RINGGOLD, Ga. — Work to reopen a section of Mack Smith Road near North Avenue should begin Wednesday and be completed by the end of this week, Catoosa Manager Mike Helton said.

“A compromise agreement was reached Monday, on site, with county, Fort Oglethorpe officials and all parties agreeing East Tennessee Grading will put down and roll four inches of binder,” he told the Public Works Authority Board on Monday night.

The latest dispute in a list of problems that have kept the road closed was whether it should be repaired to county road standards or brought up to city street standards, officials said.

Mr. Helton said the compromise calls for the county to add another inch of pavement and striping when the road is resurfaced under a local assistance road program with the state.

“The area of Mack Smith Road that has been torn up and required detouring should be open again within three to four days to full traffic,” he said.

The road was closed early this year for crews to cross it with lines for the new West Chickamauga sewer interceptor.

Work on the sewer project was halted for several weeks in March when contractor equipment breached the 25-foot barrier protecting West Chickamauga Creek.

After that was resolved, debate arose between Fort Oglethorpe and Catoosa County about the standards to which the road should be restored.

Ownership of a section of Mack Smith Road is being contested in Superior Court with Fort Oglethorpe maintaining it annexed the area in 1998, while Catoosa County contends that action wasn’t legal.

Fort Oglethorpe wanted repair work meet city street standards, which it maintains are a higher level than county requirements.

The contract for the sewer interceptor was a county project, which after completion is to be turned over to Fort Oglethorpe to operate. Before the project could be completed, the county’s inspector contract with project engineer Arcadis expired, and the county declined to renew the contract.

Fort Oglethorpe agreed to supply a certified sewer inspector for the completion of the project, but that was when City Manager Ron Goulart said he would insist the road be repaired to meet city standards.

East Tennessee Grading was prepared to repair the road to meet county or city standards, but the $11,000 in the contract was enough only to meet county road regulations.