Justice Neil Thomas speaks at groundbreaking

Judge Neil Thomas said it took eight years and five months to come to fruition as he broke ground on a Fourth Street beautification project Tuesday morning.

He said he hopes landscaping will also be expanded to the MLK Boulevard exit later.

The final project involves planting 1,000 trees, as well as shrubs and wildflowers, across the entire 21-acre site, he said.

Judge Thomas, who heads the Tennessee Interstate Conservancy, said the idea came to him while driving through North Carolina in June 2016 and seeing beautifully landscaped highways.

He said: “It’s not just for beautification. This reflects pride and is an improvement in economic development. »

Judge Thomas said the Chattanooga project is a pilot highway beautification project in the state of Tennessee.

TDOT’s Mike McClanahan said plantings will focus on native species and those that are friendly to pollinators. He said much of the citizen input went into the landscaping.

“It will create a welcoming gateway to the city,” he said.

Troy Gardner of the Ragan Smith Society said 13 species of trees would be included as well as native shrubs and wildflowers.

There will be plants and trees in bloom during all four seasons, it was said.

Mayor Tim Kelly said, “This is a very big deal, and we wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Judge Thomas.

He said there were discussions about such a project while he operated a car dealership at the MLK exit.

Landscaping