CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board approved a proposal Tuesday that clears the way for the county and state to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance safety on a section of Rossview Road near the Kirkwood schools complex.
Under the proposal recommended by the CMCSS operations team, CMCSS will donate the land to Montgomery County Government so the county and state can expand the lanes of travel and add sidewalks along a 3.12-mile-long stretch of Rossview, which is state Highway 237.
Rossview Road
For the last three years, the Kirkwood campus has been opening their schools one by one, starting with Kirkwood Middle in 2022, and Kirkwood High last year in August 2023, and the morning commutes are typically met with heavily congested traffic. Now, with Kirkwood Elementary preparing to open in August, traffic toward the campus will only increase.
Talks about improving the road have been in the works since 2018. According to Chief County Engineer Nick Powell, the widening was planned prior to the Kirkwood campus construction. The administration at the time said the location was a viable piece of land for the school, but the road needed to be improved.
The improvements would include a right of way lane, sidewalks and curb and gutter drainage. To make these improvements, CMCSS would need to accommodate requests for right of way and easements. Montgomery County approved an offer to CMCSS for the right of way and easements, which is made up of 0.241 acres, for $40,200.
The CMCSS operations team determined that the right-of-way acquisition would benefit the district and the community, with some 5,000 customers that will visit the soon-to-be completed Kirkwood campus. Instead of accepting the $40,200 offer, the Operations Team recommended donating the land.
Timeline of roadwork and construction
Montgomery County spokesperson Michelle Newell said the Tennessee Department of Transportation plans to commit the construction funds for the project.
“Montgomery County is still currently on track for what we originally set out to accomplish through the design and right of way acquisition phases,” Newell said. “We will begin to hit some blockades in our work progress unless TDOT quickly fulfills their commit on funding for the construction phase.”
It’s uncertain when construction will begin, because TDOT has not included funding in their budgeting process. The project will take approximately two years to complete once construction funds are approved and the construction phase begins.
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