Johnson City Press from Johnson City, Tennessee • 16

rwir -wiy Page 4 JOHNSON CITY PRESSTHE ERWIN RECORD- Tuesday July 4 1995 ewera! politicians Plans for project hatched A 53 BsM HBii it I iff tt i or "BB 'GiV a I I Ul I I UUUI I li en i I road in his first term By Robert Houk Press Start Writer The rear of a pickup may be an unusual place to hatch plans for a multi-million dollar highway construction project but thats exactly where officials say the once dormant US Highway 23 project received new life in 1978 Rep Zane Whitson was then a freshman lawmaker with dreams of seeing the highway widened to four lanes from Johnson City to Erwin The Unicoi County Republican along with the late Rep PL Robinson R-Jonesborough met with Gov Lamar Alexander to urge him to get the construction project back on track The three spoke to a crowd in Erwin from the rear of a pickup used as a makeshift platform It was also from this unorthodox je that Whitson and Robin-convinced Alexander to include the US 23 project in his Better Roads Program A year later funds were included in the states budget to construct three new sections of the road stretching from where the current Okolona Road exit is located in Johnson City to Erwin Soon the road was widened to the southern edge of Erwin The pace of the construction was stepped up after Democrat Ned McWherter succeeded Alexander in 1986 Whitson said the long-time House speaker met with him before the campaign and pledged to make the highway project one of his top priorities as governor Whitson said McWherter was true to his word He said the governors vow to complete the project to the North Carolina line before leaving office set a goal that kept the $200-million project on track Weather delays prevented completion of the highway before McWherter left office in Januaty Howvispi WHilimn said the former governors vigilance was essential to keeping the asphalt flowing to Sams By Robert Houk Press Stafl Writer There will likely be more than a few buttons popping off the vests of proud politicians when Tennessees new four-lane US Highway 23 officially opens Wednesday Federal state and local officials associated with the $200 million highway construction project say its completion to the North Carolina line culminates years of hard work and determination Among those who are the most eager to see the ribbon cut on the new highway are Rep James Quillen R-lst state Rep Zane Whitson R-Unicoi and former Gov Ned McWhorter While many state officials lent a helping hand in moving the prd-j6ct to fruition it was these three who worked the hardest to see the highway project was kept on track Quillen said the opening of the highway is the fulfillment of a dream conceived in the 1960s Along the way I have helped to keep the project alive Quillen said It is one of the greatest highway construction projects in Tennessee history We all stand proud with its completion 1 The congressman said he was particularly proud when the state General Assembly named the highway in his honor in 1989 Quillen said the interstate project floundered in the early 1970s with the state failing to take advantage of generous federal funding for its construction That began to change during the administration of former Gov Lamar Alexander when the congressman secured a $20 million federal appropriatipn to begin planning to widen the highway all the way to the North Carolina line He said that started the ball rolling again on the project He said McWherter took the bull by the horns when he took office in 1986 and accelerated the work -Started under the Administration of his Republican predecessor It has been a united effort ever since Quillen says I think it is an achievement as great as the Ned McWherter played a key role in seeing that bulldozers and asphalt trucks were blazing a trail to the North Carolina line It was Bob Farris (who later went on to serve as an official in the federal Highway Administration) who let three segments of the highway at the same time he said If it wasnt for thatrthe highway would not be finished today" When McWherter took office the Democratic governor decided to speed up the construction even more Whitson said McWherters adminstration would often let bids on four sections of the project at a time McWherter pledged to complete work on the project before he left office While the two-term governor missed that deadline he nonetheless felt satisfied that it was just months away from completion when his term ended Shortly before leaving office McWherter pointed with pride to the miles of interstate carved through the rugged terrain of Unicoi County during his administration In December he said one of the greatest satisfactions of his life would be the day he could drive on the new interstate nonstop to the North Carolina line That day will come Wednesday and the former governor will most likely share that ride with Quillen and Whitson James Quillen creation of the medical school at East Tennessee State University He said the new highway which officials hope will eventually be desginated as Interstate 26 will represent an economic boon to the Upstate area That is an assessment Whitson agrees with The Unicoi County lawmaker said he is optimistic of the future the new highway will likely represent to Upper East East Tennessee Im proud of what this will mean to the entire region Whitson said While the construction of the mountain highway has been one of the most expensive in the states history Whitson feels it has been well worth the price He said the opening of the highway will be the fulfillment of a campaign promise he made when he was first elected to the General Assembly in 1978 I will be very proud when the ribbon is cut Whitson said Its really going to be a happy day for me I was there when we started work to widen the highway to North Carolina and I will be there when it is finally complet-ed wvijtqnn it vss Alcxsndsr who originally saw the nedd to get the highway project up and running again and it was his commissioner of transportation who Whitson made plans for the Gap He let bids on four sections at a time through some of the most rugged terrain in the state1 Whitson said Most of the earliest sections of the interstate project were built under a generous matching grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission US Rep James Quillen R-lst said the commission played a large part in major road-building projects in Virginia and Kentucky But for some reason Tennessee dilly dallied around and it took years to get US 23 built to Erwin Quillen said With that tardiness the congressman said the state lost out on a 70 percent federal matching grant from the commission to complete the highways construction In an effort to get the project started again I was able to get a $20 million appropriation in the federal highway bill to begin planning for construction of the nmiact all the wav tn tha Nnrth Carolina line Quillen said Getting the money was a miracle but it helped to get the ball rolling again In North Carolina supporters of improvements to US 23 faced even greater problems Members of the 1-26 Now Committee made up of business and government leaders from Western North Carolina were having little success in convincing state officials in Raleigh to speed up construction of the 15-mile section of the highway from Asheville to the Tennessee line Officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation said it would likely be 2006 before the state could com- its portion of the project hat did not deter proponents of the highway who launched an intense lobbying effort for an accelerated completion date Their hard work paid off last year when Tarheel state officials agreed to add another $60 million to the project shaving nearly five years off the highways construction Mrtfth PftfAHm any they now hope to cut the ribbon on their section of the highway by 1999 rThe ErwinUnicoi County tt The front door to the Valley Beautiful When time passes by may the many travelers be touched by the accomplishments of nature and mankind As we look back through history the many great accomplishments of mankind have stood alone with the combined time and talents of dedicated people We have before us an accomplishment of this magnitude I am proud to have such an honor placed in my name in the great state of Tennessee as the James Quillen Parkway East Tennessee and Western North Carolina will share economic development opportunities a link of natural beauty and the sense of accomplishment for the mentioned but so much more As time passes by the many travelers will marvel at what one takes for granted yet ask themselves "I wonder? time has a funny way of doing that Thank you to all who dedicated their time and efforts so that our future will Come and enjoy an afternoon of food entertainment and fun as the Chamber of Commerce celebrates the opening of the new highway and the Chamber's 25th anniversary The festivities will be July 8th from 11:00 am 6:00 pm in the Unicoi County Courthouse parking lot.