By Adam Ghassemi
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Clark Jones moved his family to Larkspur Drive 17
years ago. They're so close to the interstate, the old saying is actually true.
"Yeah, I could. I could actually throw a rock from here to the
interstate, and I'm an old guy," Jones said from his home Thursday.
A few weeks ago, crews suddenly cut down the natural barrier of trees and
bushes between his home and I-65. That's when Jones realized his front-row seat
to traffic is about to get much closer.
"I could probably give a couple of the tractor trailer drivers
high-fives if they throw their arm out the window," Jones joked.
He is just one of many homeowners up and down the edge of I-65 who are
watching as crews expand the interstate from six to ten lanes between Trinity
Lane and Dickerson Pike. This is the third phase of the project.
TDOT officials say the phase will eventually mirror what the interstate
looks like further north, near River Gate mall.
"Traffic is just going to get worse, so we're going to try to alleviate
the problems now," spokesperson Beth Emmons said. "It's going to be
five on each side. So that's going to alleviate a lot of the congestion that
you see there during rush hour."
Traffic planners expect the corridor to reach 107,820 cars per day in just
two years. By 2035, it could be 179,470 cars per day.
The project will also include sound barriers, meaning people like Jones
won't have to feel like they live on the interstate, while it's growing right
next to them.
"That's going to probably reduce the amount of sound even lower than it
was before," he said.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2015. It comes with a
$48-million price tag.
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