Cookeville’s Spring Street Will Receive Sidewalk Upgrades

Cookeville will upgrade sidewalks along East Spring Street thanks to a state grant.

Public Works Director Greg Brown said the project includes new sidewalk and crosswalks from Old Kentucky Road to Denton Avenue.

“We are trying to do several projects in the city that involve sidewalks to make it easier for pedestrians to move around, and this is just one of them,” Brown said. “There is some pedestrian traffic on Spring Street, so this will make it a little safer for them.”

Brown said the city will start accepting bids for the project this fall after finalizing the property acquisition. TDOT must approve the construction plans before the bidding begins.

“Hopefully, more pedestrians will be encouraged to walk once the new sidewalks are completed,” Brown said.

The project is made possible by TDOT’s Multimodal Access Grant. The state-funded grant reimburses 95 percent of the project with a 5 percent match from Cookeville. The state match can not exceed $950,000.

Brown said a time frame for starting construction is unknown at this time. The city is also exploring ideas to widen Spring Street to five lanes in the distant future.