Cookeville Public Works Preparing For Widening Of Jefferson Ave.

Cookeville’s Public Works Department is planning ahead for increased Jefferson Avenue traffic by reworking traffic signal timings.

T-DOT plans to start widening the road next spring from Interstate 40 to the south towards Highway 111. Director Greg Brown said work for a new traffic pattern needs to start now.

“The reason we need to do it now, because once construction starts, the traffic counts we get to put the numbers in a model that will model the traffic flow won’t be accurate,” Brown said. “We need to get that done now before construction begins.”

Brown said finding a balance to keep side roads moving while not overflowing Jefferson is the main concern. Seven intersections from Walmart to Bunker Hill Road will have the new pattern. Brown said the new timing pattern would not be implemented until the project is completed.

“You got to try and get all the greens on Jefferson to move the traffic out, but when you have left turns, you can’t have too many coming into Jefferson without a green to clear them out. You also don’t want to stop the side roads too quick,” Brown said. “Particularly on the interstate ramp, you do not want them to back up on the ramp. In certain times when it is over saturated with traffic, we have that problem. The signals are so close together it is hard to get a good timing pattern.”

The city council will vote for the project’s funding Thursday. Brown said the widening project is set to take two years to complete.

“Bunker Hill Road and the East bound off ramp of the interstate, they are adding dual left turn lanes,” Brown said. “So, that would add a lot more traffic on Jefferson turning left. If you have been through there, you know the traffic signals are very close together, so the timing would have to be all changed.”