NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — If you've been to downtown Nashville, you've likely traveled over the Broadway Bridge.
It spans 700 feet, going over 11th Avenue and the railyard in the Gulch, next to the historic Union Station Hotel and the new Nashville Yards development. The bridge has seen everything from horses and buggies to streetcars to modern-day commuters.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation says it's time for the bridge to be replaced.
"The bridge has lived a good, long life," said TDOT Project Manager Clayton Markham while giving NewsChannel 5 an exclusive tour of the site. "It's time for it to be replaced. Especially with all the development in Nashville."
But the design for Nashville's signature street has sparked controversy.
The Broadway Bridge is known as the gateway to downtown. It connects a larger portion of Broadway, from the interstate to the riverfront, getting people to the honky tonks, museums and local attractions that bring them from all over the world.
It's important, both functionally and symbolically, to Nashville residents.
"You want your gateway to be something that you're proud of," said Meshach Adams with Walk Bike Nashville. "I think it's good that people are passionate."
The plans for the state-owned bridge have changed several times due to requests from the Nashville Department of Transportation and comments from the public.
An initial plan released in the fall kept three travel lanes in each direction with a center turn lane throughout.
Then, last week TDOT debuted plans that kept the travel lanes intact but nixed the turn lane for a smaller, painted median instead.
That allowed the sidewalks to widen to 12 feet on each side, with planter boxes as separation. Wide enough that many consider them more of a multi-use path that cyclists could also use.
"Also we've added pedestrian lighting in the actual bridge rail itself," said TDOT Chief Engineer and Deputy Commissioner Will Reid.
But advocates want more of a focus on alternative transportation, with lanes dedicated to transit such as WeGo buses or even future rail.
"A dedicated bus lane — that would be a dream," said Adams with Walk Bike Nashville.
"This could be a catalyst to chip away at the transportation issues our city faces," agreed Civic Design Center Design Director Eric Hoke.
TDOT says that could happen, although likely sometime down the road.
"Absolutely. That’s another reason why we decided to only increase the sidewalk width two feet, because the more usable space we have on the deck in the future, it provides more room for transit," said Reid. "I think we've threaded the needle here, and given ourselves the opportunity to where, if we have to re-stripe if uses change, we can do that."
In an email, NDOT spokesperson Cortnye Stone said, "Transit lanes are definitely something we will be working with WeGo and TDOT to consider in the future... we believe the increasing density in that area can support a robust transit connection."
But some remain skeptical, including Hoke. His nonprofit designed an alternative plan that's gained traction with transit advocates online.
"Giving that extra lane to cars now makes it a lot harder to go backwards in the future," he said.
He listed other ideas, like a raised crosswalk in the middle of the bridge to slow traffic and connect future stairs from the Nashville Yards development directly to historic Union Station.
When asked about the idea, TDOT's project manager says a mid-bridge crosswalk could be a possibility, but it would need to be vetted. Factors such as other nearby crosswalks at 10th and 12th Avenues and possible safety concerns would be considered.
According to TDOT's average daily traffic counts, traffic volume is relatively low on the bridge: around 23,000 cars per day.
That's similar to nearby intersection Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard at 11th Avenue in front of Capitol View. There, only two inbound lanes take drivers into downtown.
But TDOT says traffic volume isn't the only factor. The type of vehicles matter, too.
"It's a mix of tourists, delivery trucks for Lower Broad...not to mention standard vehicular traffic and then pedestrians," Reid said. "So you really have it all on Broadway."
The bridge is restricted to its current 98 feet in width, given the locations of buildings like the Union Station Hotel.
Overall, Adams with Walk Bike Nashville says he's optimistic.
"We're gonna come out here in five to six years and there's going to be a dedicated bus lane and we're going to be celebrating it. Because it was all the work that the community said, and the public discourse that made that happen," he said.
While the final details of the design above the bridge were being debated, crews began substructure work below it in mid-November. Teams are moving utilities and drilling into bedrock to prep for the new foundation.
The project has an accelerated timeline in order to limit the impact on residents and local businesses.
"One of the things that our customers tell us is they want us to get in and get out," Reid said. "So it takes a lot of planning, a lot of engineering."
An 8-week shutdown will happen after July Fourth festivities downtown. The entire project is expected to be completed in October.
"They’ll demo the existing structure around those (old supports) and then be able to set the new structure in place pretty quickly," Markham said at the work site.
Hoping by the time the bridge goes up in the fall, the controversy over the design is nothing but water underneath it.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to Mayor John Cooper's office for thoughts on the design, but was told staff had no comment.
Metro Council Member Freddie O'Connell, who represents downtown and has announced his intention to run for mayor this year, provided this statement:
"The Broadway viaduct represents a generational opportunity to build a bridge to the future and the many ways people hope to move around this city rather than an unfortunate legacy of its past, where the only way we can imagine people traversing a corridor that used to be home to car dealerships is simply more cars."
