TN 840 Opens Today!!

[jpi]

Here is a link for a news article on Nashville's WSMV NBC4

http://www.wsmv.com/story/19170193/state-route-840-completed

[Chris]

Press release:

http://news.tn.gov/node/9868

[Road Hog]

Yippee! My shortcut to Bonnaroo is complete.

It should be re-signed as I-840 fairly shortly now that it's done from end to end.

[jpi]

Not sure on the I-840 part, they already passed a bill to make it a "TN scenic by-way" from TN 100 to US 31, that also means no billboards. Come to think of it there is already no billboards on it. Otherwise it is a modern interstate standered freeway, all they have to do is add I-840 shields. I plan to drive all 78 miles of it tomorrow.

[kinupanda]

Am I correct in assuming that the control "city" is no longer "LOCAL TRAFFIC"?

[Alps]

Yippee! My shortcut to Bonnaroo is complete.

It should be re-signed as I-840 fairly shortly now that it's done from end to end.

I wonder if they're going to try for that now or wait until they get the northern half done years from now.

[jpi]

Steve, I highly doubt the northern half will ever get built. Govenor Bredeson put it on an "indefinent" hold, in other words, its cancelled. Alot of the funding from the northern half is no going toward widening TN 109 from near my house north to I-65 at the KY state line and TN 141 also near my house to Hartsville about 15 miles north of me. BTW, I am considering a "regional middle TN" roadmeet for sometime in the spring, it would focus on the TN 141 and 109 construction currently underway along with widening of I-40 on my side of Nashville plus travel the full 78 miles of 840. This is just in the early planning stages, I am thinking sometime in May 2013.

[ShawnP]

I think in time the northern portion will get northeast quadrant built.

[hbelkins]

I drove the entire route Saturday morning. Drove the entire route westward, then doubled back on I-40 from Dickson and drove the new part back around to I-65. There was quite a bit of traffic on the route for it to have just opened the day before, including more trucks than I expected. Also saw police running radar already.

Overhead signage on I-40 west indicated that the route was open "Lebanon-Dickson."

The new section between TN 46 and US 31 has the brown "scenic highway" guardrails.

The "LOCAL TRAFFIC" signage is still up on I-40, and I noticed a crew changing out an overhead sign on northbound I-65 approaching 840 once I got the route clinched and headed south.

Am I the first one of us to drive it, or did someone else drive it earlier than I did Saturday or on Friday after it opened?

[Henry]

New scenic byways are always interesting to drive; hopefully someone can make a YouTube video of their drive on it soon!

[hbelkins]

I had the video camera rolling, but no telling how long it will be when (or if) I get a video made.

[jpi]

I doubt if the northest quadrent will ever open, thats why T-DOT is working on widening TN 109 from 840 north to I-65 at KY state line. Personaly I think the northwest quadrent should get built up to I-24 near Clarksville.

[rte66man]

I doubt if the northest quadrent will ever open, thats why T-DOT is working on widening TN 109 from 840 north to I-65 at KY state line. Personaly I think the northwest quadrent should get built up to I-24 near Clarksville.

FWIW, I agree with Jason.  If you are coming from Memphis on I-40 and need to go to Springfield or the Ridgetop area, you essentially have to go all the way into Nashville to turn and go northwest.  There are no realistic alternatives.  I've found the "best" alternative is I-40 to Briley to I-24 to US431 to Springfield.  I would love for 840 to be finished at least to US41

rte66man

[jpi]

Briley  Parkway (TN 155) is the only true northern by-pass of Nashville, it has been upgraded to full interstate standards over the past 12 years and could easily become an I-x24 or I-x65.