HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A stretch of Old Shackle Island Road in Hendersonville will close for railroad work, adding another disruption to an area already under construction.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation says Old Shackle Island Road will close near the railroad tracks between Volunteer Drive and Hunters Trail. The closure is expected to begin the week of Nov. 30 and last about one week, weather permitting. Drivers will be detoured to New Shackle Island Road.
TDOT says it chose the week after Thanksgiving to limit holiday travel impacts and plans to expedite the work to minimize disruptions to nearby businesses.
The news came as a surprise to Jennifer, the owner of Southern J's Boutique, which opened just six weeks ago.
"I did not know that until you walked in and told me there's gonna be a closure, which will be no traffic and I'm brand new. So that sort of just made my heart skip a beat," she said.
Jennifer said she wishes the timing could be different.
"I wish they could maybe wait till after the Christmas rush, you know wait until January to close the road down," she said.
The railroad closure is part of a larger project that includes widening both Old Shackle Island Road and West Main Street, drainage improvements, sidewalks and new traffic signals at West Main Street. TDOT estimates the full project will be finished in May 2027.
Despite the disruption, Jennifer said the long-term improvements are needed.
"The intersection they're trying to correct has been crazy all the time I've been. I don't live in Hendersonville, but I go and eat in Hendersonville, and it sort needed to be fixed, and I think it's going to be so much better," she said.
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