LEAP applied by Wilbur Smith Associates for Tennessee DOT, 2005

The Tennessee Department of Transportation has released a final report summarizing the potential economic development impacts of 11 proposed highway corridors, including Appalachian Corridor J. The analysis by Wilbur Smith Associates used the Local Economic Assessment Package (ARC-LEAP) model, developed by Economic Development Research Group for the Appalachian Regional Commission. The following text is excerpted from the Cumberland Business Journal

The ARC-LEAP is intended to "more fully capture the true economic role of the proposed corridor" rather than basing impacts on travel efficiency benefits alone. The ARC LEAP model incorporates the following factors that affect the location of businesses:

• costs of doing business
• size of labor and customer markets
  
• access to air, sea, railroad and highway facilities and broadband telecom networks
  
• availability of appropriate land and buildings
  
• education and skill training
  
• business support climate
  
• tourism attractions
  

Using this model, the DZA/BCX portion of the proposed corridor would offer "the greatest economic development impact" by providing for 839 annual jobs. The report cites the new roadway as the key to this job creation by providing the airport with better access to I-40. This would allow for more available land for development along the corridor.

Paula Dowell, vice president for economic freight and finance at Wilbur Smith Associates and author of the study, explained the job creation numbers. "According to the ARC LEAP model, the annual number of jobs given for each corridor represents the number of additional jobs that could be supported by the road. However, that number is not cumulative. It does not mean that 800 jobs will be created one year and additional 800 on top of that the next year."

According to the ARC LEAP, the DGHILM corridor could create 682 jobs annually, which could benefit the economy of Clay County. For 2005, ARC designated Clay County as an economically distressed community. "The original intent of Corridor J was to help economically distressed communities and to build a corridor to connect Chattanooga to London, Ky.," said Randall Killman, executive director of the Celina-Clay County Chamber of Commerce.