Roads construction in area making good progress

Sep. 20—Road construction in Tahlequah and Cherokee County has some residents upset with the pace and scheduling of the work.

Cathy Cott, a Tahlequah citizen, pleaded with Tahlequah City Council members during the Aug. 8 meeting to stop ripping up streets until others are repaired.

"The road construction on East Fourth Street destroyed my car," Cott said. "It's a nice, wonderful street now with drainage, but it took a long time. And it doesn't look like Cedar [Avenue] is ever going to get fixed. These people can't even get to their houses."

An update from Taylor Tannehill, city administrator, indicates the southbound lane on Cedar Avenue is almost complete and the northbound lane will begin soon.

The bidding for the widening and installing of a turning lane on Muskogee Avenue is due out on Oct. 6, Tannehill said.

A walkthrough on the traffic signals on Downing and Fourth Street, and Cedar Avenue and Water Street, is hopefully going to happen in the next couple of weeks, Tannehill said.

The curbs on the east end of the Ross Street have been poured and base has been poured to start the street construction. The same contractor working on Cedar Avenue will do Ross Street.

A sidewalk project at Bertha Parker Bypass and Downing, on the east side, by Oklahoma Department of Transportation, is not complete, although the cones have been pulled, Tannehill said.

In Cherokee County, District 1 County Commissioner Bobby Whitewater reported on several roads in progress and planned for completion.

"Four miles on 82C have been widened from 18 feet to 20 feet," Whitewater said. "By Eldon, Oklahoma, 3-1/2 miles on 580 have been chipped and a seal overlay completed."

Almost nine miles in the Moody area have been chipped and sealed, and on into Peggs, and grey rock has been laid over dirt road.

Chip and seal has been completed on a 2-1/2 mile stretch of West Killabrew Road, and almost one mile on North 460 Road, south of Killabrew between Gideon Road and 710 Road, is ready for chip and seal.

Several roads in the Sparrowhawk area are scheduled for chip and seal, to be completed by the end of the year, but may go into spring, Whitewater said.

In District 3, County Commissioner Clif Hall reported there isn't much construction going on at the moment.

"Indian Road is open, and on Burnt Cabin the leveling is done with asphalt. We are waiting on rock to finish it with a new road surface," Hall said.

At press time, District 2 County Commissioner Chris Jenkins had not responded to a request for an update on road construction in that district. If he responds after the print deadline, his comments will be added to the online version.