MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Murfreesboro City Council took a significant step towards enhancing traffic flow and increasing capacity at a crucial intersection on January 16, 2025. The council voted to authorize a construction contract agreement valued at $4,865,978.05 with Hawkins & Price, LLC, the lowest bidder for the project concerning the Burnt Knob/Manson Pike/Blackman Road intersection. The contract is currently pending legal review.

This development comes as a new County elementary school is being constructed on Baker Road, adjacent to the intersection. A traffic impact study prepared for the Rutherford County School Board highlighted potential “unacceptable delays” at the intersection due to the upcoming construction of two additional Rutherford County schools planned in the vicinity. The anticipated opening of the new westside campus, which will include an elementary and future middle school, is set for August 2025.

“With the ongoing growth and increasing traffic volumes on the west side of I-24, as well as the addition of the new County elementary school near the intersection, these improvements are essential. They aim to increase capacity and facilitate smoother traffic flows to alleviate congestion,” stated Public Infrastructure Executive Director Chris Griffith. Proposed enhancements include the addition of left turn, right turn, and through lanes, alongside a traffic signal and pedestrian features.

This project stems from an earlier professional services contract approved by the city on April 11, 2024, which allocated $413,500 to Kimley Horn, Inc. for the design of the necessary improvements. These designs encompass widening the intersection and include provisions for unforeseen requirements to ensure timely project completion.

The roadway improvements are part of the City’s 2040 Major Transportation Plan, with funding sourced from the FY21 and FY25 Capital Improvement Project (CIP) funds.