Need for another North-South arterial from Rutherford to Nashville

[titanfan24]

Hey guys,

Nice forum you guys have. I have lurked for a good while, but bit the bullet and joined today.

A little background on myself:

I'm a Nashville native, who grew up in the Antioch area. Graduated from MTSU and then moved back to Nashville for a while. I have recently bought a home in Smyrna and really enjoy it, except for one thing:

Morning gridlock on I-24 and Murfreesboro Road getting into Nashville.

I work in the Elm Hill Pike area and some mornings are about unbearable getting to town. This is brought up a subject that I have thought about for years......

I think that there should be another North-South Arterial running from Rutherford County to Nashville and there are two legit possibilities.

1. Extend Mt. View/Crossings Blvd thru OHB, connect with Firestone Blvd, and extend thru Waldron Road to connect with Sam Ridley Parkway or Old Nashville Highway.

OR

2. Smooth out Cane Ridge Road, extend it thru OHB, and run it down to Rock Springs Road.

My thoughts are just to funnel traffic to Bell Road and let people have more decisions at that point.

Just two suggestions and I wanted to get opinions from others who travel this area.

[timmay143]

First of all, welcome to the boards titanfan24!!

I am aware that this southeast corridor is heavily traveled. Not too familiar with the road extensions that you are talking about, but something needs to be implemented soon to allieviate traffic flow through this area. I know there is a plan to add a leg on the Music City Star commuter train for the southeast. However, I do not think there is a definite date yet in place when this would happen. There is a bus route from Nashville to Murfreesboro and it is gaining ridership. I do believe there is an in-the-near-future plan for bus rapid transport (BRT) to run on I-24 and/or Murfreesboro Rd. So while road extensions may be possible, I would discourage from it and encourage these other alternate commuter possibilities.

Here is a link to a study on this corridor:

http://www.nashvillempo.org/southeast/

This has also been discussed in our rail thread at the top of the Nashville forum (if you would like to check it out if you already haven't).

[smeagolsfree]

Welcome to the forum as well ttanfan24. I would love to see an alternative Rd. but I dont think it will happen for a long time if ever. I do think that rail transit and or BRT will be the alternatives to the issue of gridlock that occurs so often on that corridor. I have driven against traffic many times and I am amazed at the amount of traffic. I have seen traffic thick and heavy, sometimes backed up into the Boro if there is a wreck. Remember 840 was suppose to solve some of that problem. It does run North/South but just too far out. If they made Bell Rd. a four lane north of Murfreesboro Rd. it would be crazy as well. There is already a lot of development on Bell rd and more on the way and then it would just move the traffic from I24 to I 40.

I had to drive that exact route the other morning and M'Boro Rd. seemed to have light traffic on it at Bell Rd. I turned onto Bell Rd. and it was a speed limit drive past the four way stop and red there at the Exxon past Nashboro village all the way to Elm Hill Pike.

I think I remember hearing about a planed southern route through southern Davidson county and another plan that would extend Harding to I 40. Either one would be years off I am afraid. I will see what I can find onthe Metro site as they have virtually every study and or proposal on the web site somewhere, but can be a pain to find.

[titanhog]

Another thing that would help would be if they would finally extend Sam Ridley Parkway all the way to Cool Springs. They've talked about it for years, but still nothing. I know that's not North and South, but it would take away some of the traffic going up I-24 to hit Bell Road to go over the Brentwood or Franklin. Plus...it would give Rutherford residents a quick way to get to Nolensville Road to trek into Davidson County. Right now, it's either I-24 or Murfreesboro Rd with not many other options.

[titanfan24]

Yeah, the Sam Ridley extension is well overdue, and there has also been talk of an East-West roadway thru Antioch and Cane Ridge to Brentwood. Both of those are sorely needed.

I like the commuter rail idea, but I'm also a Southerner and know that we generally think like engineers. If we can touch it, feel it, and in this case, drive on it, we believe in it.

The issues with CSX traffic on the existing rail lines is an issue as you work south. That's a pretty busy railroad as is. The other issue with the commuter rail is that it's all good if you work downtown, but if you're off the spoke, you're out of luck. Improved bus lines would obviously be the ticket to improving things, but I don't trust MTA to do it right.

Regardless of the rail situation, there needs to be one more North-South 4 lane road built, and we're already behind schedule. Look at the explosive growth that is soon to happen as Nolensville and Smyrna are poised to meet in another 10 years. Nolensville is the next growth community and they have no highway infrastructure whatsoever.

[satalac]

I don't see much helping traffic on this corridor. There are simply too many people that live in Rutherford County that work in Davidson, myself included. I make the drive from Murfreesboro (which is a pain in the a$$ to get out of in and of itself) to East Nashville everyday. The only reason I bought a car with a stick a month ago is because I knew I was moving back to Nashville would be traveling the much much less congested I65. The only thing I could see taking traffic away from going into Nashville is to have something divert drivers away from it (i.e. a cool springs type area south of Murfreesboro). This is what happened with South Nashville/Brentwood when Cool Springs began growing. In no way however am I advocating this idea. I would much rather the core of business stay in Nashville. I think we just need to sleep in the bed that we have made. That and run the friggin Music City Star line to the Boro! haha.

[dmillsphoto]

Alright, also a first time user on this forum, I usually hang around SSP and SSC, however this kind of discussion isn't found on there. My issue with one of TitanFan24's suggestions, the Cane Ridge Rd connector to Bell Rd wouldn't work. I will go ahead and say, living in the Cane Ridge area, that Bell Rd has enough issues with traffic in the mornings... afternoons... hell, anytime of day or weekend. Traffic usually backs up half a mile or more to the west, and I don't even want to guess coming in from Hickory Hollow. I think a corridor on the north side of 24 would prove more efficient.

[smeagolsfree]

Welcome to the forum dmills.

We need more newbies here.

I have not been in the Cane Ridge area in a while (several years). I may need to take a drive down there to see what all has happened.

[Velo_Editor]

It's not just people living in Rutherford County, but that Southeast Nashville is or at least was the fastest growing part of Davidson County, so you all of these people driving the same few roads. My parents live off of Smith Springs Road near Percy Priest Lake and it takes 15 minutes just to drive 2 miles to get to Bell Road because of all the traffic!

This is really a problem all over Nashville. You have only two major east-west roads on the west side of Nashville (aside from I-40). If 40 gets backed up, everyone spills over to either the 3-lane Charlotte Pike or Harding RD. When construction was taking place on I-40 around White Bridge Road it was really difficult getting around this side of town. There really are too few major non-interstate roads in Nashville and I guess the geography and spoke-and-wheel design of the city has contributed to that.

[smeagolsfree]

After having a chance to look at the map, there is one huge problem with any plan that makes a new road running N/S in this area. Percy Priest Lake! I dont know if Hobson Pike is 4 lanes or not but the only alternatives are Bell Rd. and a Harding Rd extender. You have a narrow strip of land that runs in between the airport and the lake. The only other alternative as far as roads go seems to be a huge bridge across the lake. Then you get to deal with the Army Corp of engineers that controls all the land surrounding the lake.

Here is a map to illustrate a 4 lane Bell rd. and a Harding Extender Rd to I 40.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&i...;</small>

[Velo_Editor]

I thought the Harding Road extender was going to be built a few years ago as they started doing some blasting and clearing work at Murfreesboro and Old Murfreesboro Roads roughly where that road would cross, but nothing more has happened. Isn't the Harding Road extender more of a way of getting rid of Donelson Pike through the airport? I thought I had read where they wanted to remove that road for future airport expansion.

Bell Road being two lanes from Anderson Road to I-40 doesn't help things with traffic flow. The stretch from Smith Springs Road to Elm Hill Pike has a pretty wide shoulder and room for a couple of more lanes, but I have no idea if that is going to happen anytime soon.

[satalac]

I still don't think that there is much that can be done to alleviate the traffic problem by building new roads. The harding extension is really the only one that holds any merit. There are simply too many people that live in this corridor that travel. Unless these people move or change their travel patterns, I don't see much changing other than more and more traffic.

[rocky top buzz]

Titanfan, I have your solution. I live right off Sam Ridley Pkwy behind the Target and I long ago figured out a solution:

- Cross Sam Ridley Pkwy and take the road that runs in front of the new target (Industrial Blvd)

- That will take you up to Waldron and you can see the interstate, if it looks good, hop on. If not, turn right on Waldron and then take your very next left, Ingram Blvd.

- That will take you up to Old Hickory Blvd. Usually you will want to get on here regardless of how bad traffic looks (unless the interstate shuts down). That's because the OHB merge lane is almost a mile long so even if I-24 is stopped, you can fly by.

You could also cross over and get on Cane Ridge Road from there, but everytime I've done that I've regretted it.

The solution to all of this is to have more white collar job growth in Rutherford County. Murfreesboro is slowly moving the right direction, but I think Smyrna holds the best capability of seeing a job base develop similar to Cool Springs. We in La Vergne have our efforts focused on keeping the Antioch crime out, so at the end of the day we're neutral, we'll take blue collar, white collar, whatever just as long as it's not Antioch.

[smeagolsfree]

I thought the Harding Road extender was going to be built a few years ago as they started doing some blasting and clearing work at Murfreesboro and Old Murfreesboro Roads roughly where that road would cross, but nothing more has happened. Isn't the Harding Road extender more of a way of getting rid of Donelson Pike through the airport? I thought I had read where they wanted to remove that road for future airport expansion.

Bell Road being two lanes from Anderson Road to I-40 doesn't help things with traffic flow. The stretch from Smith Springs Road to Elm Hill Pike has a pretty wide shoulder and room for a couple of more lanes, but I have no idea if that is going to happen anytime soon.

[titanhog]

Of course, someday rapid transit will have to be a part of the SE Davidson and Rutherford corridor. Whether it's rail or more bus lines, it will still come down to people actually using it.

That being said...a few things that would help a little right now:

1. New and expanded east-west roads. Harding Road extender to I-40. Widen Bell Road from Murfreesboro Rd to I-40. Widen and straighten OHB from Murfreesboro Rd to Nolensville Rd and connect with a widened and straightened Concord Rd over to I-65. Also...finally extend Sam Ridley Parkway over to I-65 in Cool Springs. Lastly...and VERY controversial...do away with Thompson Lane and White Bridge Road and fully loop Briley Parkway through the 100 Oaks / Green Hills / Belle Meade area to connect as a complete circle around Nashville. So much of the problem with the interstates being full is the fact that most of our east-west corridors start and stop and go from 4 lane to 2 lane.

2. Widen Nolensville Road from Nolensville town to OHB.

[titanfan24]

Of course, someday rapid transit will have to be a part of the SE Davidson and Rutherford corridor. Whether it's rail or more bus lines, it will still come down to people actually using it.

That being said...a few things that would help a little right now:

1. New and expanded east-west roads. Harding Road extender to I-40. Widen Bell Road from Murfreesboro Rd to I-40. Widen and straighten OHB from Murfreesboro Rd to Nolensville Rd and connect with a widened and straightened Concord Rd over to I-65. Also...finally extend Sam Ridley Parkway over to I-65 in Cool Springs. Lastly...and VERY controversial...do away with Thompson Lane and White Bridge Road and fully loop Briley Parkway through the 100 Oaks / Green Hills / Belle Meade area to connect as a complete circle around Nashville. So much of the problem with the interstates being full is the fact that most of our east-west corridors start and stop and go from 4 lane to 2 lane.

2. Widen Nolensville Road from Nolensville town to OHB.