TDOT reaffirms its plans for the extension of the "Orange Route" east into Jefferson County, as per a blog a few days ago: Link... [1]

A blogger posted that nobody would care until TDOT had it in its plans. In announcing that the Orange Route will not be a toll road (because of local citizen opposition!), TDOT makes it pretty clear that it has every intention of building the "Green Route" and, in so doing, forever destroying a huge part of east Knox and Sevier and Jefferson Counties. See:http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/aug/05/tdot-nixe s-toll-parkway/

As TDOT Commissioner Nicely put it: "We simply will not further consider tolling as a funding mechanism for this project nor for a possible extension of the parkway on to I-40 East."

Maybe all this will go away because TDOT will not find the money without tolls, or maybe TDOT will give up paving the state and spend money on railroads and maybe the Tooth Fairy will Rule. But I doubt it. There is too much money to be made "developing" and paving the state for people who care about sprawl and the ruination of east TN to stay indifferent.