Important Meeting on McCaysville Bypass

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Clyde Holler

I’m just back after a few days out of town, and there’s a lot to catch up on.

For now, the most important item is that the DOT is having another meeting on the Hwy 5/McCaysville Bypass, this Thursday, June 22 at the West Fannin Elementary gym from 4 p.m to 7 p.m. That’s just off Hwy 5, between Blue Ridge and McCaysville.

In response to the overwhelmingly negative feedback they received at the last meeting, they have changed their proposal. It sounds like a much better idea than their original concept, although I still believe the plan put forth by the Stop the McCaysville Bypass people was better – to improve East Tennessee instead of having a bypass. You can read about it on their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/STOPMCCAYSVILLEBYPASS/

I don’t have much further information. According to the News Observer:

Originally, a new two-lane bypass was to turn west off of Hwy. 5, near the water bottling plant, and make its way around the west side of McCaysville, crossing Mobile Road, before entering Tennessee and crossing the Ocoee River, and intersecting with Hwy. 68 west of Copperhill.
The new route will take Hwy. 5 improvements further north toward the city limits of McCaysville
Then at Kingtown Street, the new two-lane bypass will turn west and travel toward and cross the Ocoee River and intersect Hwy. 68 at or near Colonial Avenue.
According to the DOT information, the new route will bring the bypass much closer to downtown McCaysville than the original route.
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