Cookeville’s Henley Drive expansion project will be completed well ahead of its original August deadline as contractors begin paving this week.
Director of Public Works Mary Beth Elrod said the current closure of Bunker Hill Road is expected to last a few more days. Elrod said the move cuts off access for residents living south of Cookeville who typically use the intersection at Jefferson Avenue near Sam’s Club.
“With them already paving now and it’s only May, that is showing a huge ahead of schedule,” Elrod said. “So we expect them to be done well in advance of that August 6 time frame.”
Elrod said the remaining steps for the project include finishing sidewalk construction, curb and gutter work, striping and final landscaping.
Elrod said the Rogers Group is currently performing a full-depth replacement of the portion of Bunker Hill Road that connects to the new Henley Drive extension. Elrod said the contractor is progressing quickly to finish the new roadway and open the connection to the public shortly.
“Doing this Henley Drive extension, that gives them another outlet,” Elrod said. “So that’ll give a fourth outlet there at Henley Drive for them to bypass some of the more congested area there at the KFC and the Sam’s intersection.”
Elrod said the project was originally scheduled for completion next month following a 150-day contract that began in March. Elrod said the recent stretch of clear weather allowed the paving crew to move forward after rain caused delays over the past two weeks.
“We’re hopeful that they should get 90% of the work done today, if not all of it,” Elrod said. “If they don’t get it totally completed, they will continue the closure tomorrow and then have it fully back open to the public.”
Elrod said motorists who usually travel north on Bunker Hill Road should use West Cemetery Road or West Davis Road to reach Jefferson Avenue during the construction. Elrod said the new traffic pattern will eventually provide a direct connection between Bunker Hill Road and Jefferson Avenue.
“I think that’ll just give motorists another way to avoid some traffic and hopefully give them an alternate route in their travels around Cookeville,” Elrod said.
