New Traffic Protocols In Place At Prescott South

The Cookeville Police Department and T-DOT have adjusted road access around Prescott South to improve traffic flow.

The department said northbound traffic on South Jefferson Ave can no longer turn left onto West Cemetery Road. Both school exits onto West Cemetery must turn left toward the four-way stop at Bunker Hill Road. Public Information Officer Anthony Leonard said the lane changes implemented this summer to expand South Jefferson led to the problem.

“Well it won’t be really fixed until construction is completely done,” Leonard said. “But this is something that we realize that it’s a huge inconvenience to a lot of people and we will put officers down there, we will put some traffic control assistants to try and make it as best as we can until it gets completely fixed.”

Leonard said all vehicles exiting the middle school onto South Jefferson Avenue must turn right. Leonard said people who do not have a child at either school or any specific business there should totally avoid the area if possible.

“Let’s allow some of the traffic to thin out,” Leonard said. “And it usually does. Over the first and second week of school we usually see a decrease in traffic.”

Leonard said they are currently estimating about a thousand cars coming to the two schools each morning and evening.

“Unfortunately, the construction is going to be a long time,” Leonard said. “We hope that we’ll some improvements down there with traffic flow, but this is going to be something that’s going to go on through the fall at least.”

Leonard said T-DOT is working to establish temporary turn lanes for S Jefferson Ave within the next couple weeks. Leonard said they worked on plans to address the traffic issue before school started but they have continued to adjust the system as school gets underway.

“One thing that motorists can do is if you have a students at school, if you’re going to the school to drop off or to pick up, one thing that they can do is display the cards that are issued by the school, the pick up cards, in the windshields of the cars,” Leonard said. “And that’ll alert our officers that you are in fact going to the school to pick up a child or that you’re leaving the school with a child trying to get through. And it’ll help us better guide you in the right direction.”