NewsChannel 5.com - Nashville, Tennessee - Citizens Sound Off About Proposed Toll Road

Citizens Sound Off About Proposed Toll Road

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. - The state is proposing a new toll road near the Sumner/Davidson county line.

There was a public meeting Tuesday for people to learn more about the proposed Hadley bend connector linking Old Hickory Boulevard in northeast Davidson County to Vietnam Veterans Boulevard in Sumner County.

The proposed toll road will not be constructed without public input, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

"They're saying $1.50. Yes, so let's say if you use it twice a day, that's $3 a day," said Edna Hancock, who attended the meeting Tuesday.

For about the cost of a cup of coffee, commuters could buy a fast-track ticker out of Sumner County where state Sen. Diane Black lives.

"Finding a way out of the county is something that we want to do," said the Gallatin Republican. "This project has been on the planning thought, at least, for about 28 years. So, is not a new concept."

The connector would offer 3.5 miles of newly constructed roadway.

Opponents are nervous about the talk of a toll - a feature Black said would make the shortcut self-sustaining.

Homeowners against the plan said that they'll pay for a road they might not use.

"It's going to hurt property values, too. If you have a high bridge going over your property, you know, the noise, the pollution, extra traffic, it's just not going to benefit any of us," Hancock said.

Black is a chief supporter of the proposed new corridor. The toll part, she said, could sweeten the deal and help a cash-strapped TDOT pay for the project.

State Rep Mike Turner, whose district includes the northeast corner of Davidson County, said the proposed toll road "isn't going to happen."

The Tennessee Department of Transportation will hold another idea-sharing session Thursday night at Hendersonville High School.