A new bridge, named after former mayor Tommy Bragg, is aimed at making commutes easier for thousands of Murfreesboro residents.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — A new bridge, named after former mayor Tommy Bragg, is aimed at making commutes easier for thousands of Murfreesboro residents.
On Tuesday morning, city leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Tommy Bragg Drive, which connects Cason Lane and River Rock Boulevard to Warrior Drive and Beasie Road. It also provides access to State Route 99. The bridge also includes five- and 10-foot multi-use sidewalks on either side.
Bragg helped dedicated space and spoke with News 2 about the city’s transformation.
“Really, from the ’20s and ’30s and ’40s in Tennessee and in Murfreesboro, people had to leave the state to go get a job somewhere to support their families,” Bragg said. “Now, we’re seeing people come back to Tennessee.”
The bridge will give residents an easier connection to State Route 99 and Interstate 24 as part of the city’s 2040 Major Transportation Plan.
“It’s actually to take local residents off of the interstate and off of state routes that are highly congested,” Transportation Director for the City of Murfreesboro, Jim Kerr, said.
The transportation department told News 2 that as of publication, Cason Lane sees 10,000 cars a day and Old Fort Parkway sees another 50,000.
“We’re eliminating friction — traffic friction,” Kerr said. “It can save quite a bit of time based on the volumes we’re seeing on Old Fort Parkway and we are in the process of working with TDOT trying to get that section of roadway widened. Hopefully, we’ll know something in the near future of how that project stands.”
The $8.65 million was funded over the course of multiple fiscal years and will complement the Rutherford Boulevard expansion project. As part of the 2040 Major Transportation Plan, that project will also aim to give easier access to the interstate.