The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has announced plans for bridge work at the interchange of Interstate 65 and Interstate 440 which will require the complete closure of the interchange from Friday, Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. through Monday, Sept. 23 at 5 a.m.
Franklin Road, which is below the flyover interchange, will also be shut down between Berry Road and Woodmont Boulevard in both directions during the same hours.
VUMC officials are engaged in planning with state and local officials to minimize disruption of service, as I-65 and Franklin Road are the two major routes to and from the south into Nashville. Officials anticipate increased traffic on other routes, such as Granny White Pike, Nolensville Road, Wedgewood Avenue, Harding Place and Hillsboro Road, and travel times, including for employees traveling to and from work, will be increased during the closure period.
During the affected days, traffic going toward the interchange will be reduced to one lane and detoured away from the construction area:
- Eastbound traffic on I-440 will be detoured to I-65 southbound.
- Westbound traffic on I-440 will be detoured to I-65 northbound.
- Northbound traffic on I-65 will be detoured to I-440 eastbound.
- Southbound traffic on I-65 will be detoured to I-440 westbound.
The work will widen the I-440 bridges over I-65 and is part of the ongoing reconstruction project on I-440, which has been underway for six months and scheduled to continue until August 2020.
The planned closure is dependent on weather and project progress. In the event of severe weather during the weekend planned for the work, TDOT has designated the weekend of Sept. 27-30 as the alternate.
This is the first of two closures of the interchange, with the second set by TDOT for an undetermined weekend in the spring of 2020.
To view a TDOT video about the work at the interchange, click here.
To view the TDOT press release about the work, and a map of the affected areas, click here.
UPDATE: LifeFlight will locate a helicopter in Williamson County during interstate closure
During the weekend closure of I-65/I-440 interchange, Vanderbilt LifeFlight will locate a helicopter in Williamson County. The move will allow for improved Vanderbilt LifeFlight coverage for parts of Southern Tennessee that will be affected by the interstate closure.
The road closures may affect access to Nashville area hospitals.
LifeFlight operational leadership will be monitoring the situation closely to deploy additional resources if needed.
UPDATE: A second September weekend road repair project announced by TDOT
Beginning Friday, Sept. 27 at 9 p.m., and continuing through Monday, Sept. 30 at 5 a.m., I-24 will be closed on the downtown interstate loop from I-40 at the Silliman Evans Bridge to I-65 to repair bridge joints at the Woodland Street, Main Street, and Silliman Evans bridges. This work is part of a $1.5 million bridge repair project.
- Interstate traffic will be detoured to I-40 and I-65. East Nashville traffic will be able to access local routes to cross the Cumberland River, including Shelby Avenue, Main Street, Woodland Street, and Spring Street. Map with detour information is available here.
- Local traffic will be able access I-24 westbound at Spring Street. There will be intermittent closures of the I-24 eastbound on-ramp at Shelby Avenue for maintenance activities.
In the event of inclement weather, the alternate date for the I-440/I-65 interchange closure will be the weekend of Sept. 27 and the I-24 closure will be rescheduled for the weekend of Oct. 11.
