WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A long-term closure is about to begin on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Williamson County.
Starting Wednesday, April 15, the Double Arch Bridge will be fully closed to all traffic, including vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, through spring 2027.
The closure will stretch from Milepost 440 at Big Tree Overlook to Milepost 437 at Highway 96. A 7.5-mile detour will be in place during the project.
Officials said the work will include bridge improvements and the addition of a permanent pedestrian safety barrier.
The closure is expected to affect daily commuters, recreational visitors and cyclists who use that stretch of the parkway.
Drivers are urged to plan ahead, expect delays and use caution in detour areas.
Click here for a list of recommended detour routes and ways to navigate around the closure.
The planned improvements follow years of safety discussions and prior work at the bridge.
As previously reported by NewsChannel 5, the National Park Service first moved to install barriers at the site after concerns about suicides at the bridge, which stands about 155 feet above the valley below. More than 40 suicides have happened at the bridge, the first in 2000.
A temporary chain-link fence topped with barbed wire was installed in 2022 as an interim measure to deter people from jumping, with officials saying the goal was to “deter further loss of life through suicide.”
The current project will replace those temporary measures with a permanent pedestrian safety barrier, along with additional bridge improvements, marking the next phase of long-term safety upgrades at the well-known parkway landmark.
As we honor those who have served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice, it is also heartening to see the military right a wrong. Chris Davis brings us the moving story of a Purple Heart ceremony two decades in the making. It's worth a watch.
A heartfelt thanks to all who bravely serve.
- Carrie Sharp
