NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & SportsSR 840 In Williamson County One Step Closer to Completion

SR 840 In Williamson County One Step Closer to Completion

By Chris Cannon

THOMPSON'S STATION, Tenn. - The final phase of construction for State Route 840 in Williamson County is scheduled to begin. The project was delayed nearly seven years due to environmental and historical concerns.

"This is a real milestone for the department of Transportation," said Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen.

The latest section of highway work to start is just west of Bending Chestnut Road, west of Leipers Creek Road.

"The completion of State Route 840 will improve access to communities in the mid-state, provide increased economic growth potential, and give motorists a convenient alternate route around Nashville," said Bredesen.

Work is already underway on two other legs of the roadway in Williamson County. Work from SR 100 to SR 46 began in July of 2007. The other project is from Leipers Creek Road to SR 6. That work started in the spring of 2009.

Work on the final stretch of SR 840 came to a stop in 2003. Since then, TDOT has worked with a local Citizens Resource Team to overcome the environmental and cultural issues they had with the project.

Fragile waterways in the area and Native American burial grounds were a concern.

The practices agreed upon by both sides several years ago have been in place for each of the three last phases of the project.

"We've got a number of environmental measures in place that will protect those waters. We're also testing them and outside agencies are testing them," said B.J. Doughty, spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

The section of SR 840 in Leipers Fork is scheduled to open in October of 2010. The last two phases of the highway will be open in the Fall of 2010. That will complete the stretch of roadway between Interstate 40 in the Dickson area to Interstate 40 in the Lebanon area.

Planning for State Route 840 first began in 1986. TDOT expects construction on SR 840 to be completely done by the fall of 2012.

E-mail: ccannon@newschannel5.com