To alleviate a series of issues, Winchester is implementing a new truck route to direct tractor-trailers and large commercial vehicles away from the Square as much as possible.

Mayor Sean Crabtree said the Square has been plagued by northbound trucks too large to easily turn from South College Street onto Dinah Shore Boulevard. He added that they’ve occasionally hit and damaged the Wenger Building, 3 S. College St., at the Dinah Shore-South College intersection and have also downed or damaged light poles along the way that average about $15,000 each.

The turn around the Wenger Building has been widened to help vehicles safely make the turn.

Crabtree said trucks will still be allowed to make deliveries on the Square, just as they always have.

With the new route, large trucks traveling from David Crockett Highway (an extension of Highway 64-David Crockett Parkway) onto First Avenue Southwest — which becomes First Avenue Southeast at the Square — will be required to

See Route, Page 2A ^ continue straight on First Avenue Southeast instead of making a left turn onto South College Street. Those vehicles will continue on to South Porter Street, adjacent to Burger King, where they will turn left to get back to Dinah Shore Boulevard.

Another change affects southwest-bound traffic on Dinah Shore Boulevard.

The far right lane one block away from the Square has been designated for right turns only onto North Porter Street, adjacent to the Bates Food parking lot, while the center-right southwest-bound lane is designated for traffic entering the Square.

Crabtree said the truck route for southwestbound vehicles to avoid the Square will involve making the right turn onto North Porter, then turning left onto Second Avenue Northeast where they can get back to David Crockett Highway after they are well away from the Square area.

Crabtree said the city uses Bypass Road as a designated truck route to get large vehicles to Highway 64 using part of the Cowan Highway.

However, he said satellite technology does not always identify that route, and trucks consequently have passed through the northwest side of the Square because of it. He added that marking the North Porter-Second Avenue Northeast (Bates Food) route through highly visible signage should help alleviate that situation.

Another problem area involves truck traffic from Sewanee coming from Cowan Highway, which becomes South College Street before it reaches the Square.

Crabtree said signage will be used to direct truck traffic to use Second Avenue Southeast, between the Board of Education Building and Regions Bank, to reach South Porter Street to access Dinah Shore Boulevard.

He said the city had initially planned to have a grace period by having signs in place, allowing truck drivers to get used to the traffic changes. He added that the city could consider at a later date to implement fines for truckroute violations.

However, Crabtree said the Tennessee Department of Transportation had painted the new designated lane changes at South Porter and Dinah Shore Boulevard on April 20, which came as a pleasant surprise. He added that TDOT’s move has changed the city’s plans about the grace period, but the directional signs will still be installed, and the city can deal with the fine situation if it is deemed necessary at a later date.

Crabtree said State Rep. Iris Rudder, R-Winchester, stepped up to the plate to get TDOT on board with designating the route. He added that city streets involved in the route are also designated state highways which placed the issue in the state’s hands.

“She really did a fantastic job,” Crabtree said, referring to Rudder. “I don’t know how we would have gotten it done without her help.”