Alexander, Duncan, Frist see that Blount gets its fair share

EDITORIAL STAFF
THE DAILY TIMES
AUGUST 1, 2005

The efforts of Rep. John J. ``Jimmy'' Duncan, Sen. Lamar Alexander, and Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist, are appreciated by the leaders of the Blount County community.

All three have worked hard to obtain federal funding for projects in the highway bill which has been delayed two years. Their efforts brought about $200 million to Tennessee and roughly $28 million to Blount County.

Some of the projects qualify for funding from the highway bill if they are to be built along federal highways and increase tourism.

While the bill has been passed by both the House and the Senate, the exact amount of some of the funding is not certain because the bill is 1,000 pages long and certain restrictions may apply.

President Bush is committed to signing the bill which would make it final.

There were no surprise appropriations. Sen. Alexander, Rep. Duncan, and Sen. Frist have worked with local leaders in seeking funding for the projects.

The bill includes:

- $17.5 million for construction of additional bridges on the 1.5-mile missing link of the Foothills Parkway. The third of 10 bridges on that link is under construction. When completed it will open the section from U.S. 321 in Walland to U.S. 321 in Wears Valley and make available some of the most significant views of the Great Smokies.

- $1 million for a cable stayed pedestrian bridge across the U.S. 129 Maryville-Alcoa Bypass which would connect the greenway sections within the city of Alcoa. It will be built over the by-pass at some point between Anderson Lumber Co. and Alcoa Municipal Building.

- $8 million toward the estimated $45 million for construction of the cultural arts center being considered as a joint community-Maryville College project. It is currently being studied as a possible joint venture between local governments and the college.

- $1.7 million toward completion of Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center which is scheduled to open in early November in Townsend. The funding will be used to purchase adjacent property and to build a roof over the amphitheater.

- $240,000 to improve streetscape and repair pavement in Blount County.

- $200,000 to improve streetscape in Greenback.

As a senior member of the House Transportation Committee and a conferee in the House-Senate resolution of the final items included, Rep. Duncan directed $65.5 million to the Second District's priority projects in addition to the $54.6 million targeted to the area by the Senate.

The legislation ensures that the state of Tennessee will receive a 26.71 percent increase in its highway formula funding over the Transportation Equity Act-21 enacted levels. On an average, Tennessee will receive an extra $168 million each year. The state's return for federal highway formula funding will increase from 90.5 percent to 91.5 percent in fiscal year 2007 and to 92 percent in fiscal year 2008.

Sen. Alexander stressed that better roads mean better jobs, adding that the legislation provides funding to improve our interstates, highways and transportation infrastructure, which are critical to economic development in the Second District and across the state.

Rep. Duncan added that the bill will create thousands of jobs across East Tennessee while addressing some of our region's most serious transportation needs and ensuring the state gets a better deal when federal highway dollars are distributed.

We commend these three leaders on seeing that our area gets its fair share from the federal taxes we have paid.