TDOT Opens Bids for State Highway 56 Project in DeKalb/Warren County (VIEW PLANS HERE)

June 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The Tennessee Department of Transportation opened bids this morning (Friday) for the long awaited State Highway 56 Improvement Project.

Jones Brothers Contractors, LLC was the apparent low bidder for the project at $43,691,948 which will be done in two phases from south of state highway 288 near Magness Road to East Bryant Street in Smithville and from south of the Warren-DeKalb County line to near Magness Road in DeKalb County. TDOT has not announced which section will be started first. A proposed third segment from near State Route 287 in Warren County to near the DeKalb County Line is not yet ready for bid letting.

Three other companies submitted bids including Rogers Group, Inc. at $45,874,314, Wright Brothers Construction Company, Inc. at $49,488,480, and Civil Constructors, LLC at $49,488,480.

TDOT has not yet awarded the contract and no date has been set for start of construction. The estimated completion date is May 31, 2022.

“Jones Brothers is the apparent low bidder. Of course, this does not mean that the contract will be immediately awarded. When we open bids on a project and determine the apparent low bidder, our headquarters construction office reviews the bid to check for any irregularities and to determine if everything is in order before they officially award the contract. They have up to 30 days from the bid opening to do this. If everything checks out, then the project will be officially awarded to the contractor and all the contract-related documentation will be executed, which takes some time. Shortly after that, we will have a preconstruction conference to discuss the project in general, including the contractor’s approach to the project and the timetable of the project. In attendance at the preconstruction conference will be TDOT construction, environmental, utility, and safety personnel along with the contractor and other affected parties (like utility companies). After the preconstruction conference, the contractor is free to begin work on the project,” said Jennifer Flynn, Region 2 Community Relations Officer.

The state plans to build largely two lanes of a proposed four lane project and maintain traffic on the existing Highway 56 (alignment) while construction is being done on the new portion

(THE FIRST DISPLAY MAP CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING LINK BELOW. THE MAP CAN ALSO BE ENLARGED FOR BETTER VIEWING. IT SHOWS THE PROJECT STARTING SOUTH TO NORTH (LEFT TO RIGHT) FROM STATE ROUTE 288)

10026300 SR56 Display 1.pdf (9.04 MB)

(THE SECOND DISPLAY MAP CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING LINK BELOW. THE MAP CAN ALSO BE ENLARGED FOR BETTER VIEWING. IT SHOWS THE PROJECT IN THE SHINEY ROCK COMMUNITY IN THE AREA OF TITTSWORTH CEMETERY AND MYSTIK MARKET)

10026300 SR56 Display 2.pdf (3.46 MB)

(THE THIRD DISPLAY MAP CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING LINK BELOW. THE MAP CAN ALSO BE ENLARGED FOR BETTER VIEWING. IT SHOWS THE PROJECT BETWEEN COUNTY HOUSE ROAD AND SOUTH TITTSWORTH ROAD)

10026300 SR56 Display 3.pdf (7.61 MB)

(THE FOURTH DISPLAY MAP CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING LINK BELOW. THE MAP CAN ALSO BE ENLARGED FOR BETTER VIEWING. IT SHOWS THE PROJECT BETWEEN VAUGHN LANE AND EAST BRYANT STREET IN SMITHVILLE)

10026300 SR56 Display 4.pdf (11.12 MB)

In May, 2018 Robert Rodgers of the TDOT Region 2 Project Development Office gave a power point presentation of the plans and then took questions from the audience during a public information meeting in Smithville.

Following the meeting, Rodgers gave a general description of the project for WJLE.

“On the southern part from the DeKalb County line up to Vaughn Lane, it’s going to be a two lane roadway. There will be left turn lanes at the side roads. As we get closer to Smithville where some of the intersecting roads are offset there will be some extended sections of three lanes. Once we get to Vaughn Lane we will be expanding to the three lane typical all the way up to just past Morgan Branch. When we get past Morgan Branch we will be building a five lane section with curb and gutters and sidewalks,” said Rodgers.

According to Rodgers, the state will deviate from the existing road in the Shiney Rock area in order to bypass the cemeteries. The highway will then tie back in to the existing alignment in Smithville.

“Where the church and the cemetery are now, we are going off alignment because there was not room to fit the proposed finished road in between the two. Traffic on that section will stay on the existing road until the new road is complete,” said Rodgers.

The proposed cross sections for the project are as follows:

*From south of State Route 287 to north of Bessie Gribble Road-two 12-foot travel lanes with a 12-foot continuous center turn lane, four-foot shoulders and ditches.

* From north of Bessie Gribble Road to Vaughn Lane-two 12-foot travel lanes with 12-foot shoulders and ditches. There will be left turn lanes at intersecting roadways.

*From Vaughn Lane to north of Morgan Branch-two 12-foot travel lanes with a 12-foot continuous center turn lane, 12-foot shoulders and ditches.

*From north of Morgan Branch to East Bryant Street- four 12-foot travel lanes with a 12-foot continuous center turn lane, four foot shoulders, two-foot curb and gutter, a sidewalk within a 10 foot utility strip on either side.

The project was advertised as follows:

Project No. STP-56(29), 21004-3252-14 (PIN 100263.00)

The grading, drainage, construction of bridges and paving on S.R. 56 from south of S.R. 288 near Magness Road (L.M. 2.58) to East Bryant Street (L.M. 7.53) in Smithville.

Project Length – 4.925 miles

Project No. STP/HIP-56(39), 21004-3259-14 (PIN 100262.00)

The grading, drainage, construction of a concrete Bulb-Tee or concrete I-beam bridge and paving on S.R. 56 from south of the Warren-DeKalb County line (L.M. 24.45) to near Magness Road in DeKalb County (L.M. 2.86).

Project Length – 3.332 miles

Total Contract Length – 8.257 miles

Completion Time – On or before 5/31/2022

June 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

County Mayor Tim Stribling has announced that DeKalb County has been selected to receive $8,041.00 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county. This is the third consecutive year that Dekalb County has been selected to receive these funds.

The selection was made by a National Board that is chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from The Salvation Army; American Red Cross; United Jewish Communities; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA; and, United Way of America. The local board charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.

A local board made up of community representatives will determine how the funds awarded to DeKalb County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area. The Local Board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds available under this phase of the program.

Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1) be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, 2) have an accounting system, 3) practice nondiscrimination, 4) have demonstrated the capacity to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 5) if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.

The EFS Local Board will meet in the lower courtroom of the DeKalb County Courthouse at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, July 8, 2019 to consider applications for funding. Applications must be delivered to the DeKalb County Senior Center in Smithville by 1:00 p.m. that day or may be brought to the meeting by a representative, who is welcome to present the application to the Local Board.

Further information about the program and an application may be obtained by contacting, Pam Redmon, DeKalb County Senior Center Director, located at 718 South Congress Blvd., Smithville, TN 37166 Phone: (615) 597-7575.

June 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

4-H’ers spent part of the day Friday in the kitchen at the county complex whipping up yogurt parfaits, omelettes, Quesadillas, among other treats.

The kids were learning how to cook and prepare delicious entrees as part of a 4-H Day Camp called “4-H Adventures in the Kitchen”.

“They are learning a lot of basic cooking skills, nutrition, and incorporating a few physical activities into the lesson. We did trail mix this morning and now we’re doing yogurt parfaits. Our next lesson is going to be omelettes and Quesadillas. They will be eating lots of good healthy food all day long. We have one gentlemen here who has only eaten bananas out of the fruit groups so we’re trying to encourage him to try strawberries or something different,” said Dr. April Martin, UT/TSU Extension Agent.

IMG_7391 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

This 4-H Day Camp is made possible through Tennessee Nutrition and Consumer Educational Program grant funds.

Teens participating were Megan Price, Lily Martin, Jaden Johnson, Hunter Buchanan, Caroline Butler, Brianna Carr, Kiana Driver, Lilly Fox, Sam Harris, Carol Shinkle, and Tonya Goff

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