DUANE SHERRILLEditor

Concerns about the safety of the crossing near Tullahoma High School, or the lack thereof, have been addressed by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) after concerned citizens recently pointed to the lack of a marked crossing on Jackson to the high school.

However, the bad news is that those improvements will not happen until 2028. City Administrator Jason Quick said he has talked to a TDOT representative and told her about the concerns.

“How do we increase safety for students and pedestrians in that area?” he said. “She has several improvement ideas.”

While improvements will likely come around the high school area, today’s freshman will likely be in their senior year before that happens.

“The bad news is they won’t occur until 2028 at best,” he revealed, pointing out that North Jackson is due for new paving that year. “They don’t want the new improvements to come until the repaving occurs so they can have all the crews there at one time.”

Concerned citizens raised the alarm last month, pointing out the nearest protected crossing of Jackson is all the way down at Publix and that there is no uninterrupted sidewalk leading from there to the school. On the other side of the school on Jackson, Walgreens has a crossing but it is not protected. The concern is that there is no marking across from the school. While crossing guards are present around times of the morning and afternoon, those guards are no longer there for tardy students or those who stay after school, thereby leaving no safe means to cross the street from the opposite side of a very busy Jackson Street.

In more current paving news, Quick said TDOT will repave from the viaduct to Rose Hill Cemetery in 2026.