Traffic on Old Hickory Boulevard and Interstate 65 can be a nightmare during rush hour, and a Metro Council member has been wanting to do something about it.
Metro Councilman Robert Swope said some traffic lights have been in part to blame/
"Out of 36 intersections in the Brentwood region, about half of them are in Davidson and half of them are in Williamson County," said Councilman Swope.
That's why he has been proposing synchronizing all of them and giving the power to control them to Brentwood.
He said this could reduce traffic by up to 20 percent. Swope said he has talked to Mayor Megan Barry and the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
"Now it's simply a matter of creating a memorandum of understanding between the two counties that would permit Brentwood to control those lights and synch them all from one place," said Swope.
He has also proposed the construction of two flyover bridges like the 440 over 65 in the Berry Hill area.
"If you look at that entire intersection the two lights that cause the biggest problem in all four directions - north, south, east and west - are the two turn lanes to 65 North and 65 South. If you were to reduce those two lights you're probably going reduce traffic by about 50 to 60 percent," said Swope.
Officials with the Tennessee Department of Transportation said they were aware of Councilman Swope's proposal, but they said it's not feasible. For their part, city engineers know this has been a problem area and are still looking for a solution.
That's the same thing Councilman Swope has been wanting. He said even if his ideas were not approved, at least more people are now looking into it.
"Everyone involved is working towards a solution that makes sense, doesn't take up more land, and solves the problem in an equal and efficient manner," said Swope.
