TN 840

[rickmeck]

Hey guys, I'm sure I missed the thread (and I apologize), but what was the reason the TN 840 never was completed on the north side of Nashville? Every time I drive I-65 into Tennessee from Kentucky and traffic is backed up miles before Davidson County, I wonder this.
Driving north on I-65 from Alabama has never been an issue, yet that is where the "bypass" is located.

Thanks,
Rick

[Sykotyk]

Lack of funding and a change in direction by the state.

I-65 south to I-40 west really needed the north and northwest part of the loop to be finished. That's the trouble spot.

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Though I don't live in the area, we would have been beneficiaries of the northern loop of TN 840 during our annual family reunion of years past (we used said 65 to 40 connection to help reach our destination). However, I understand why the northern half of TN 840 was nixed.

Building the northern half of the loop required excavation through very rocky terrain, and that would have been extremely costly (as an example, look at the section of I-65 immediately north of Davidson County.). I see the much closer Briley Parkway (TN 155) getting a major redo (not that I know any of it is being planned) before the norther loop of TN 840 sees any consideration.

As an aside, what control cities are given to TN 840, if any? I'm sure "LOCAL TRAFFIC" was done away with when the road was completely opened.

[skaguy]

The control cities on TN 840 West from I-65 North are Memphis and Dickson.  In terms of the northern part of TN 840 being scrapped, I really like the upgrades that have been going on with TN 109 that are being done instead.  There is a new bridge being built just south of Gallatin and a section of 4 lane dual divided highway with at grade intersections opened up south of Portland in late 2011.  The eventual plan is to have 4 lanes between I-65 at the Kentucky/Tennessee state line and TN 840 with a possible new interchange to provide direct access to I-65 without using 31 West.  There are 2 sections that need completed which are a Portland bypass and a stretch between Gallatin and US 70.

[hbelkins]

I'm not familiar enough with Nashville traffic problems to know the answer to this, but wouldn't I-65 south to the Briley west to I-40 be a decent alternative to staying on I-65 to hit I-40?

As for me, I can't see ever using I-65 to I-40 west ever again. I did it once, and the drive west on I-40 just about killed me. I will use the Kentucky parkways and US 51 to I-155.

[tdindy88]

As for me, I can't see ever using I-65 to I-40 west ever again. I did it once, and the drive west on I-40 just about killed me. I will use the Kentucky parkways and US 51 to I-155.

I'm curious as to why the I-40 drive was bad, was it just boring? The reason I ask is because I may make a trip to Memphis next year, perhaps using 65 and 40 from Indianapolis on the way down and the I-69 route (51, Purchase, WK, Pennyrille, 41, 164 and 69) on the way back. Going through the Nashville area, I would have taken the Briley.

[hbelkins]

I'm curious as to why the I-40 drive was bad, was it just boring? The reason I ask is because I may make a trip to Memphis next year, perhaps using 65 and 40 from Indianapolis on the way down and the I-69 route (51, Purchase, WK, Pennyrille, 41, 164 and 69) on the way back. Going through the Nashville area, I would have taken the Briley.

Painfully boring, heavily traveled (and I was driving mid-day on New Year's Day, which you would think wouldn't be all that crowded) and the pavement was rougher than a cob.

[triplemultiplex]

A completed 840 would take a N-S traveler so far out of their way that they would lose any benefit to avoiding traffic just punching through Nashville.  You'd spend more time going around than thru.

[NE2]

I think the main benefit of a full loop would be the 120 degree movements. Currently I-440 and SR 155 handle these.

[wriddle082]

I'm curious as to why the I-40 drive was bad, was it just boring? The reason I ask is because I may make a trip to Memphis next year, perhaps using 65 and 40 from Indianapolis on the way down and the I-69 route (51, Purchase, WK, Pennyrille, 41, 164 and 69) on the way back. Going through the Nashville area, I would have taken the Briley.

Painfully boring, heavily traveled (and I was driving mid-day on New Year's Day, which you would think wouldn't be all that crowded) and the pavement was rougher than a cob.

I'm fairly certain that TDOT has resurfaced most of those rough stretches, many of them closer to Nashville in the area where I used to live.  But yeah, traffic is pretty heavy, especially truck traffic heading to/from Memphis, "America's Distribution Center".  Plus, I-40 b/w Memphis and Nashville was the first major interstate link completed in TN (in the early-mid 60s), so it has some minor engineering flaws.  Mainly steep inclines and a lack of third truck climbing lanes through western Middle Tennessee.

I think the main benefit of a full loop would be the 120 degree movements. Currently I-440 and SR 155 handle these.

Exactly!  And for this reason, from now on I will now utilize TN 840 to visit my relatives in TN.  They mostly live in Dickson Co.  So from South Carolina, my route is 20 west to Atlanta, 75 north to Chattanooga, 24 west to Murfreesboro, and TN 840 west to Exit 7 (TN 100) and 6 miles of back roads to my dad's house.  As long as I time it to miss rush hour in Atlanta and Chattanooga, it's a great drive, with generally higher speed limits than going through Asheville and Knoxville along 26 and 40, and I miss downtown Nashville as well.

[Sykotyk]

If you're heading southeast from say Louisville or northeast to Memphis or southwest, I ALWAYS take the Western KY to I-24 to Purchase, to US51, to I-155 to I-55. Only slow up at all is Union City and the little town just south of there, but they are currently building a bypass that will take care of it (and you have to get off at the one exit when entering TN).

I-840 in the NW and N sections would've greatly improved travel flow through TN. I don't think I-65N to I-40W is that major of a route needing built. Especially once the new I-22 is built from Birmingham to Memphis, I don't see anyone ever taking the 'long way' again.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

During my 5 years of driving between Ohio and Louisiana, I didn't have problems driving through Nashville (Memphis, Cincy, and Louisiville would be my trouble spots).
Contrary to several others, the two or three times I followed US 51 and the Kentucky "Parkways," it seemed to take me longer to travel that direction than it would if I stayed on I-65/I-40.

[Tom958]

Briley Parkway is pretty excellent between I-65 and I-40: eight lanes, recently widened. It's an interesting semi-expressway south of there to I-24. The problem with that route is rush hour congestion on I-24 to/from Murfreesboro. And, I gather, on I-65 north of town, too.

Speaking of control cities:

This sign is on I-24 headed westbound toward Nashville, taken just before the newest segment of TN 840 was opened (01/01/2005 means I hadn't reset the date stamp on my camera). Apparently "Memphis" was originally on the sign, then was taken down lest motorists think that 840 would actually take them toward Memphis... but they didn't remove the dot on the "i" in Memphis.  There were two or three signs like this. Presumably Memphis has been added back by now.
 

[RoadWarrior56]

When I drove through that interchange in late November, a couple of weeks after 840 opened, Memphis was not on the sign at that time.

[Alps]

TN 840 looks like it's all open on the southern half, per Google Maps - is that correct? Is there any trace whatsoever of construction on the north side of I-40? Cleared land, rerouted road, ghost overpass?

[NE2]

It's been open for a year: http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/state-route-840-opening-ends-arduous-laborious-and-costly-project

[hbelkins]

TN 840 looks like it's all open on the southern half, per Google Maps - is that correct? Is there any trace whatsoever of construction on the north side of I-40? Cleared land, rerouted road, ghost overpass?

I'm not sure how far north of I-40 on the western end has been cleared. I drove the new section fall before last, about a week after it opened. There were already lots of cops patrolling the highway as well as a large number of dead deer.

[Henry]

TN 840 looks like it's all open on the southern half, per Google Maps - is that correct? Is there any trace whatsoever of construction on the north side of I-40? Cleared land, rerouted road, ghost overpass?

I'm not sure how far north of I-40 on the western end has been cleared. I drove the new section fall before last, about a week after it opened. There were already lots of cops patrolling the highway as well as a large number of dead deer.

At least for the time being, TN 840 north of Nashville has been put on the backburner, if not entirely cancelled.

[Alps]

TN 840 looks like it's all open on the southern half, per Google Maps - is that correct? Is there any trace whatsoever of construction on the north side of I-40? Cleared land, rerouted road, ghost overpass?

I'm not sure how far north of I-40 on the western end has been cleared. I drove the new section fall before last, about a week after it opened. There were already lots of cops patrolling the highway as well as a large number of dead deer.

http://goo.gl/maps/FV3LL shows that it's not very far at all. I know the northern half was cancelled, but was just wondering if there was a stray contract somewhere already done in anticipation.

[jpi]

I am 99% sure the northern arc of 840 is dead in the water, especailly since the focus is on widening TN 109 and TN 141 near me. These projects will be a focal point of my proposed road meet next year.