Hilltop Drive extension shelved after backlash, other Ooltewah projects to be studied

OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (WDEF)- A planned extension of an Ooltewah road has been shelved.

Hamilton County was looking into extending Hilltop Drive from Hunter Road to Volkswagen Drive that would parallel I-75.

However, concerns were raised that it would disturb Enterprise South Nature Park, in a similar area that would have been affected by a discussed plan to open it up for industrial development.

After receiving that feedback, county officials say they are changing their plans on how to improve traffic in the Ooltewah area.

Nathan Janeway, the county’s director of development services, said, “The proposal is to take the funds, to study the entire list of 8 projects, to identify the top three, and then go design those three projects. We feel like it will be impactful, some of them have received a lot of interest.”

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp adds, “This proposal allows us to make smarter use of previously allocated funds while responding to the needs of Ooltewah residents.”

The list of the proposed projects are as follows:

● Mahan Gap Road at Ooltewah-Georgetown Road – Intersection Improvements
● Hunter Road near Crooked Creek Drive – Realignment
● Lee Highway (US 64 / US 11) – Continuous Right-Turn Lane Evaluation
● Ooltewah-Georgetown Road – Center Turn Lane Evaluation
● Ooltewah-Georgetown Road at Blanche Road / Mountain View Road – Roundabout Assessment
● Hunter Road – Turn Lane Evaluation
● Hunter Road at Garfield Road – Roundabout Assessment
● I-75 at Volkswagen Drive – Interchange Modifications

The Hamilton County Commission will vote on this change at their next meeting on April 15.