NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's been six weeks since the Broadway Bridge shut down to traffic, but drivers will soon be able to use it again.
Crews had been working on it since September 2022, but this summer the 75-year-old bridge had to be demolished before they could build a new bridge in its place.
The iconic bridge is flanked by the historic Union Station Hotel, the Grand Hyatt Hotel and the Frist Art Museum and is considered a major gateway into downtown from the west. It impacts businesses, residents and visitors. Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Butch Eley says the bridge, originally built in 1948, had reached the end of its shelf life.
"This was the original Highway 1 that went all the way from Memphis to Bristol,” he said.
On Friday, Commissioner Eley and TDOT project manager Jonathan Vogel gave a tour of the progress. They said their accelerated timeline is right on track.
“If this would’ve gone your routine bid-build project, this would have taken three to five years of construction,” Vogel said. “We’re looking at right about a year.”
Six weeks into the closure, Nashvillians can see all the 40,000-pound beams, deck panels, concrete and utilities are in place.
“The important thing was we did this fast,” Commissioner Eley said.
The alternative delivery method TDOT used allowed the design and build to happen simultaneously.
When the bridge re-opens, you'll notice a gradual curve as you drive over the bridge, allowing one foot of additional clearance for the railroad tracks below. Kiewit says that was to accommodate double-stack CSX trains to pass through the rail yard.
Other additions include 12-foot sidewalks, flower beds and new pedestrian lighting. But the railing will be a nod to the past, tying in with the original railing at Union Station Hotel.
“We actually widened the sidewalks on both sides we wanted to account for the pedestrians that come down here. We reduced some of the center turn lane to account for those other areas just because we are restricted on the width of this project,” Vogel said.
The bridge cannot be physically widened due to the buildings located on each side of it.
Some advocates have called for two of the six lanes be dedicated to transit, such as bus-only lanes, to encourage alternative commuting as the city grows. TDOT says that could be a simple paint change in the future, but the plan, for now, is to open all six lanes to cars.
“We have thousands of cars coming over this roadway, and if we limited the access then we would create traffic jams on both sides,” Eley said. “I think once we see that final product, everyone will appreciate what’s been done to accommodate all those users.”
TDOT did say it would work with Metro Nashville on any future city-wide transit plan that would impact the state-owned road.
On Sept. 8, two lanes will re-open in each direction with one sidewalk available.
Work will continue for another month and a half, but all construction should finally clear out at the end of October.
