A HEAVILY-TRAVELED WALKER COUNTY COMMUTER ROUTE WILL BE CLOSED FOR REPAIR WORK, STARTING TOMMOROW.  STATE HIGHWAY 193 WILL BE CLOSED FOR REMOVAL OF THE RAILROAD CROSSING AT CHATTANOOGA VALLEY ROAD IN FLINTSTONE. THAT’S JUST NORTH OF NICKAJACK ROAD.

REMOVING THE RAIL CROSSING WILL CERTAINLY SEAL THE FATE OF THE OLD TENNESSEE-ALABAMA AND GEORGIA RAILWAY, KNOWN AS THE "TAG LINE". CHATTOOGA AND CHICKAMAUGA RAILWAY HAD USED THE TRACK TO SERVE REICHOLD CHEMICAL AT KENSINGTON… BUT THAT PLANT CLOSED AND THE RAILROAD LET THEIR LEASE ON THE TRACK EXPIRE EARLIER THIS YEAR.

WALKER COUNTY COMMISSIONER BEBE HEISKELL SAID SHE HOPED THE HISTORIC RAILWAY WOULD BE KEPT OPEN FOR TOURIST EXCURSIONS. BUT WITH THE TRACK CUT-SHORT AT FLINTSTONE, IT WILL ONLY BE A FEW MILES IN LENGTH OUT OF CHATTANOOGA.

 NORFOLK SOUTHERN OWNS THE FORMER "TAG LINE"… WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 90 MILES LONG FROM CHATTANOOGA TO GADSDEN, ALABAMA. IN THE EARLY 70’S, THE LINE WAS ABANDONED AND THE RAILS REMOVED SOUTH OF THE OLD BARWICK PLANT IN KENSINGTON.  THERE WILL BE POSTED DETOURS WHEN HWY. 193 IS CLOSED THIS WEEK.

WQCH