The Center Hill and Dale Hollow Rural Planning Organizations approved a new two-year work plan with T-DOT to coordinate regional infrastructure and safety projects through 2028.
Dale Hollow Rural Planning Organization Coordinator Mark Dudney said the agreement establishes foundational structure for how the organizations collaborate with state and local officials. Dudney said the plan fulfills federal highway requirements for the organizations to serve as a liaison between local government stakeholders and the state.
“It overlaps with transportation and safety and tourism and the state and national parks and we get to partner with a lot of people in our communities and then the agencies to make the most of, you know, bring economic development to the region,” Dudney said.
Dudney said the joint meeting included updates from the Tennessee County Highway Association regarding bridge programs and a briefing on the new T-DOT rural service patrol. Dudney said the service patrol utilizes retired state troopers to help clear disabled vehicles from interstates to improve traffic flow.
“Safety is sort of the floor of all this stuff that we do,” Dudney said. “T-DOT also came in and did their updates, they updated about the projects that are within the 15 counties that this meeting covered.”
Dudney said the organizations facilitate various grants for Upper Cumberland communities, including planning grants and professional development opportunities. Dudney said the upcoming two-year cycle includes a new responsibility as the primary point of contact for the Cumberland National Scenic Byway and the Walton Road Scenic Byway.
Dudney said the region’s transportation needs serve as the cornerstone for commerce and local government.
“I would encourage everybody to support their local road superintendents who are doing a very difficult job with limited resources and we all need to support them more,” Dudney said. “Again, transportation touches everything, it touches tourism, it touches economic development, but first and foremost is safety.”
Dudney said the RPOs also work with consultants on community mobility plans to improve pedestrian safety around town squares. Dudney said the meeting featured a presentation from TriGreen Equipment to showcase heavy machinery to local road superintendents from across the region.
Dudney said the leadership of the organizations has shifted following the departure of Center Hill RPO Coordinator Sean Patton, who accepted a position with TDOT. Dudney said he is currently managing the regional efforts alongside Deputy Director Tommy Lee.
“Everybody uses the road, so we all have skin in the game,” Dudney said. “The road superintendents have limited resources to do what they have to do and so they really stretch the resources they have.”
Dudney said citizens who want to understand the mechanics of local government should engage with their highway officials to learn about infrastructure management and how it affects the region.
