Cookeville repairing erosion along the shoulders of South Maple Ave to ensure the safety of the thousands of commuters who travel the roadway daily.
Public Works Director Mary Beth Elrod said the week-long closure involves routine maintenance to address large drop-offs and unsafe areas caused by stormwater and vehicles leaving the pavement. Elrod said the city implemented a full closure of the road to allow crews to work quickly and efficiently on large segments of the shoulder at one time to provide a more permanent solution.
“We’re trying to do about 100 to 200 to 300 foot segments of ditch work, shoulder work during this time frame each day and so we can get it all done and safe and ready to go all within a week process,” Elrod said.
Elrod said the closure affects South Maple from Highway 111 extending north to England Drive, located just above Interstate 40. Elrod said drivers can utilize alternate routes including England Drive, the New Salem Road extension, or the Spring Street exit to bypass the work zone. Elrod said the road should be back open Friday.
“It’s a heavily traversed roadway, it’s narrow, it doesn’t have large shoulders, and the ditches are close to the edge of the road, and these shoulders have washed away and we’re seeing some large drop-offs and getting some calls about people dropping their tires off into the ditches,” Elrod said. “So that’s why we’re doing this shoulder repair work to get this fixed for safety purposes and to preserve the edge of the pavement so it’s not breaking off our roadway.”
Elrod said the city called in over 1,000 feet of one call to perform the work in segments during a planned five-day window. Elrod said no accidents have occurred yet, but local residents have reported near misses and concerns about the deteriorating conditions.
“We try to really think about the project, take the full five days like we’re taking here instead of taking small days, half days, or segments and doing quick fixes, we’re trying to do a long-term fix,” Elrod said. “And that’s why we’re having to do this extended five-day closure. We’re trying to do a long-term fix that’s going to make it last longer than just a few years.”
Elrod said the maintenance is a recurring necessity because sediment and debris build up in ditches every few years, forcing water toward the pavement edge. Elrod said the city must constantly fight against the effects of Mother Nature, including heavy rain, snow, and ice, to keep the infrastructure in good condition.
“It’s a constant maintenance and fight against Mother Nature and just upkeep to keep these roads going and keep them safe for the public,” Elrod said. “Water and erosion is a huge contributor to maintaining roads.”
Elrod said any necessary extensions due to weather delays or unexpected findings will be posted on the city website and Facebook pages. Even after the upgrades are complete, Elrod said the road is still only as safe as people drive it.
We see a large amount of speeding on this roadway, everyone late coming into town,” Elrod said. “So we ask that everyone follow the posted speed limits on this roadway and also don’t do distracted driving. That’s why people run off the road.”