By Brian Bloom
Regional Manager
The City of Bartlett will be seeking more than $29 million in federal and local funds from the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Bartlett is requesting monies for a variety of projects ranging from a $16,000,000 Old Brownsville Road widening to $150,000 to cover engineering costs for a proposed Fletcher Creek Greenway bikeway.
Bartlett is joined in the MPO by other suburban communities as well as Shelby County, Memphis, west Fayette County and northern DeSoto County governments. Every four years communities compile their wish list for new road construction monies to be included in the Transportation Improvement Plan. MPO representatives rank the submissions on a variety of criteria including such things as traffic volume, crash history and pavement conditions.
“This is our wish list,” Bartlett City Engineer Rick McClanahan said. “These are projects that may potentially be funded.”
Bartlett is seeking $3,500,000 in 2013 for right of way acquisition for the proposed expansion of Old Brownsville Road from Kirby Whitten to Austin Peay.
Actual construction dollars for that project are being sought in 2016 at a total cost of $16,000,000 of which three quarters come from federal funds.
Other projects and estimated costs associated include:
Bridges
2013 – Bartlett Rd. Bridge (Harrington Creek) Construction – $750,000
2014 – Old Brownsville Rd. (Buckhead Creek) Construction – $800,000
Signals
2014 – Memphis Arlington (Altruria) Construction – $300,000
Bikeways
2013 – Fletcher Creek Greenway – Construction/engineering – $150,000
2015 – Fletcher Creek Greenway – Construction – $1,250,000
City Wide Paving
2014 – Kirby Whitten (City Limits to Elmo) – $2,200,000
2013 – Kirby Whitten (St. Elmo to Egypt Central) – $1,000,000
2016 – Yale (Bartlett Blvd. to Kirby Whitten) – $1,500,000
2015 – Bartlett Blvd. (Stage to Memphis Arlington) – $1,200,000
According to McClanahan, Bartlett will be taking public comment on the road projects until the end of 2012. Individuals wishing to suggest alternative road construction projects or have issues with the condition of specific roads in Bartlett may do so by contacting the city engineer.
