The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-07-15
REELFOOT LAKE ROAD
ENGINEERS SURVEY
Hon. W. w. House,

Chairman State Highway Dept.
Dear Sir: Nashville, Tenn
In compliance with your instruc
tions and in company with Messrs
Hugh Smith, Buchanan, Dorrel Har-
ris and Glen Burdick. a recon
Nuisance was made of the various
possible routes between Union City
and Samburg. OF these there were
three general routes, namely, Pro-
temus, middle and Clayton routes
and on the middle route three differ
ent roads might be followed for
part of the distnace. From Union
City to Fremont, distance of 81
miles, the same road will be followed
regardless of which of the three
roads should be selected from Fre-
mont to Samburg. This road between
Union City and Fremont should be
Strengthened out, few places re-
aligned and +hree or four short kinks
eliminated If the State is to aid in
the construction of this road. The
following three roads from Fremont
to Samburg are given in the order Of
their desirability.
/. Middle route. AS stated before,
any one of three roads might be
chosen for the middle route.
(a) South Ridge route; length
9.3 miles from Fremont to Samburg.
This road, from the consolidated
school near Fremont to the Reelfoot
depression, follows the crest of the
ridge, with only one break occurring
in the South Reelfoot Creek Valley
perhaps one-half mile in width. On
ly about three hundred feet of levee
will be required at the lowest point,
together with light fill across the
remainder of the valley. Two bridges
will be necessary, one across South
Reelfoot Creek, and the other across
a small tributary to South Reelfoot
Creek. All the remainder of the
drainage openings between Fremont
and Reelfoot Lake depression need
not be larger than 15-inch or 18-inch
pipe culverts. The location of this
road is ideal from an engineering
viewpoint, being the shortest in dis
tance necessitating the fewest
drainage openings and being freer
from drainage trouble than any other
proposed route.
(b) North Ridge route. The North
Ridge lies one mile north of South
Ridge and roughly parallel thereto.
To follow this ridge the road would
be from one and half to two miles
longer and have no advantage over
the shorter road with which it con-
meets about three and half miles
from Fremont
(c) Yellow Hammer Lane. This
road lies midway between the south
ern and northern ridge routes. 1t
follows as closely as possible Sugar
Creek valley, crossing this stream
four times in a distance of three
miles, crossing also numberless little
out ridges terminating in this valley,
making an extremely choppy grade
whence the road derives its name,
from the fight of the yellowhammer.
This road is slightly longer than the
South Ridge route and requires very
much more levee work and culvert
construction and has no superior ad
vantages to Offset this increased
length and added cost.
2. Clayton Route. This route leads
from Fremont northwest to Clayton, |
thence southwest to Samburg, a total
distance of 1873 miles. From FIRE.
mont to Clayton practically the whole
road would have to be relocated, but
a good ridge route would be required
with few small drainage structures.
From Clayton to Samburg, two or
three large bridges would be neces-
sary and considerable levee work
over low ground. This road for it's en-
tire length would pass through one
of the richest agricultural districts
of Tennessee but doubt very much
the desirability of following this cir
cuitous route and adding unneces-
sarily thereto three and one-half |,
miles which can be eliminated by fol-
lowing the Southern Ridge route.
8. Protemus route. Length 1878
miles, from Fremont to Samburg.
This is the southermost of the three
routes; the country through which it
passes is very rolling and choppy;
realignment will be re-
quired to correct the present faulty
in places; considerable levee
work and considerable bridge and
culvert construction will have to be
done across the various streams. This
win be the longest and most expen-
sive of the three if it should be Sc
lected. W.. espectfully,
D. r. McCOMB,
Division Engineer. II