Murfreesboro, TN - If you’ve driven along Medical Center Parkway lately, you might have noticed some changes—or at least signs that change is coming. Murfreesboro’s bustling corridor is getting a major upgrade, and yes, that means some of the landscaped trees between The Fountains at Gateway and Thompson Lane are coming down. But don’t worry—they’ll be back.

The City Council gave the official go-ahead on August 21 for Phase II of the widening project, which aims to ease congestion and improve traffic flow in one of the city’s most developed commercial areas. This phase will add new turn lanes and expand the roadway to six lanes, starting at Thompson Lane and stretching to The Fountains. It’s all part of a larger plan to make driving through this corridor smoother and safer.

Chris Griffith, Murfreesboro’s Public Infrastructure Executive Director, acknowledged that removing the trees isn’t ideal, but it’s necessary. “Landscaping has been an important aspect of the overall aesthetic of Medical Center Parkway,” he said. “As Phase II widens Medical Center Parkway to increase traffic flow, removing the landscaped trees is a necessary part of this project. However, we want residents and motorists to know that appropriate landscaping will be planted as part of the overall widening project.”

The construction is being handled by a joint team of local firms—Rollins Excavating, Hawkins Asphalt, S&W Contracting, and Pope Striping—who are using the same annual contracts that were in place for Phase I. That earlier phase extended the road from the I-24 interchange to Thompson Lane. Now, Phase II picks up from there, and Phase III will eventually carry the improvements all the way to NW Broad Street.

With a price tag of $6.4 million, funded through the city’s FY21 and FY22 Capital Improvement Plan budgets, Phase II officially kicked off in September and is expected to wrap up by early 2027. Along with the new lanes, drivers can expect updated traffic signals and a redesigned median that will include fresh landscaping once the dust settles.

The city has also brought in Energy Land and Infrastructure, LLC to handle the design work, ensuring the project stays on track and meets the needs of a growing Murfreesboro. So while the road may look a little bare for now, it’s all part of a bigger picture—one that promises smoother commutes and a greener finish in the years ahead.

Scroll down to see a photo of the previously released rendering of the future Fountains at Gateway rendering