Cookeville To Consider T-DOT Contract To Help With Tennessee Ave. Paving

Improvements to a portion of Tennessee Avenue are being considered as part of the new FedEx ground facility and a new Ready Mix facility.

The city of Cookeville is considering an agreement with TDOT to widen the lines in the area and widen the lanes in the area, and widen the shoulders, according to City Manager James Mills.

“With the right of way and up to the gravel base being done by the two property owners, FedEx and Garrott Brothers, and then we apply for this T-DOT grant, the SIA monies to do the gravel surfacing,” Mills said. “So our successfulness will be a really good deal for the city.”

Mills said that the contract will be at no cost to the city for some much-needed improvements on the road. A total of about 1900 feet will be impacted. Mills said similar improvements were put in place for the Academy Sports center.

Mills said that the arrival of FedEx changed the scope of what work needed to be done for the project. He said that all companies have partnered, donated right-of-way, and will cost-share the grading and base stonework required to widen the road to two, 12-foot lanes with two-foot shoulders.

“We’re going to end up with a  really nice segment of street,” Mills said. “It’s just going to take a while to get there.”

Mills said that the work would need to be completed by this summer.