I-124 Reconstruction Revitalizes Downtown Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, TN — After nearly two decades of collaboration between Benesch, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and the City of Chattanooga, the reconstruction of three interchanges along I-124 has been successfully completed. This $156 million project provides improved connectivity to downtown Chattanooga, revitalizing the city and supporting anticipated growth.

Benesch was selected by TDOT to study the critical interchanges and was later tasked with providing roadway design, bridge design, surveying, geotechnical engineering, traffic signal and roadway lighting services. While complex, with numerous retaining walls, multi-stage traffic control plans and limited right-of-way, the project has successfully updated the ageing infrastructure to accommodate the approximately 73,000 vehicles that travel through the area each day.

“Integral to the project success was the collaborative approach we took to design,” said Benesch Tennessee Division Manager Sammie McCoy. “It ensured open lines of communications between the project team and related stakeholders, allowing for critical decisions to be made quickly concerning the drainage system, retaining walls and traffic control plans.”

Benesch, TDOT and the City also formed a landscape committee consisting of local foundations and businesses early on in the process, ensuring that a wide range of perspectives and needs were accounted for in every detail of the project’s design.

With roadway construction fully completed and the new landscape plan on track for completion later in 2022, the I-124 Reconstruction project showcases a new gateway into Chattanooga–one that represents civic pride and accommodates anticipated growth of future generations. As a result, it received an Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies – Tennessee.

“I’ve been a part of this project since the beginning, so seeing it completed is something special,” said McCoy. “I’m excited for the public to start seeing the full benefit of this reconstruction and for Chattanooga to really prosper.”