County officials on the Highway and Bridge Committee are on the right road with their discussion to name the new four-lane to Woodbury after former state Sen. Jerry Cooper.
It's a fitting tribute for a man who did as much as anyone in Tennessee to make the sure that road became a reality.
Sure, there were other people involved, dating all the way back to the days when I.V. Hillis served in the General Assembly, but Cooper is the one who really spearheaded the project and made sure it was never allowed to be forgotten.
There were times it seemed a four-lane to Woodbury would be a project that was perpetually discussed, but one which would never get the green light. This seemed true even when the first phase was completed in Newtown, but the rest of the project remained unfunded.
Now in its finished stage we can see what a benefit the new four-lane has become. A trip from downtown McMinnville to Murfreesboro now takes around 40 minutes and the added safety benefit of avoiding head-on traffic cannot be underestimated.
But Cooper's 23-year tenure in the state Senate can be defined by far more than this four-lane. A tireless supporter of Motlow College, Cooper led the charge to expand the campus in McMinnville, which has allowed enrollment to nearly double.
It was Cooper who said he wanted the old driver testing station, which was long located in a trailer in front of Motlow, moved to a different location so Motlow could have a more stately look. It's no coincidence the driver testing station soon had a new home across from the high school and Motlow was given a new facade during expansion.
Cooper was also the one who made a new library in Morrison a reality thanks to state funding. He really did take care of the people in his community while he served in Nashville.
Cooper has done this and much more for Warren County residents during his time in the Tennessee Senate. Naming the new four-lane in his honor is well-deserved.