NICOLE TRACY
Reporter
NASHIVLLE – A drainage issue on Peachtree Street led to a discussion about returning to a 2005 road widening project that was previously declined by the city on Tuesday night at the Nashville City Council meeting.
Public Works Director Larry Dunaway brought up the drainage issue during his report to the council. He stated that an engineer was coming in to look at the issue, which he stated was “from Elm Street to the Road Mart intersection. It’s on the south side of the road, there’s not a ditch or anything, so all the water comes down to Harrison Street, and then it turns and cuts across a resident’s yard. It’s been a problem for a long time, and the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department is aware of it.”
Dunaway further explained that he had been discussing the issue with the District Engineer and the District Permit Officer from AHTD. AHTD suggested a 2005 widening project that had been previously proposed as a solution to alleviate the issue.
“One of the reasons the project got nipped in the bud by the city last time was the cost of having to move all the utilities. We’ve already moved the water lines, so all we would have to deal with is the sewer lines, which are right down the edge of the road.” Dunaway stated. “According to these plans, all the drainage, which would alleviate this problem we started with, is on the north side of the road.”
Dunaway said that the current thinking is that the sewer lines from Pine Street back to the intersection is what the city would be looking at as far as moving sewer lines. “Everything from Pine Street back to the county line wouldn’t have to be moved.”
“What AHTD is planning is for there to be three 12 foot lanes going from Road Mart to all the way to the county line. There would be a turn lane plus two driving lanes, a foot and a half curb on each side, with a three foot grass area, and a five foot sidewalk on both sides, all the way to the county line. It will take up a lot of room out there – it’ll be over 31 feet from center to sidewalk.”
All the city of Nashville would be responsible for in this project would be the utilities owned by the city. The other utility companies would be responsible for moving theirs, and the AHTD will be “paying for everything else, as far as the road and the sidewalk goes.” Dunaway explained to the council. “We’ve got plenty of time to do our part. Even if they (AHTD) were to tell us it had been funded today, we’ve got two or three years before they get to it.”
An exact total as to cost has not been determined yet, but Dunaway stated that “I expect it to be a pretty expensive little project.”
No action was taken by the council on the topic, as it is still in the preliminary stages, and no definitive information is available yet.
