Grigsby Chapel traffic signal gets green light
Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen, at its Thursday, Aug. 13, meeting, unanimously approved a contract with Ardurra Group Inc. to design improvements to the Grigsby Chapel Road-St. John Court intersection, including a traffic signal.
Vice Mayor Scott Meyer, who will be stepping off the Board this month, made the motion to approve the contract. Alderman Alex Cain, who recently was elected mayor, seconded the motion.
“After six long years … between this and Union Road, which is going to be the biggest project, I’m glad … so thank you,” Meyer said.
“I’m looking forward to this,” said Cain, who represents the North Ward. “This was one of those items that started two years ago, when I was put on the Board … and I’m glad we got this done.”
“This is something that we knew was coming,” Mayor Ron Williams said. “And I think, really, if you have a crystal ball, you’re going to say, as we have increased traffic in that area from the school — you’ll see more buses, you’ll see more residents taking kids to school — I think managing that is something we all thought really needed to be done. It just took the warrants to do it to make sure we were doing what we can do.”
Town engineer Darryl Smith recommended Ardurra Group Inc. to design the improvements at a cost of $55,990. Last year, the Board approved funding for the traffic signal.
“Over the years, we’ve had numerous requests for a light at that location,” Smith said. “Vice Mayor Meyer was probably the last person who made an official request.
“We’ve always held fast to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices,” he added. “And that location barely failed to meet warrants for several years.”
With the increase in traffic since then, “we decided to update that warrant analysis back in the fall, and it now does meet the warrants it needs for us to recommend approval,” Smith said.
“Installation of the signal will allow much easier access to Grigsby Chapel Road from St. John Court, and gaps created by the signal will assist motorists on nearby side roads as well,” assistant Town engineer Eric Schindler stated in a report to the Board.
“We want to move forward with this,” Smith said. “The completion date is by Feb. 28, 2027.”
