Tennessee Department of Transportation
John Schroer, Commissioner

A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was approved on March 27, 2000, by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for the extension of SR 374 (North Parkway) from SR 13 to SR 76, in Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee. The proposed project involved the construction of a four-lane divided, partially access-controlled facility. The original DEIS evaluated the No Build Alternative and three Build Alternatives. Due to the time that has elapsed since the original DEIS was signed, the FHWA and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) reviewed the original DEIS to evaluate its sufficiency relative to current environmental laws and regulations. In February 2009, the FHWA and the TDOT concluded that a Supplemental DEIS should be prepared to update the environmental document to be compliant with NEPA and other current environmental regulations, including SAFETEA-LU. A Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental DEIS was published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2010.

The Supplemental DEIS will evaluate a new transportation corridor from SR 374/SR 149 (North Parkway) west of River Road north to SR 76 (US 79) (Dover Road) at the existing SR 374 (Paul B. Huff Memorial Parkway) interchange, a distance of approximately seven miles (see Project Location Map). The proposed roadway would provide two travel lanes in each direction, separated by a 48-foot median. Twelve-foot outside shoulders would also be constructed. The project would be constructed primarily on new location and would include a new crossing of the Cumberland River near River Mile 119. The proposed right-of-way would be 300 feet wide.

The Supplemental DEIS will evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives, which will include: (1) No Build; (2) Transit; (3) Transportation Systems Management; (4) one Build Alternative based on the alignment of Alternative C evaluated in the original DEIS.

The proposed project would provide an improved transportation corridor between areas to the south of Clarksville and the areas to the west of the City. This area is currently undergoing rapid development, and this trend is expected to continue in the future. One of the largest employers in the area is Ft. Campbell, which is located west of Clarksville near the SR 76 (US 79) terminus at the existing SR 374/Paul B. Huff Memorial Parkway Interchange. With current and projected development, area traffic needs are expected to continue to increase. Once constructed, the facility should help divert traffic away from congested roadways leading to and from downtown Clarksville. The proposed project would also serve to improve access to Fort Campbell Military Reservation (as well as other major employers) from the residential areas south and west of downtown Clarksville and would provide an additional crossing of the Cumberland River.