Paving on the East Morris Boulevard from Frank Lorino Park to the East Industrial Park has been completed and is awaiting painting and installation of sensors and traffic lights along the route, one traffic light at Jaybird Road, the other at Dover Road.

According to Larry Clark, Assistant City Administrator for the City of Morristown, both Morris Boulevard intersections that are receiving traffic lights will also receive striping at both intersections and guard rail installation on the south side of Dover Road and Morris Boulevard.

The city is currently awaiting signal hardware and Tennessee Department of Transportation approval for the guard rail at Dover and Morris.

TDOT Region I Communications Officer Mark Nagi said that there are still some striping and minimal seeding to do on Morris Boulevard, as well as the addition of street signs. Most of the signal arms are already in place with signals scheduled to be installed by the middle of next week.

South Cumberland Street Project Update

On behalf of the City of Morristown, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is administering various improvements along the 3.8-mile portion of State Route 343 (South Cumberland Street) from State Route 160 to North Liberty Hill Road.

According to information from TDOT, these improvements include reconstruction of the four-lane segment from State Route 160 to East Morris Boulevard to 3 lanes (one travel lane in each direction with a continuous center turn lane), as well as a 10-foot shared use path on the eastern side of the roadway and a 6-foot sidewalk on the western side. Additionally, the project will consist of upgrading the following 12 intersections throughout the project limits to conform to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, including curb ramps, crosswalks, pedestrian poles, and mast arm signal poles.

Intersections include the North Liberty Hill Road, Fairview Road, Davis Street, Cherokee Drive, Third North Street, Second North Street, First North Street, Main Street, East Morris Boulevard, Louise Avenue, Brown Avenue and the Lincoln Avenue/Algonquin Street area.

Construction is estimated to begin in late 2026 or early 2027. In 2022, the City of Morristown successfully obtained a RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant for the proposed improvements. While funds for the RAISE grant program were authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the intended purpose of the program is to fund projects having a significant local or regional impact. On behalf of the city, TDOT is administering the preliminary engineering, right-of-way and construction phases of the project.