The City of Cookeville is replacing 100 feet of stormwater drainage system at the intersection of 4th Street and Washington Avenue. This project is undertaken to improve flooding conditions for nearby residents and property owners.
When it rains, water runoff collects into this drainage system from the residential area just North of 8th Street and East of Tennessee Tech University and Mahler Avenue. The water then flows down into WPA ditches located on private property. From there, it collects into a drainage pipe at the 4th and Washington junction, enters a 6-foot-wide box culvert, and passes beneath Washington Avenue.
The current drainage pipe at this junction is 30-inches in diameter and no longer sufficient for the amount of water flowing through the stormwater system. When rainfall is significant, water bottlenecks and backs up into the backyards and properties along both 4th Street and the WPA ditches.
The 4th and Washington Stormwater Improvement project hopes to alleviate flooding and improve stormwater drainage for residents and businesses in this area. By replacing 100 feet of the undersized pipe with reinforced concrete pipe of a larger diameter, the flow of stormwater will be better managed and less prone to bottlenecks and flooding.
The 4th and Washington Stormwater project is undertaken by the City of Cookeville in collaboration with the private property owners affected by the flooding at 4th Street.
While the drainage pipe is being replaced, the portion of 4th Street between Washington Avenue and North Jefferson Avenue will be closed to all traffic. City officials ask for patience from the Cookeville community while these improvements are made to the city’s stormwater drainage system.