 318 Beaumont Road, said his household and neighbors remain effectively landlocked and are relying on temporary easements from neighbors while waiting for a permanent road. “We’re here today to find out what we can about the construction, the reconstruction of our road,” he said during the public-comment portion of the meeting.

The mayor told the commission he had just received approval to move forward on design and that TDOT is doing the engineering work needed to put the project out to bid. “We are finally making reasonable progress on a lot of projects,” he said. He added that, once bids are received and a contractor selected, the highway department expects a relatively short build time for the first segment.

Mayor Randy described the county’s broader post-flood recovery work: multiple road and bridge repairs, relocation planning for the solid-waste and highway facilities, and coordinating permanent utility restorations. He said FEMA has committed to covering most repair costs but that funds have not been fully obligated for every project and that several federal processes — including environmental review and insurance coordination — remain to be completed before reimbursements are finalized.

On the solid-waste site the mayor said roughly one-third of the former facility property was taken by river damage and is no longer suitable for reuse. The county purchased an alternative parcel to relocate operations, he said, and he described a grant proposal to capture additional federal relief funds before resorting to state or local money.

The mayor also said some design decisions aim to reduce long-term construction costs: rather than rebuilding certain stretches at their original, more-extensive grade and footprint, the highway department plans alignments and parcel acquisitions to shorten work and lower price. He said FEMA’s calculation will replace what was lost and that the county is striving to use the federal funding available before spending local reserves.

Commissioners did not take a formal vote on the reconstruction during the meeting; the mayor’s remarks described staff direction and design approvals rather than an ordinance or appropriation voted at the session. Residents who offered public comment emphasized the urgency of receiving a clear timeline and the knock-on effects — inability to complete driveways, delayed occupancy, and reliance on neighbors’ easements — that continued delays are causing.

The mayor said the county’s long-term recovery group continues to track individual assistance and rebuilds: dozens of homes are under construction with navigators assisting families, and some newly built homes are receiving landscaping and community support through local volunteer partnerships.

For now, officials said, the schedule depends on federal obligation of funds and final TDOT bidding; county staff will notify affected property owners once a contractor is selected and construction dates are firm.