By Bill Grubb

ROGERSVILLE - Another public hearing has been scheduled to review yet another proposed route for relocating Highway 11E through Bulls Gap and Hawkins County.
    The Tennessee Department of Transportation has scheduled a National Environmental Policy Act public hearing from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on July 14 in the cafeteria of Hamblen County's East Ridge Middle School, 6595 St. Clair Road, Whitesburg.
    In early 2000, TDOT officials began publically discussing a plan to widen the two-lane section of 11E, also known as State Route 34, from the Interstate 81 interchange in Greene County to Morristown.
    Initial plans for the project proposed locating the new four-lane highway south of Bulls Gap and Hawkins County, with the road located entirely in Greene and Hamblen counties.
    After local elected officials complained, citing the need to have any new road near one of the Hawkins County's major employers, the Barrette Outdoor Living facility (formerly U.S. Fence), TDOT prepared the first of several options that would keep a portion of the new highway near Bulls Gap.
    A concept map accompanying the public hearing notice still shows an option completely bypassing Hawkins County, another primarily bypassing the county except for a short stretch that would cross into the county and a revised third option that crosses into Hawkins County and takes a route through Bulls Gap near Barrette.
    The highway project is still in design and review stage, with the public hearing held to review and provide input into an Environmental Assessment (EA) prior to the completion of final environmental documents.
    "Four main alternatives are evaluated in this EA, the No-Build Alternative and three Build Alternatives," according to a TDOT public notice.  "The No-Build Alternatives would mean that no major improvements would be made to the existing interchange, and only routine maintenance activities would continue to be conducted."
    The public hearing will include a brief presentation followed by a question and answer session.  TDOT representatives will be present to address questions pertaining to the general location of the alternative, and "the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the proposed improvements."
    TDOT will also have representatives available to answer questions on the relocation assistance program, the tentative schedule for right-of-way acquisition and construction.