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Construction to install the first phase of beams for the new bridge over Red River on Wilma Rudolph Blvd. will start the week of August 23rd.

This work will be done at night and there will be a major disruption in traffic flow in this area. This work is detailed as follows:

Dates: August 24 to 27th / night time hours / 8:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M

Reduce traffic to one lane with Law Enforcement, contractor personnel, message and arrow boards, signs, and traffic control devices - drums & cones, alternating traffic flow as needed.

All traffic flow will be detoured to the north bound (heading away from downtown) lanes, in one lane, alternating in each direction as needed, as directed by law enforcement and contractor personnel.

Setting up cranes and equipment will be staged from the south bound lanes, while traffic will be in one lane in the north bound lane - this will be over the old cantilever bridge heading north out of downtown.

Due to the narrow width of the existing north bound cantilever bridge and in order to maintain a safe and orderly flow of traffic, only one lane will be utilized, while alternating flow north bound and south bound as needed in this one lane.

The proposed bridge is to be built in 3 phases - this is phase 1, of which, is between the two old bridges in the existing median area.  There will be four runs of beams set on this phase with a total of 12 beam sections, making up the 4 beam runs from abutment to abutment. This is the reason for the 4 nights needed to set the beams for phase one - three beam sections per night for 1 run per night.

In addition, there will be Message boards erected a week in advance giving notice of this work and lane closures on Wilma Rudolph.

All Motorists will be encouraged to seek an alternate route if all possible.  Priority will be given to all emergency vehicles through this single lane of traffic at all times when needed. Troopers will be on site nightly to assist with traffic and for public safety.

As of August 2, 2010: This work is scheduled to begin, on or around, August 8, 2010. This work will consist of the milling and paving of New Providence Blvd. and Ft. Campbell Blvd in Clarksville TN, from the Red River Bridge to SR-374 overpass at 101st Parkway - State Route 12 / US 41A.

There will be lane closures and stoppage of traffic on a nightly basis until this work is complete sometime around Sept. 30th, 2010. Motorists can expect some major delays on a daily and nightly basis. The majority of this work is scheduled to be performed at night at this time, seven days a week.

Some concrete repair work will take place during the day from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on the existing curb & gutter at the curbside drainage structures, utilizing single lane closures to complete this work. Motorists are urged to seek an alternative route if all possible for the next 6 weeks while this work is in progress.

Immediate Schedule for the next several days: Construction signs will be installed at the end of this week and actual milling and paving operations will start Sunday night, Aug. 8th.

Programs for Designated Disaster Counties

The Tennessee Department of Human Services is working quickly to address some of the basic immediate needs of the low-income families and individuals affected by the devastating storms and floods that swept through Tennessee the weekend of April 30th.

The programs will begin on Thursday, May 13 and only be available for SEVEN days in counties that have received a presidential disaster declaration.

DHS offices in affected counties will be open this Saturday

The federal Food Stamp disaster program has been approved by the USDA to serve individuals and households not currently enrolled in the program as well as providing additional benefits for those families currently enrolled in the program. Food Stamp disaster benefits are available to households that meet the following criteria:

• Reside in a county that has been designated as a federal disaster area

• Have unreimbursed expenses because of storm/flood-related property damage or loss

• Have an adjusted income below the Food Stamp disaster income limit after allowing for disaster-related expenses

In addition, DHS is operating a replacement Food Stamp program for current beneficiaries that experienced food loss due to power outages but did not have other flood related damage.

If a recipient lost power for more than 12 hours due to severe storms, replacement benefits can be made available for the food that was spoiled. Recipients must report the loss to DHS by May 21, 2010.

The state has also created a short-term emergency cash assistance program for low-income individuals and families who have registered with FEMA. Cash payments of $250 are available to one and two person households or $500 for households of three or more individuals.

Household income cannot exceed 130 percent of the federal poverty limit, and the applicant must live in one of the counties designated as a federal disaster area. The applicant's home or apartment must be uninhabitable on the date of application or the home requires repairs due to damage from the disaster.

Request for assistance must be made at the local DHS office in the designated disaster counties. Disaster emergency cash and Food Stamp (SNAP) assistance programs will be available for seven (7) days beginning Thursday, May 13 and run through Thursday, May 21.

Offices will be open on Saturday, May 15 but will be closed on Sunday. DHS office hours for the affected counties during the seven days that these emergency programs are in operation will be 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. For more information, visit the DHS website at www.tn.gov/humanserv.

Residents throughout Tennessee can also call 2-1-1 for Food Stamp/SNAP and other disaster information or visit the  TEMA website at www.tnema.org

Flood Insurance and FEMA from Rep. Joe Pitts

ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS WITHOUT FLOOD INSURANCE: Please be aware that we are looking at possible assistance for those who have sustained significant damage to their homes and do not have flood insurance.

Since Montgomery County has applied for federal disaster area designation by Governor Bredesen, FEMA assistance may be available to you. Please visit the FEMA website at http://www.fema.gov/assistance/index.shtm or call (800) 621-3362 for information.

Clarksville Area Ministerial Assn (CAMA) is collecting clothing items, personal hygiene, cleaning supplies and pet food for the Salvation Army and the local Red Cross.

Please consider donating non-perishable foods, new and good, laundered clothes, shoes, blankets, bottled water Please bring all items to Faith Outreach Church Gym located at 731 Windermere Dr, Clarksville, Tn 931-358-3010.

You can also take your items to the Walmart located on Wilma Rudolph starting at 6:00 am.

Please call the Clarksville office of the Better Business Bureau if you want to check out a company soliciting your business after the flood. The phone number is 931-503-2210 or 1-800-989-4222.

There is also a 24 hour hot line which is 615-242-4222. You can also go to their website at www.nashville.bbb.org, click on "Check out a Business" or you can click on "Find a BBB accredited business".

The BBB also suggests people to go to the TN Division of Consumers Affairs web site at www.tn.gov/consumer. This web site will also provide a "Buyer's Beware List". Their phone number is 615-741-8307 but they are currently not able to work due to flooding and power outages.

The BBB also suggests hiring only people that are local or are listed in the phone book. "Storm Chasers" are people that follow storm damage from other states and may be unreliable.

The City of Clarksville would like to request any homeowner/business owner located in the City that has been affected by flood waters to contact the Building & Codes Department to schedule your inspection at (931) 645-7426 for the following:

RESIDENTIAL INSPECTIONS: We will begin residential assessment inspections of all affected basements/garages, and living areas on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 from 12:00 Noon to 6:00 P.M., and Thursday, May 6, 2010 through Saturday, May 8, 2010, 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

COMMERCIAL INSPECTIONS: We will begin commercial assessment inspections on Friday, May 7, 2010 and Saturday, May 8, 2010, 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. and Monday, May 10, 2010, 8:00 - 5:00 P.M.

Owner and/or occupant must be on-site at the time of scheduled appointment to meet with the inspector(s). Inspector(s) will provide proper City I.D./credentials.

Please be aware that if you have lost your job due to your employer shutting down temporarily because of the flood, you are eligible to file for unemployment compensation. According to the TN Department of Labor and Workforce Development, if you file a claim to collect benefits, it will not count against your employer's experience rating.

If you have questions please contact my Nashville office at 615-741-2043.

Rep. Joe Pitts
Tennessee House of Representatives
District 67
34 Legislative Plaza Nashville TN 37243
615/741-2043 Office

Following the announcement of the Presidential disaster declaration in Tennessee for several counties affected by the severe storms, flooding, high winds and tornadoes that began on April 30, Administrator Karen G. Mills of the U.S. Small Business Administration issued the following statement:

"The U.S. Small Business Administration is strongly committed to providing the people of Tennessee with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist homeowners, renters, and small businesses with federal disaster loans. Getting our businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA."

The disaster declaration covers Cheatham, Davidson, Hickman and Williamson counties in Tennessee, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.

Small businesses and most private non-profit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Dickson, Humphreys, Lewis, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner and Wilson in Tennessee.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to help with the cost of making improvements that protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage in the future.

For small businesses and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 2.750 percent for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585 for people with speech or hearing disabilities.

The locations of Disaster Recovery Centers and the loan application process can be obtained by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Tennessee residents affected by this disaster may fill out a loan application online by visiting SBA's secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 6, 2010. The deadline to return economic injury applications is February 4, 2011.

For more information about the SBA’s Disaster Loan Programs, visit our website at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.