Travel easier to Nashville, new mall

Bedford County residents who use Interstate 24 frequently may notice lighter traffic with the addition of a new exit and completion of a widening project which was opened to the public Monday.

The new exit (Exit 80) is located on New Salem Highway (State Route 99) and motorists will now be able to use four travel lanes in each direction on I-24 from State Route 96 to U.S. 231 North.

State Rep. Curt Cobb of Shelbyville, who must travel to and from Nashville frequently when the General Assembly is in session, said the traffic on this part of the interstate is especially bad.

"This is going to help out quite a bit for people commuting to Nashville from Murfreesboro and with the new mall [The Avenues] here, we're going to be able to get around easier."

Many Bedford County industries and trucking companies use that stretch of highway to move their material, and the relief of traffic congestion should make things easier for truckers. The improved access may attract even more firms to the area, Cobb said.

Cobb thinks the widening will make things safer as well. Cobb was joined by State Sen. Jim Tracy, State Rep. John Hood, State Sen. Bill Ketron and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner Gerald Nicely for the official opening ceremony on Monday.

"Murfreesboro is one of Tennessee's fastest growing cities," said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. "This project will ease some of the congestion in this area during the peak travel times and the new exit at Highway 99 will be an added convenience for thousands of motorists."

TDOT traffic counts estimate nearly 87,000 vehicles use this stretch of Interstate 24 each day.

David Denton of Rogers Group, the contractors on the project, said that the task was finished five months ahead of schedule. Work began in April of last year and Denton called it a very safe project, with no injuries occurring during construction.

Denton said that the new exit would take some of the traffic off Highways 231 and 96 as well.

"It's a huge advantage because it will pull some of that traffic off of there [Highway 231]. I think it will help everyone in the neighborhood, from Shelbyville all the way to Tullahoma."

More than 180,000 tons of asphalt, 18,734 cubic yards of concrete and 616 tons of steel were utilized in the construction of the project.

Some minor detail work on the project will be completed over the next several weeks, which will be conducted during off-peak travel hours, and should have minimal impacts on traffic flow.