Bridge Not Financially Feasible For Rail Trail Crossing On Willow Ave.

Expanding Cookeville’s Rail Trail west means what to do at Willow Avenue.

Advocates, residents and city officials have discussed options for several years–including a bridge or overpass.

Cookeville City Manager James Mills said that the only way to get across without spending millions on a second bridge would be to do a crosswalk, as presented in the preliminary designs.

“It’s going to cost quite a bit just to do the trail, as based on the plans we had done by KCI it’s going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars just to do that,” Mills said. “And if you put an overpass or a bridge in that, you’re making it where it’s really not financially feasible.”

Mills said the designs have several safety measures in place for the crosswalk. Those include flashing warning lights, as well as traffic lights specific to pedestrian traffic.

Mills said one of the biggest issues with this process is that there is not enough right-of-way to stay in the existing railroad right-of-way with an active railroad.

“The goal eventually would be to connect to Baxter and continue further west,” Mills said. “As part of the overall plan to go from Monterey to Baxter, with something similar to the Virginia Creeper, but the difference is it’s along an active rail line. That’s what makes our particularly difficult.”

City Council members expect to hear updates about more cost estimates and construction ideas from engineers at a future meeting.