NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Chandeliers and jazz music are not your typical sightings at the Arthur Avenue underpass.
But community organizer Simone Boyd said the added glamour is a sign of what's to come.
"We have residents who have been in our community for thirty, forty, fifty years,and this bridge is getting ready to be repaired. And we're celebrating the people that have remained in this community as we move forward," she said.
Boyd and Anna Dearman have dedicated years to improving the underpass in the heart of the North Nashville community.
"If you walk this corridor you can see some of the steel is corroded. And so the deck of the bridge, the concrete around the bridge, will be repaired and then there will be an artistic lighting project to really celebrate and make this a space where people want to be," Dearman said.
For many year, the underpass has been a reminder of the harms left behind by the construction of interstates 40 and 65 that split up Nashville's Black neighborhoods.
"This is an attempt to repair that history as well and bring some healing to this community," Dearman said.
The two have been advocating for repairs since 2018 and teamed up with NDOT, TDOT, and Metro Arts to get it done.
"The story of this project also mirrors the story of this neighborhood. Having hardships but always overcoming them. Finding a way to anchor, and still make home, and still create love and care even when conditions aren't desirable," Boyd said.
After surveying the community the most desired change became crystal clear.
"Lighting was met with the most response. So that's why we're focusing on lighting, because this place is very unwelcoming and hundreds of people pass through it everyday," Boyd said.
Repairs are expected to start in September.
