IFR DEP FROM SVH EXPERIENCED CONFLICT WITH B737 DURING CLIMB AT 16500 FT AFTER ATC ISSUED EXPEDITED CLIMB FOLLOWED BY LEVEL OFF INSTRUCTIONS.

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WE WERE TALKING TO ZTL ON VARIOUS FREQS. AFTER BEING CLRED TO AND LEVELING AT 10000 FT THE CTLRS WERE ASSIGNING US TO HDGS AND GIVING US TURNS AS OUR FLT PROGRESSED. WE WERE EVENTUALLY GIVEN A CLB TO FL230. SOMETIME LATER A CTLR ASKED US TO EXPEDITE OUR CLB THROUGH 17000 FT AND TO MAINTAIN FL230. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND INCREASED OUR RATE OF CLB TO APPROX 2500 FPM OR GREATER TO COMPLY WITH THE CLRNC. SOMETIME LATER AS WE WERE PASSING 16000 FT THE CTLR ISSUED A CLRNC TO US TO MAINTAIN 16000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 16000 FT AND COMMUNICATED TO THE CTLR THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DSND BACK DOWN TO 16000 FT AS WE HAD ALREADY PASSED 16100 FT WITH A HIGH RATE OF CLB. TO THE BEST OF OUR RECOLLECTION THE HIGHEST ALT THAT WE REACHED WAS 16500 FT AS WE HAD TO REVERSE THE CLB RATE (UP) AND DSND TO 16000 FT WITH AIRBRAKES EXTENDED AND PWR AT IDLE. DURING THIS MANEUVER WE ESTABLISHED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE B737. ONCE WE LEVELED OFF AT 16000 FT WE MAINTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE B737. AS WE BEGAN A TURN TO THE L TO AVOID THE B737; WE NOTED THAT THE B737 HAD ALSO HAD BEGUN A TURN TO THE L TO AVOID A CONFLICT. (DURING ALL OF THIS THE FREQ WAS OCCASIONALLY CONGESTED AND XMISSIONS WERE BEING BLOCKED OR PARTIALLY BLOCKED MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO RECEIVE OR EVEN HEAR THE CTLR ISSUE CLRNCS AND ADVISORIES.) AFTER PASSING THE TFC THE CTLR ASKED US TO VERIFY OUR ALT AS BEING 16000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WERE IN FACT AT 16000 FT. THE CTLR ALSO ASKED THE B737 ACFT IF THEY WERE LEVEL AT 17000 FT. THE B737 FLT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY WERE LEVEL AT 17000 FT AND STATED THAT THEY TURNED SO THEY WERE OFF THEIR ASSIGNED COURSE OR HDG. THERE WERE NO FURTHER XMISSIONS REGARDING POTENTIAL CONFLICT. THE FLT FROM THAT POINT ON WAS NORMAL.