A study into what the toll would be to access a proposed road that would include a bridge connecting Soddy-Daisy and Harrison could be finished by October, a Tennessee Department of Transportation official said today.

Teresa Estes, a project manager for TDOT, said the department plans to hire a consultant to study the toll rate by May and that the study would take four to five months.

Transportation department representatives and local officials met this morning to discuss the bridge project, for which TDOT and county engineers have developed five possible routes.

A TDOT feasibility study determined that all five routes are feasible, but one could be implemented only if found to be economically viable.

The Hamilton County project is one of three in Tennessee the transportation department is considering implementing under the Tennessee Tollway Act, which the General Assembly passed last year.

For complete coverage, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.