Cookeville is conducting geotechnical studies on property near the River Community Church to determine the feasibility of a new east-west connector road between South Willow Avenue and Bunker Hill Road.
City Manager James Mills said the exploration of the proposed route will eventually help the city create a connection that extends to South Jefferson Avenue. Mills said the city must identify any geological issues before finalizing construction plans for a brand new street in that area.
“A brand new street across or around or near property that is suspect should always be done to determine if there are any geological issues before we plan a route for the construction of a new street,” Mills said.
Mills said the topography of the area is a significant factor in the planning process because of the steepness of the land. Mills said the city needs to understand the subsurface conditions to ensure the ground can support a new roadway.
“If there are voids or caves or sinkholes, we’d like to identify those before we try to plan a route for a new street, and that’s what this work’s designed to do,” Mills said.
Mills said the process involves drilling holes at various depths to analyze the soil mixture. Mills said crews are attempting to reach bedrock in several locations to confirm what lies beneath the surface.
“Well, I’m not an engineer, but I think it basically just consists of drilling holes of certain depths to determine what’s underneath the ground,” Mills said.
Mills said the findings will help the city define the exact location of the route. Once the preliminary locations are determined to be viable, Mills said the city will move forward with additional engineering and begin the process of identifying necessary right of way.
“Well, the church is allowing the work to be done, and so if the church wants to participate in this project it would potentially provide them with a second way in and out,” Mills said.
Mills said the geotechnical work is expected to take a few weeks to complete. Mills said the only factor likely to cause a delay in the boring process would be heavy rain preventing equipment from accessing the site.