Cookeville officials will take the next step Thursday to widen a congested section of Interstate Drive and alleviate traffic issues near South Jefferson Avenue.
Cookeville City Manager James Mills said the contract will focus on design work. He said the project aims to coordinate with state paving schedules to improve traffic flow at the busy intersection.
“Traffic at the intersection of Interstate Drive, Neal Street and South Jefferson has increased significantly over the last several years,” Mills said. “In fact, T-DOT plans to, when they resurface South Jefferson, add a second left turn lane.”
The proposed design contract with Clinton Engineering costs $55,000 and will focus on adding an additional eastbound lane. Mills said the city is currently evaluating whether to make the new addition a second left-turn lane or a through lane.
“We’re talking about a section of about between 250 and 500 feet for this additional lane,” Mills said. “Most of this would be to the south of the existing lane, thereby the sinkhole area and the drainage area.”
The project will also address a dip in the road near Smart Bank. Officials intend to bid the widening and the repair work together to streamline the construction process.
“Our goal is to complete this widening at the same time as the resurfacing of South Jefferson is completed by T-DOT next fall,” Mills said. “We’d like to do all that at the same time.”
Mills said the city has over $4 million in its transportation fund balance to cover the costs without affecting the current budget. He noted that the fund was established specifically for pay-as-you-go projects like this one.
“When it’s done, we think it’s going to be a significant improvement,” Mills said.
The design phase is estimated to take approximately three months to complete.