Second West Ridge High access road nearly complete

BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County's newest public school may have a new access road open next month.That means the campus serving about 1,600 students in grades 9-12 will no longer have just one way in and out for buses, students, parents and other visitors during the school day and for after-school and weekend events.West Ridge High School opened just more than three years ago off Exit 63 on Interstate 81."The school will be sharing more detailed guidance on traffic" before the road opens, Director of Schools Chuck Carter said in a Wednesday phone interview.NEW ROAD DETAILSDuring the Sept. 13 Sullivan County Board of Education meeting, West Ridge High School Principal George Laoo, pronounced "lay-oh," gave the seven-member Board of Education a rundown on the access road that is in the process of being paved and could be ready for traffic Thursday, Oct. 10, albeit during fall break Oct. 7-11.The first layer of rough pavement is already in place, but the second and final layer or top coat has yet to be applied, Carter said.The first test of the road for an after-school event could come Friday, Oct. 11, when the West Ridge Wolves football teams is to host Jefferson County High from Dandridge."If it's ready to go, we're going to use it the next night," Laoo said in a Wednesday interview of the Oct. 11 football game.Laoo and Carter said parents and students will be notified of detailed plans for use of of the road, which connects the campus to Henry Harr Road to the north of campus rather than Lynn Road to the south/southwest of campus.In the mornings, Laoo said students and parents can use either entrance and follow instructions and traffic directors. He said if issues arise, that could change, but that the biggest traffic congestion since the school opened in August of 2021 has occurred after school is out.In the afternoons for dismissal, Laoo said students would exit to Lynn Road through the round-about, while parents would exit onto Henry Harr Drive.The access road will have a new parking lot doubling as a band and Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps or Junior ROTC practice area to the west or Kingsport side of the road. The existing tennis courts are to the east of the new road, toward Bristol.Laoo and Carter said that students walking to and from the student parking area will continue to walk across an area with no vehicle traffic as a safety measure in the mornings and afternoons.THIRD ENTRANCE STILL POSSIBLEPlans had been for the school to have another access connecting to what becomes Airport Parkway or state Route 357 in front of Second Harvest Food Bank. However, plans for that entry point were put on hold after the school system bought land in front of the Lynn Road entrance, although school officials have said eventually a new road may be built there.The proposed road, starting with an existing Jericho Lane leading into Second Harvest with an additional section added to make it to the high school, was talked about as a public road or a driveway. The connector road to Henry Harr Road is a driveway."At some point, the stars will align, and you will see a road that goes out to the main drag," Laoo said.Carter said a proposed land swap with a landowner adjoining property the school system owns west of Lynn Road didn't work out, and that the presence of a cemetery near the property in question complicated matters."We kind of hit a stall or pass on that. A couple of options didn't pan out," Carter said. "That would be great at some point."Before the school system bought the land, the County Commission and school board wrangled over the idea of the commission buying the land and building the connector road to the existing Jericho Lane.PROJECT COST, CONSIDERATIONSThe project, done by Baker Construction Service, cost about $3 million. The access road had to cross a creek and meet environmental regulations.Laoo said his vision is to add grander entrances, including possible brick or stone columns on each side, for the Henry Harr Road and Lynn Road entrances. The Henry Harr entrance will have a gate, like the Lynn Road entrance, but is to remain open most of the time like the Lynn Road gate.At the work session, Carter said Laoo had discussed something like the entrance to Emory & Henry University in Emory, Virginia, and some other colleges in the region."That's Dr. Laoo's vision, and I like it," Carter said.