Crossville has been awarded a $21 million statewide partnership program grant to fund the second phase of the Northwest Connector project.
During a Tuesday work session, City Engineer Don Cole said the total project budget currently stands at approximately $22 million, leaving the city responsible for roughly $1 million in costs exceeding the grant amount. City Manager Valerie Hale.
“We’re grateful to receive this grant, I mean it’s a $21 million grant, we won’t get this again, this opportunity again,” Hale said. “And I certainly understand that unforeseen things come up, but at what point in the process will we have the best idea of what the actual project cost will be?”
The city has been pursuing this specific grant for several years to move the project forward. Cole said the city already holds the certified right-of-way for Phase Two, which removes a significant hurdle for the upcoming construction.
“The last updated estimated construction cost from T-DOT was around $20 million,” Cole said. “We also have, since we’re going back through with T-DOT and everything, we’ve got to update the NEPA environmental ARAP all sorts of permits we’ve got to update.”
Cole said the city is waiting for a formal contract with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to define specific roles for environmental studies and utility coordination. Design engineers must also update plans originally completed in 2022 to meet current state standards and account for new fiber optic lines and storm drainage installed since the initial survey.
Cole said the project is scheduled to be bid in the fall of 2027 as part of the state’s fiscal year 2027-2028 program. The city will likely receive updated construction plans by the beginning of next year, providing a clearer picture of the final costs by early spring.
