Future of the Nashville Downtown Loop

[Chrysler375Freeway]

So from what I saw, the Downtown Loop (referred to as the Inner Loop by Nashville locals) where Interstates 40, 24, and 65 converge (or a part of parts of it) was considered for removal at one point. If it were to be removed, what would happen to the designations applied to it? And what should be considered other than removal? What would happen to traffic and development in the Nashville area if the Inner Loop was removed entirely?

[silverback1065]

So from what I saw, the Downtown Loop (referred to as the Inner Loop by Nashville locals) where Interstates 40, 24, and 65 converge (or a part of parts of it) was considered for removal at one point. If it were to be removed, what would happen to the designations applied to it? And what should be considered other than removal? What would happen to traffic and development in the Nashville area if the Inner Loop was removed entirely?

I'm willing to bet this was never a serious proposal and just a few disgruntled people who live downtown proposing it. As bad as Nashville's freeway system is and how it's so car centric, I would be shocked to see them remove those roads.

[Chrysler375Freeway]

So from what I saw, the Downtown Loop (referred to as the Inner Loop by Nashville locals) where Interstates 40, 24, and 65 converge (or a part of parts of it) was considered for removal at one point. If it were to be removed, what would happen to the designations applied to it? And what should be considered other than removal? What would happen to traffic and development in the Nashville area if the Inner Loop was removed entirely?

I'm willing to bet this was never a serious proposal and just a few disgruntled people who live downtown proposing it. As bad as Nashville's freeway system is and how it's so car centric, I would be shocked to see them remove those roads.

Another consideration was to cap over I-40 along the western half of Downtown/Inner Loop from Exit 208 southward and eastward to Exit 210 (I used to live there so I may refer to it at times as the Downtown Loop and at other times as the Inner Loop.). Would that really even gain any traction among the Nashville populous, let alone the Federal government?

[JayhawkCO]

This just makes me miss I-265, which I clinched once upon a time.

Chris

[Chrysler375Freeway]

I-65 was rerouted to the western and northern half of the Inner Loop because of congestion due to motorists following 65 through Downtown. 65's Nashville route was extended by a little over a half-mile, but milemarkers from Nashville northward to the Kentucky border did not change. But an exit has since been added at the Kentucky border, at milemarker 121.

[Chrysler375Freeway]

This just makes me miss I-265, which I clinched once upon a time.

Chris

Even once I-65 was routed over 265, exit numbers northward to the Kentucky border did not change, but an exit has been added, right on the state line at milemarker 121, which becomes Mile 0 once you cross over the border into the Bluegrass State, with a Welcome Center not too far from milemarker 0, which itself is located 1 3/4 miles south of Exit 2 (US 31W-Nashville Road, which provides access to Franklin).

[triplemultiplex]

The future of Nashville's downtown loop should be reconfiguring the system interchanges so the different traffic streams don't have to 'weave' in order to continue along I-40, I-65 and I-24.  So you merge to the commons section and need no lane changes to keep going through.

Also if this thread is about Nashville, it should be in the Southeast board. (and maybe have "Nashville" in the title! )

[Chrysler375Freeway]

If it were up to me, I would keep the Downtown Loop, while building 840 North, extending 440 into a beltway around downtown, and turn the southern half of Briley into a freeway to try and solve Nashville's traffic woes.

[wriddle082]

The loop will not be removed.  No one alive today is offended by it.

Right now they are discussing placing a cap on a section of I-40 west of the loop in the vicinity of Dr DB Todd Jr Blvd. in order to reconnect a neighborhood with the Jefferson St corridor.  I'm thinking this will happen, as there doesn't seem to be any opposition, and the funds will be made available.

As for fixing the loop, I have often thought it should be turned into a giant roundabout, with all lanes going counter-clockwise.  It might make getting through town on I-40 longer, but that's why I-440 exists.

[Henry]

Also if this thread is about Nashville, it should be in the Southeast board. (and maybe have "Nashville" in the title! )

I can see the confusion on this part, as the categorization of the state is quite ambiguous. TN as a whole is categorized as "Southeast", but yet western TN (which includes Memphis) falls under "Mid-South". So yeah, move this thread to Southeast, as Nashville is obviously the subject here.

As for the downtown freeway loop, I don't see any reason to remove it either. It works fine as it is.

[SkyPesos]

I was confused by just "Downtown loop" in the thread title without checking which board it is in. Could've easily been Kansas City's Alphabet Loop too, with the northern part proposed for removal for a long time.

[oscar]

Also if this thread is about Nashville, it should be in the Southeast board. (and maybe have "Nashville" in the title! )

I agree. But while the Southeast board covers all of Tennessee, the Mid-South board covers "western Tennessee" (which Nashville isn't).

[froggie]

So from what I saw, the Downtown Loop (referred to as the Inner Loop by Nashville locals) where Interstates 40, 24, and 65 converge (or a part of parts of it) was considered for removal at one point. If it were to be removed, what would happen to the designations applied to it? And what should be considered other than removal? What would happen to traffic and development in the Nashville area if the Inner Loop was removed entirely?

I'm willing to bet this was never a serious proposal and just a few disgruntled people who live downtown proposing it. As bad as Nashville's freeway system is and how it's so car centric, I would be shocked to see them remove those roads.

It actually was a serious proposal at some point in the 2000s.  A book was written about it which I have in my collection.

[silverback1065]

So from what I saw, the Downtown Loop (referred to as the Inner Loop by Nashville locals) where Interstates 40, 24, and 65 converge (or a part of parts of it) was considered for removal at one point. If it were to be removed, what would happen to the designations applied to it? And what should be considered other than removal? What would happen to traffic and development in the Nashville area if the Inner Loop was removed entirely?

I'm willing to bet this was never a serious proposal and just a few disgruntled people who live downtown proposing it. As bad as Nashville's freeway system is and how it's so car centric, I would be shocked to see them remove those roads.

It actually was a serious proposal at some point in the 2000s.  A book was written about it which I have in my collection.

Interesting! What's the book called? I'd like to read it!

[froggie]

The Plan of Nashville.  Written in 2005.  In short and from a transportation standpoint, they envisioned through traffic routing around the core via Briley and 440 (though I imagine 840 would see better utilization in this scenario, too), retaining Ellington Pkwy as a spur into downtown, and building several more bridges across the river.

[silverback1065]

Interesting. Briley would not able to handle that traffic I suspect.

[froggie]

NE leg of Briley is 8 lanes and there isn't much development (relative to Nashville) in the NW leg.  I'd be more apprehensive about 440 not being able to handle it.

[silverback1065]

NE leg of Briley is 8 lanes and there isn't much development (relative to Nashville) in the NW leg.  I'd be more apprehensive about 440 not being able to handle it.

so what was the planned routing of the freeways if the loop was removed? was it just partially removed or fully in this plan?

[SkyPesos]

Sometimes, I wonder what if I-440 was built on what is now TN 155 instead of its current alignment. It's only 1000 feet away from TN 155 at its closest point. And I-440 could be extended to form a full beltway around Nashville, instead of just a southern bypass if it lines up with TN 155 north of I-40. Here's this scenario on a map

Gray: Current I-440 - Unbuilt
Green: Initial section of alternate scenario I-440, serving the same role as current I-440.
Blue: Rest of I-440 (TN 155) as a full Nashville beltway.

[bwana39]

So from what I saw, the Downtown Loop (referred to as the Inner Loop by Nashville locals) where Interstates 40, 24, and 65 converge (or a part of parts of it) was considered for removal at one point. If it were to be removed, what would happen to the designations applied to it? And what should be considered other than removal? What would happen to traffic and development in the Nashville area if the Inner Loop was removed entirely?

I'm willing to bet this was never a serious proposal and just a few disgruntled people who live downtown proposing it. As bad as Nashville's freeway system is and how it's so car centric, I would be shocked to see them remove those roads.

It actually was a serious proposal at some point in the 2000s.  A book was written about it which I have in my collection.

I think that there are SERIOUS PROPOSALS to remove all of the freeways inside a giant outer belt surrounding practically ever major US city. Just because you study or even propose something (anything) doesn't mean it is viable or even will be considered by the masses.

[I-39]

Sometimes, I wonder what if I-440 was built on what is now TN 155 instead of its current alignment. It's only 1000 feet away from TN 155 at its closest point. And I-440 could be extended to form a full beltway around Nashville, instead of just a southern bypass if it lines up with TN 155 north of I-40. Here's this scenario on a map

Gray: Current I-440 - Unbuilt
Green: Initial section of alternate scenario I-440, serving the same role as current I-440.
Blue: Rest of I-440 (TN 155) as a full Nashville beltway.

This is what should have been done years ago when they still could have. Nashville lacking a full interstate loop bypassing downtown is going to come back to haunt then when the downtown loop inevitably needs to be rebuilt, which is not far off IMO.

[froggie]

Virtually all of South Briley (which is really 3 different streets patched together into one) was already developed by the early 1950s.  A big reason why 440 went where it did is because it followed an old rail corridor west of 65.  While additional ROW was still needed (especially at interchanges and east of 65), there were fewer direct impacts than if it had followed the streets that make up 155.

[ARMOURERERIC]

The Nashville inner loop would be another candidate for this idea I have of a one way counter clockwise 8 lane loop.

[Revive 755]

Virtually all of South Briley (which is really 3 different streets patched together into one) was already developed by the early 1950s.  A big reason why 440 went where it did is because it followed an old rail corridor west of 65.  While additional ROW was still needed (especially at interchanges and east of 65), there were fewer direct impacts than if it had followed the streets that make up 155.

I seem to recall hearing (probably on this forum or on MTR) that the freeway section of TN 155 was at one time intended to continue from the eastern interchange with I-40 to I-24 at Exit 54, but that stretch was cancelled.

[Life in Paradise]

Virtually all of South Briley (which is really 3 different streets patched together into one) was already developed by the early 1950s.  A big reason why 440 went where it did is because it followed an old rail corridor west of 65.  While additional ROW was still needed (especially at interchanges and east of 65), there were fewer direct impacts than if it had followed the streets that make up 155.

I seem to recall hearing (probably on this forum or on MTR) that the freeway section of TN 155 was at one time intended to continue from the eastern interchange with I-40 to I-24 at Exit 54, but that stretch was cancelled.

A lot of short sighted decisions made with Nashville's road network in the past.  Unfortunately, there are quite a few of those decisions all across the nation, which has made needed improvements much more expensive than it should have cost.