New Interstate 40/Briley Parkway Ramp Opens to Traffic
First part of massive White Bridge Road/ I-40 area project
opens for use ahead of schedule

Nashville, Tennessee - The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is pleased to announce the early completion of the newly constructed ramp from Briley Parkway southbound to I-40 eastbound in west Nashville. The ramp is being opened to traffic two months ahead of schedule.

The new ramp will provide motorists with an uninterrupted path from southbound Briley Parkway to Interstate 40 eastbound toward downtown Nashville. The ramp is designed to improve the traffic flow and therefore, the safety to motorists traveling through this heavily used interchange.

“We’re extremely pleased to be able to open this ramp before the Christmas and New Year’s holidays and it is our hope that the thousands of motorists who travel this route each day will see their commute time considerably reduced as people become accustomed to using this new feature,” TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely said.

Nicely and other dignitaries removed orange barrels and opened the ramp to traffic at 10 o’clock Friday morning, as temporary message signs and HELP trucks directed motorists to the new facility.

“Now, instead of sitting through a series of traffic lights, drivers can access I-40 without interruption,” said Commissioner Nicely. “This project is a major feat of engineering and it’s exciting to see the pieces beginning to come together.”

TDOT estimates more than 35,000 motorists travel the impacted segment of Briley Parkway south where it connects to I-40 each day.  Construction on the project began in November 2002, and the ramp was estimated to be complete in February of 2005.

“We worked closely with Bell Construction and Metro Nashville to get this ramp open as soon as possible. The fact that Bell Construction was able to complete this ramp nearly two months ahead of schedule speaks highly of their effort to get the job done quickly and without compromising safety or quality,” Nicely added.

The new ramp is part of a larger project designed to improve the flow of traffic at the I-40 and White Bridge Road/Robertson Road/Briley Parkway interchange. The work includes two miles of widening and median reconstruction on I-40, four intersections, more than one mile of reconstruction of Briley Parkway, relocation of a stream and relocation of several local streets.

The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of 2005.