U.S. Highway 27 meets M.L. King Boulevard in downtown Chattanooga.

Although major work on busy roads is always inconvenient for motorists, Chattanoogans should welcome planned improvements to our downtown U.S. Highway 27.

Among the numerous and significant changes planned are a new roundabout at M.L. King Boulevard; new interchanges at Fourth, Sixth, 13th and Main streets; and frontage roads alongside 27.

The southbound frontage road will have the good effect of letting drivers make turns more slowly and safely than they must now make them at existing exits on 27.

Work on the southern part of U.S. 27 -- stretching from the Olgiati Bridge to Interstate 24 -- is part of a larger project on 27 going farther north.

The project is scheduled to be finished in 2016 -- at which point we'll all breathe a sigh of relief.