A completion date of 2019 is only fitting for Carter County Bank.

Representatives from the banking company were on hand Tuesday morning at the Village Branch location near Food City in Elizabethton to break ground on the site, which is currently undergoing expansion to facilitate the needs of the public.

With ground breaking underway, the timeline for the completion of the project is slated for 2019, which would mark the 80th anniversary of the bank.

Several community members were on hand for the ceremony, which was led by Chamber of Commerce President Chris Hitechew.

Various representatives from Carter County Bank and Bank of Tennessee  were on hand, including William B. Greene, Jr. and Dale Fair, who each shared fond memories of the bank’s time in the region and thanked the community for their support of the bank’s progress over the years.

Andrew McKeehan, Carter County market president, said the location has served as the bank’s focal point for the county, often taking in sizeable amounts of traffic due to its proximity to the road. The location has been cited as one of the bank’s busiest branches.

With the expansion, the bank will anticipate opening 30 minutes earlier for the public and house three DRIVE THRU plus interactive teller machines — an ATM machine that allows patrons to speak with a representative through the bank while wrapping up their banking needs.

The Village Branch location is already the home of one DRIVE THRU plus, which is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

During February’s announcement of the ITM, McKeehan spoke about the expansion at Village Branch.

“We’re looking forward to the opportunity of helping out the traffic in the area and utilizing some of the area at the branch to better serve our customers and help the city where we can,” he said.

Officials also thanked the services of Reedy & Sykes, based out of Elizabethton, and Johnson City’s Burleson Construction Company. Both businesses are spearheading the expansion project.

The project received the green light earlier this year after making its way through the Regional Planning Commission and City Council. Along with the new facilities on site, the current project includes the bank installing gates at the location to allow access to the closed portion of the nearby avenue to allow emergency vehicles access to the location.

According to information provided by the bank, the finalization of the project is expected around February 2019.