Williamson County, TN - Law enforcement agencies were compelled to close a section of Interstate 840 in Williamson County on Tuesday morning following an incident where a piece of railroad equipment caused significant damage to an overpass. The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) reported that a mini excavator, engaged in work beneath I-840 just west of Columbia Pike, collided with the underside of the overpass. The situation caused problems for Eastbound traffic, which includes the lanes headed towards Murfreesboro.

The incident unfolded around 11:30 AM on Tuesday, leading to extensive traffic congestion spanning several miles along the affected route. This collision resulted in what the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is reportedly calling severe damage to multiple concrete support beams. Both the THP and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash.

TDOT has indicated the eastbound lanes of I-840 will remain inaccessible until further notice. Again, the eastbound lanes are the lanes headed towards Murfreesboro. In the meantime, engineers from the state are slated to assess the extent of the damage to the overpass infrastructure and determine whether it is safe for vehicular traffic. In the interim, a designated diversion route has been established at Exit 23 for State Route 246 and Carters Creek Pike.

As of 7 PM on Tuesday afternoon, I-840 Eastbound in Williamson County remained closed.