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Construction at Cumberland Academy frustrating nearby property owners

Traffic annoys us all, but the residents along Jeff Davis Drive in Tyler are especially tired of the traffic created by Cumberland Academy High School.

TYLER, Texas — The Cumberland Academy High School has been under construction for the last four years. 

Now that the school's new performing arts center is taking shape, a large section of the parking lot has been off limits. That closure is affecting more than just parents dropping off students.

"It's a mess for about an hour a day," a Tyler resident that lives on Jeff Davis Drive said. "You know three o'clock and at eight in the morning."

A request for the Tyler City Council to approve a nonprofit bond for the center turned into an outlet for frustrated residents that live near the school to express their emotions with the project's construction.

"I know there's a right of way on the road that people are literally turning around in our in our grass to try to get a better spot to get into the entrance quickly," one of the residents at the meeting said.

Norma Cotton, the director and founder of Cumberland Academy, said a crane that is helping to build the center has blocked off part of the parking lot.

"So we couldn't allow people around the building like we were before," Cotton said.

Cotton explained that the school sent out letters to parents about parking and will send out more. She says the letter urges them not to use other's property to beat the traffic.  

The concerned residents also brought up that there is only one entrance into the school and one exit. As a result, students are running across the street and people are making u-turns, which are legal in the area, but dangerous on the somewhat narrow road.

The city council asked for the academy to come up with a plan in 90 days for a second exit. During the meeting, Cotton said the school wanted to "get it to begin with."

Cotton told CBS19 TxDOT would not allow the second entrance. CBS19 reached out to TxDOT to confirm her claim but have not received a response.

The high school is located on Paluxy Dr, which is owned by Tx-DOT. 

There is proposed project to widen the two lane road to four from Jeff Davis Drive South to FM-344. 

There will be a public meeting for the proposal in Fall 2019.

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