Town staff recommend nearly $4 million contract for Sam Ridley Parkway/Old Nashville Highway intersection improvements

Town staff presented contract terms for intersection improvements at Sam Ridley Parkway and Old Nashville Highway and said the item would be placed on a formal agenda for authorization.

Aaron Council, presenting the item, said the contract with Sessions Paving Company is for $3,988,000 and is part of the town’s TDOT local program funding. He described the work as adding double left‑turn lanes, two through lanes and right‑turn lanes on all four legs of the intersection and addressing an existing drainage issue in one quadrant.

Funding and timing: staff said a $2,000,000 grant under a carbon reduction/CMAC program has been awarded toward the project and the town has applied for additional statewide partnership funds for 2025. Presenters estimated the town’s local share at roughly $1,000,000 for construction, with the remainder to be covered by grant(s) and other sources; staff said they would seek to increase grant funding to reduce local cost. The workshop record included a contract timeline printed in the packet that read "on or before 12/31/1926"; staff did not amend that printed timeline during discussion.

Why it matters: the change aims to add capacity and reduce backups at a busy intersection and to correct a localized drainage problem that town staff said currently affects one quadrant.

Next steps: Council asked questions about the grant amount and timeline. Staff said the item would be put on the upcoming council agenda for formal authorization; no vote occurred in the workshop.

Ending: Staff indicated they would pursue additional grant funding and bring the contract authorization to a formal meeting for council action.