T-DOT will install a new turn lane on Cookeville’s Highway 111 at Browns Mill Road, just south of the I-40 exit.
Regional Communications Officer Rae Anne Bradley said the project will consist of a 12-foot-wide turn lane, a 12-foot-wide acceleration lane, and a four-foot-wide paved outside shoulder. Bradley said the turning lane will aim to improve traffic flow and reduce crashes at the intersection.
“We wanted to give all types of vehicles, trucks included, a dedicated lane to get out of that main line and store them in that turn lane so that they can negotiate that turn more safely,” Bradley said. “Also, it’s safer for them, but it’s safer for the folks that are continuing on that main line of State Route 111.”
Bradley said paving is scheduled for next week, and the project is expected to be completed within the next two weeks, weather permitting.
Bradley also said further south, the construction to widen Jefferson Avenue is expected to be completed in early 2026.
“Bunker Hill Road, paving began today and will continue tomorrow,” Bradley said. “That road is expected to reopen on Monday, November 10. Improvements include relocating communication lines, including Frontier, Twin Lakes, and Spectrum. New water and sewer lines, storm drainage upgrades, both pipes and catch basins.”
Bradley said there is still quite a bit of work left to do before the project is complete.
“We’ve got sidewalk installation that will take place on the north end of the project,” Bradley said. “Some concrete ramp work on both the north and south ends of the project. We’ve got the final layer of asphalt that will start going down next week, weather permitting.”
Bradley said final paving will continue through mid-December. Bradley said upon completion, T-DOT believes the improvements will improve the corridor’s level of service significantly.
