The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

Mt. Juliet approves $100K for Lebanon Road street lights




The new sidewalk on Lebanon Road will soon be more visible with a street light installation project planned on the north side of the road.

A yearlong sidewalk improvement and construction project was recently completed along Lebanon Road from Nonaville Road to Mt. Juliet Road. Vice-Mayor Ray Justice said the city commission unanimously approved a $100,000 street light installation project along Lebanon Road as a 2020-2021 budget amendment to the State Street Aid Fund.

Justice said Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation will install the street lights on existing poles from N. Greenhill Road to the Mt. Juliet League ballfield park. The annual cost to maintain them would be $5,000.

The target date for the project to begin is early summer with a projected end-of-summer date for the 80 lights being up and operational, said Justice.

“We got the sidewalks and realized people were walking on them at night,” said Justice. “So, we successfully managed walkability, but not safety at night. It turned into a safety issue.”

Pedestrians walking or riding bikes could easily step or ride off the edge of the sidewalk after dark. While much of the sidewalk runs perpendicular to lit-up businesses, the light doesn’t cast adequately.

“This could bring on all kinds of issues,” Justice said. “Also, with a lit and safe area along the sidewalk more people are prone to get out and about and visit our mom and pops (businesses). This lighting project will help promote retail on Lebanon Road.”

Justice said he is working toward street lights on the west side of Nonaville Road from Lebanon Road to the city limits which is around the former Windtree Golf Course. The city’s public works department officials are exploring grants for this.

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