Shelbyville council authorizes $468,525 engineering amendment, asks TDOT to apply small-cities funds to Fairfield Pike project

On Oct. 9, 2025, the Shelbyville City Council authorized Amendment No. 2 to the city’s engineering contract with Gresham Smith for the Fairfield Pike improvements and voted to ask the Tennessee Department of Transportation to apply small-city balances and any other available state funds to the project.

The council approved a $468,525 amendment to the Gresham Smith contract to cover work on right-of-way appraisal, appraisal review, negotiation and related services. Council members were told that the right-of-way phase is now estimated at about $1 million, with an 80/20 federal/local split meaning roughly $800,000 federal and $200,000 local for that phase.

City Manager Scott told the council the amendment covers third-party costs such as appraisers and negotiators and that the city will pay Gresham Smith, which will, in turn, handle those sub‑contracts. Scott said the roadway phase is covered and this work advances right-of-way acquisition ahead of construction.

Council also approved a motion directing the mayor to sign a letter to TDOT asking that Shelbyville’s small-city balances and any other available funds be added to the Fairfield Pike project budget. Council discussed that the city typically receives roughly $350,000 per year from the small-cities balance and that staff had been in conversations with TDOT about additional federal and state funding sources.

A separate motion asking TDOT to move $750,000 from the project’s construction phase to the right‑of‑way phase was withdrawn after staff reported TDOT had already shifted funds between phases in prior correspondence. The council did not take formal action on that motion after the clarification.

Council members pressed on how much of the amendment would be local money; staff said the contract changes reflect the current 80/20 split (20% local). Members also discussed that construction remains partially unfunded and that the city is pursuing additional federal and state sources and saving local fund balance for its share.

The amendment passed on a roll-call vote. Council members were told the amendment would cover appraisers, appraisal reviewers, negotiators and related costs; closing costs by outside counsel would be paid through the engineering firm rather than by multiple city checks.

Why it matters: the Fairfield Pike intersection has been a long-planned improvement intended to ease traffic backups; escalating right‑of‑way costs and the timing of construction funding make early acquisition work and federal/state coordination important to keep the project on schedule.

Provenance: the council added the item as business item D/E during the Oct. 9 meeting and discussed the amendment, funding splits and TDOT correspondence throughout the meeting.