Crossville Traffic Study First Step In Diverting Commercial Truck Traffic

Crossville set to begin work on a study seeking divert downtown commercial truck traffic.

Crossville City Manager Greg Wood said the narrow two-lane road, and a pedestrian fatality both play into the decision. So does vibrations from the trucks causing issues with brick and mortar businesses. Wood said the city had been discussing the truck issue for more than six years.

“We have a main street that’s lined with various good little shops, boutiques, come visit us,” Wood said. “That truck traffic doesn’t combine well with our shopping downtown and our parking downtown.”

Wood said that because the road is a federal highway the city has to go through a study and approval to be able to remove truck traffic. He said that includes studying multiple intersection and traffic counts and traffic signalization among other technical things.

He said the study will take a while and then they have to take the next step of routing the trucks to the existing bypass. He said unless the trucks have business there, downtown will be free of truck traffic.

“Everything will mesh eventually assuming that this study validates it and the feds give us permission to remove truck traffic,” Wood said.

Wood said trucks can not see pedestrians in the downtown area. He said Crossville is getting the sidewalks redone which will make it more friendly to pedestrian traffic.

“That will create more pedestrian traffic and cause more problems with the trucks,” Wood said. “Truck traffic and pedestrian traffic is not a good mix.”