Council splits over phasing and scope for Rock Springs Road intersection work
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Engineers proposed focusing design funds on the Rock Springs/Old Nashville intersection and deferring a longer phase that would require substantial right-of-way and utility relocation; some council members warned delaying the northern phase increases long-term costs and traffic congestion, while staff said concentrating on the intersection accelerates delivery of the most critical improvements.
Gresham Smith and town staff brought an amendment to refine design and right-of-way work for the Rock Springs/Old Nashville project. Charles, the project lead, explained that phase 1 will concentrate on the intersection improvements from Needham Drive to Austin Lee Drive and that an optional phase 2 north to Cedar Grove Road was being deferred to keep right-of-way and utility relocation scope manageable.
Council discussion was lengthy and divided. Some members said deferring phase 2 will simply push costs later and risk extending a corridor that already showed a 2019 F level of service in portions; others supported narrowing scope to get the intersection moving, arguing surveying and right-of-way costs can be handled later and that overlapping contracts for survey, functional and right-of-way design can still accelerate overall progress.
Questions included whether the TDOT cost estimates and the engineering fee basis aligned, how construction engineering-inspection (CEI) numbers compared to amendment amounts, and whether the town could repackage work to speed procurement and reduce amendments. Staff said design-to-right-of-way documents can overlap and that construction would likely be 2–3 years out because of extensive right-of-way and utility relocation work.
Council asked staff to confer with finance and return with a refined amendment that addresses the scheduling, budget impacts, and whether survey/phase 2 work should proceed or be held in place. The item will be revised and returned to a future workshop.