MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Scott Street off Poplar Avenue near Tillman is in for some big changes, and for some in the area it is a big surprise.
Now residents and business owners are signing petitions to keep Scott Street open.
“In the last several months we have heard they are just closing it down completely, blindsiding everyone and no one is happy about it,” says David Bruff, who runs Chickasaw Lumber Company on Scott Street.
The company is near the intersection of Scott and Poplar, an important access point for his business and many others.
“They were telling us 18-wheeler traffic, to make deliveries to our business, are gonna have to go down Tillman or Broad. There is not a lot of room there anymore,” says Bruff.
The neighbors expected the state to replace the 100-year-old bridge at Poplar and Scott, but what no one saw coming was the plan to close Scott Street off at Poplar and make it a cul-de-sac.
“If there was a real emergency they would have to go through residential areas and wind around to get here. It would take more time to get here, delaying access to emergency services,” says Phil Hagood, whose business, AV Solutions Plus, is also located on Scott Street.
We asked the Tennessee Department of Transportation about the closure. They say the City of Memphis requested it. The city, after initially saying it was the state’s project, sent us a statement saying Traffic Engineering recommended the closure due to safety concerns.
They say the traffic signal that was once at the intersection was damaged beyond repair and accidents at the location on the bridge have the potential to result in vehicles leaving the bridge deck and falling to the ground below.
But residents want a second look.
“We have talked to hundreds of residents. We have 300 signatures from residents who want to keep Scott Street open. We have 1,500 signatures online,” says Noah Gray, Executive Director of the Binghampton Development Corporation.
“This is going to disproportionately affect minority and low income populations. That’s injustice,” says Gray.
Felicia Hawkins has lived in Binghampton all her life. She is even getting signatures from people who had no idea what was planned.
TDOT says there is no date on when the project will start. Businesses and residents hope that will give them some time because they say people in the neighborhood should at least have an input on what happens to the neighborhood.
“It would ruin the street, ruin the neighborhood, ruin all the businesses,” says Bruff.
The City of Memphis also says mailers were sent to property owners and businesses near Scott Street telling them how to voice their concerns about the road changes.
Neighbors tell us they have been able to get on the Memphis City Council agenda next week.
