I-40 at Spence Lane Closed in Both Directions This Weekend
Blasting at I-24 Split Continues

Nashville, Tenn.—The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced today the third in a series of weekend closures along I-40 East and Westbound between the I-24/40 Split (mm-213) and Briley Parkway (mm-215). The closures are necessary to remove a rock bluff located at the center of the split. This weekend’s closure will begin Saturday, February 26th at 4:00 a.m. and will last until 8:00 p.m. Sunday, February 27th.

“Now that the first blast is complete, we are able to increase the size of the area we are blasting,” said TDOT’s Chief Engineer, Paul Degges. “This weekend we will be covering a much larger demolition area, which requires us to close the interstate for 2 days. By doing the larger blast we hope to reduce the number of weekends that will require a complete closure of I-40 later this spring.”

Eastbound I-40 traffic will be detoured onto I-24 East to Briley Parkway northbound. Motorists traveling from I-65 north of Nashville or I-40 west of Nashville are advised to take I-65 South to I-440 East to I-24 East to Briley Parkway northbound, where they can access I-40 east of the closure.

Westbound I-40 traffic will be detoured onto Briley Parkway southbound to I-24 West.

Motorists bound for Nashville International Airport are urged to leave early and seek an alternate route, such as Donelson Pike, Murfreesboro Road or Lebanon Pike.

Message boards will be displayed at the airport and several locations along I-40, I-440, I-24 and Briley Parkway to alert travelers and to help detour them around the closure. Metro Police Officers will also be in place to assist motorists with the detour.

TDOT estimates that close to 120,000 vehicles use I-40 between the I-24 split and the Briley Parkway interchange each day.

“This weekend we’re going to be removing about 9,000 cubic yards of rock from the bluff, so, for safety reasons we can not allow traffic in this area during the blast.” Degges said. “We know the closure is inconvenient for drivers, but it’s an important step in not only improving the safety of this interchange, but also pushing this project toward an early completion.”

TDOT encourages all motorists to check the TDOT website at www.tennessee.gov/tdot or call the Road Information Hotline at 1-800-858-6349 for more information on all road closures across the state.