Final section of 840 opens

Officials celebrated the completion of State Route 840 in Williamson County on Friday.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead.

Initial plans for the four-lane highway off Interstate 40 were included in the 1986 Better Roads Program.

Construction began on the first segment from Stewarts Ferry Pike to I-40 in Wilson County in 1991. Construction on the final 14 miles from State Route 46 to U.S. 31 in Williamson County began in early 2009.

“It’ll become a big part of Lebanon’s future, just being able to have that half-circle completed…It was a needed connector,” said Craighead. “The connection from Lebanon to [Interstate] 65 – which has been completed for a while – I think it helped encourage the development of the businesses along the 840 corridor.”

“These 78 new miles of interstate-quality highway will be a magnet for jobs, providing new industrial sites as well as relieving congestion,” said U.S. Sen. Gov. Lamar Alexander. “Tennesseans built SR 840 with no federal dollars, no tolls and no debt — and our gas tax still is 6 cents below the national average. Gov. [Bill] Haslam and the many state and local leaders who have maintained this long-term, pay-as-you-go thinking deserve congratulations."

“The final sections of SR 840 faced numerous challenges which brought about monumental changes within TDOT,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “We were able to meet our goal of opening this highway before the end of the year and deliver a project that has the support of this community.”

A number of environmental protection measures were implemented on the last section of State Route 840, including a taller controlled access fence to discourage wildlife from entering the roadway. Landscaping was installed at the Carter’s Creek Pike interchange, and native trees were planted at each stream crossing. Access roads were also constructed under two bridges for a future county park development.

TDOT recently added overhead Dynamic Message signs to Interstate 40 in Dickson and Wilson counties to provide motorists with real time traffic information. TDOT estimated the opening of State Route 840 will save travelers valuable time by avoiding the congestion in downtown Nashville. Commercial vehicle traffic in the downtown area is also expected to decrease with Friday’s opening.

The final section of State Route 840 in Williamson County officially opened to traffic Friday at 6 p.m.

Staff Writer Sara McManamy-Johnson can be reached at 615-444-3952, ext. 16 or sjohnson@lebanondemocrat.com.