Johnson City

Johnson City Signal Project Rises $230,000: Six Intersections Get Mast Arms, Gray Gets a New Signal

Johnson City’s Oct. 1 consent agenda carried an amendment to a TDOT contract for a federally funded signal project. The estimate is up $230,000. Six intersections, four of them on South Roan Street, would move to mast-arm signals, and a new signal would go in at Gray Station Road and Shadden Road at

Tracy King

08 Oct 2026 • 6 min read

TDOT project 136741.00 covers signal work at seven Johnson City intersections, including a new signal at Gray Station Road and Suncrest Drive. Illustrative photo.

A federally funded traffic signal project in Johnson City now costs $230,000 more than first estimated. The city’s Oct. 1, 2026 City Commission consent agenda carried an amendment to TDOT Agreement No. 250234, which covers upgrades to six existing signals and a new signal at Gray Station Road and Shadden Road at Suncrest Drive.

The staff summary says the City Commission approved the original TDOT contract on Sept. 4, 2025. Since then the estimated cost has gone up by $230,000, and TDOT now requires approval of any amendment when the estimated cost changes. Staff recommended approval and noted that the Mayor must sign the amendment once it is approved.

Which intersections are in the project

The project is listed by TDOT as “Various Intersections in Johnson City,” project identification number 136741.00, federal project number STP-M-9107(35). The amendment replaces the contract’s Exhibit A. It lists these locations:

Intersection	Work
Sid Martin Rd. at Bobby Hicks Hwy. (SR 75)	Upgrade existing signal to mast arms
Greenline Rd. at Peoples St.	Upgrade existing signal to mast arms
E. Market St. at S. Roan St.	Upgrade existing signal to mast arms
Walnut St. at S. Roan St.	Upgrade existing signal to mast arms
Maple St. at S. Roan St.	Upgrade existing signal to mast arms
Pine St. at S. Roan St.	Upgrade existing signal to mast arms
Gray Station Rd. / Shadden Rd. at Suncrest Dr. (SR 75)	Install a new signal

For the six existing signals, the project description calls for mast arms for improved visibility, a new cabinet and controller with battery backup, improved detection, and interconnect with fiber. Four of the six sit along South Roan Street.

What the project costs, by phase

The amended Exhibit A lists six phases. Each is funded through STBG-U, which the exhibit ties to federal Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funds, at 100% federal and 0% state and local.

Phase	Estimated cost	Funding
PE-NEPA (environmental)	$120,000	STBG-U, 100% federal
PE-Design	$220,000	STBG-U, 100% federal
Right-of-way	$190,000	STBG-U, 100% federal
Construction	$3,182,250	STBG-U, 100% federal
CEI (construction inspection)	$357,000	STBG-U, 100% federal
TDOT Engineering Services	$35,750	STBG-U, 100% federal
Total (our sum)	$4,105,000

The phase amounts add up to $4,105,000. That total is our arithmetic; the exhibit lists the phases but no grand total. The exhibit also says costs are controlled by the figures in the Transportation Improvement Program and any changes to it.

“No financial impact,” with one condition

The city’s summary says the project is 100% federally funded, so there is no financial impact to Johnson City. The TDOT exhibit adds a condition. It says that if the Federal Highway Administration ever rules the use of the state or federal funds ineligible, 100% of the actual cost will be paid from the city’s own funds. It is the one path the packet describes for local money to come into play.

TDOT’s cover letter, dated Sept. 1, 2026, came from its Local Programs and Community Investments Division. It says the amendment deletes and replaces Exhibit A, and that the document will be signed electronically once the city executes it.

How the original contract passed

The minutes of the Sept. 4, 2025 City Commission meeting, included in the packet, show the original contract to oversee a federally funded signalization project at multiple locations passed 4-0. The agreement itself is dated Sept. 17, 2025.

What it means for Johnson City and Gray homeowners

Signal work rarely makes headlines, but it shapes daily life near busy corners. For buyers, a new signal can make a left turn out of a subdivision easier. It can also mean more stop-and-go traffic at the corner.

Gray and SR 75. The new signal at Gray Station Road and Shadden Road at Suncrest Drive sits on State Route 75. For recent subdivision news in the Gray area, see Gray TN Subdivisions Approved as New-Home Prices Rise 3.8%.
South Roan Street. Four signals on S. Roan Street would get mast arms, battery backup and fiber interconnect. Battery backup keeps a signal working during a power outage.
Construction timing. The exhibit lists construction as the biggest phase. Buyers and sellers near these corners should expect work zones at some point, though the packet does not give a construction date.

Thinking about selling near one of these intersections? A free home valuation shows what similar homes have sold for, and a cash offer gives you a firm number if you would rather not list during road work.

Also on Tri-Cities agendas

In Sullivan County, the Regional Planning Commission’s Oct. 20 meeting includes a public informational session on the county’s draft 2025-2026 stormwater annual report and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. The county’s notice explains that Sullivan County is classified as a “Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer System community” under the EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program. It says all properties in unincorporated Sullivan County are subject to the plan and its regulations, and that it is the landowner’s responsibility to follow local, state and federal rules. For owners of rural land, that is a reminder that grading, drainage and runoff rules apply outside city limits too.

The same notice lists one individual rezoning: 5764 Fort Henry Drive in Kingsport, tax map 121G, group A, parcel 12, from R-1 low-density single-family to B-4 arterial business service.

Tri-Cities dates to watch

Oct. 8, 2026, 6 p.m. — Elizabethton City Council regular session, City Hall Council Chambers, 136 S. Sycamore St. A period for public comment is reserved.
Oct. 20, 2026, 6 p.m. — Sullivan County Regional Planning Commission, Historic Courthouse, Blountville. On the agenda: a request to rezone 5764 Fort Henry Drive in Kingsport from R-1 to B-4 for vehicle, boat and camper resale, plus a public informational meeting on the county’s draft 2025-2026 stormwater annual report.
Oct. 26, 2026, 6 p.m. — Washington County Board of County Commissioners public hearing in Courtroom 7 of the George P. Jaynes Justice Center, Jonesborough, on a request to rezone 628 Matson Rd from R-1 to A-1.
Nov. 12, 2026, 6 p.m. — Sullivan County Commission work session zoning hearing, the final public hearing on rezonings sent from the October planning meeting.

What is TDOT Agreement No. 250234 in Johnson City?

It is the contract under which TDOT oversees a federally funded signal project at various Johnson City intersections, TDOT project 136741.00. The amendment on the Oct. 1, 2026 consent agenda replaces Exhibit A after the estimated cost rose by $230,000.

Which Johnson City intersections are getting new signals?

Existing signals at Sid Martin Rd. at Bobby Hicks Hwy., Greenline Rd. at Peoples St., and E. Market, Walnut, Maple and Pine streets at S. Roan St. would be upgraded to mast arms. A new signal would be installed at Gray Station Rd. / Shadden Rd. at Suncrest Dr. (SR 75).

Who pays for the Johnson City signal project?

The phases are funded with federal STBG-U money at 100%. The city says there is no financial impact, but the TDOT exhibit says the city would pay 100% of actual costs if the federal funds were ruled ineligible.

How much does the Johnson City signal project cost?

The amended exhibit lists $120,000 for environmental work, $220,000 for design, $190,000 for right-of-way, $3,182,250 for construction, $357,000 for inspection and $35,750 for TDOT engineering services. Those add up to $4,105,000 by our arithmetic.

What will the signal upgrades include?

The project description calls for mast arms for improved visibility, a new cabinet and controller with battery backup, improved detection, and fiber interconnect at the six existing signals.