Improving Davidson County’s Worst Intersections: Changes in Antioch
(This article is Part 2 of a 3 part series of articles on the 15 most dangerous intersections undergoing major improvements in Davidson County. Click here to read Part 1.)
Two busy Antioch intersections and another three in South Nashville are among the most dangerous intersections the city has targeted for major safety improvements.
The five intersections are:
- Bell Road and Mt. View Road (37013)
- Hobson Pike and Pin Hook Road (37013)
- Cedarmont Drive and Old Hickory Boulevard (37211)
- Brookridge Trail and Wallace Road (37211)
- Granny White and Battery Lane (37204)
In all, the city has identified 15 intersections for major improvements. All have had disproportionately high numbers of accidents. Because the infrastructure program involves roads where the city has jurisdiction it does not include work on the interstates or on/off ramps, though we all know they’ve got plenty of danger zones, too.
We looked at five intersections in Madison and East Nashville in the first post. The third article in this series on the city’s plan will focus on Green Hills, West Nashville and parts of North Nashville.
What is planned for dangerous Antioch intersections?
Most of the projects are in the data collection or design phase, according the most recent update from Metro Public Works. Depending on the site, improvements could include improved safety measures such as road realignment, extended turn lanes, traffic signal upgrades, new sidewalks and pedestrian curb ramps, bike lanes and crosswalks.
Each project is expected to cost between $500,000 and $1 million.
Population growth south of the city center is compounding traffic congestion at key chokepoints used by commuters, MTA buses, pedestrians as well as bicyclists.
In Antioch, little space for left-turning vehicles at the intersection of Bell Road and Mt. View Road makes a trouble spot even more dangerous. The site has seen accidents involving nearly everything that moves – a police cruiser, a school bus, passenger vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles and pedestrians.
The city plans to greatly improve walking conditions here, saying the existing situation “does not provide adequate comfort and safety for the many pedestrians traversing it.”
The project will:
- Remove concrete median on Mt. View Road
- Add a second left turn lane
- Add new concrete pedestrian/bicyclist island in the intersection’s southwest corner
- Install new pedestrian signals with protected crossings
- Extend the sidewalks and improve curb ramps
Hobson Pike at Pin Hook Road is a busy intersection in the middle of a residential neighborhood near two schools, Antioch High School and John F. Kennedy Middle School.
Hobson Pike is is a designated bike route, and it also is priority area for a walking. With more than 10,000 vehicles using it each day, Hobson Pike, especially during school opening and closing hours, has not been safe for bicyclists or pedestrians.
In a plan to improve condition for all modes of transportation, the city wants to:
- Revise signal timing to improve efficiency
- Improve current facilities for safer bike use
- Install turn lanes
- Repave and restripe entire intersection
Nashville officials are coordinating with WalknBike Nashville [http://www.nashville.gov/Public-Works/WalknBike.aspx] as well as the Metro Bike and Sidewalk Strategic Plan on this project.
Plans for Wallace Road Hotspot plus Battery Lane at Granny White
The design phase for the stretch of Wallace Road where Brookridge Trail and Recovery Road converge is further along than plans for Battery Lane at Granny White Pike, which is probably a good thing.
The area is notorious. It routinely lands in the top 13 intersections in all of Davidson County for the number of vehicle accidents with injuries. In fact, five crashes with injuries were reported to Metro Police during the 12-week period ending Oct. 15, 2016, according to the city’s CompStat Report. Four accidents with injuries were reported over a 12-week period that ended in early September.
The city has acknowledged the danger for motorists as well as pedestrians. Plans for this multiple-road trouble spot on Wallace Road call for an all-way stop to improve traffic flow and improve safety for all users.
Other improvements include:
- Add stop signs and pavement markings
- Update sidewalks and add pedestrian crossings
- Improve bike and bus facilities
- Install curb ramps with detectable warnings
- Resurface the area where Wallace Road, Brookridge Trail and Recovery Road converge
Closer to Lipscomb University, the intersection of Battery Lane and Granny White Pike is one of the city’s busiest and most congested, serving 22,000 vehicles on an average day as well as pedestrians.
Multiple wrecks in the past three years resulted in property damage and injuries. The high volume exacerbates conditions for pedestrians.
Improvements will:
- Replace signals and coordinate signal timing for the entire corridor
- Add sidewalks and pedestrian signals
- Install new curb ramps, crosswalks and additional turn lanes
- Repave and restripe entire intersection
- Add a new concrete island in southwest corner
Improvements to Cedarmont Dr and Old Hickory Blvd Complete
One of the projects wrapped up in July. The intersection of Cedarmont Drive and Old Hickory Boulevard got new traffic signals, new crosswalks and ramps, new pedestrian signals and improved signal timing for safety and efficiency.
The project also added a bike lane connection from Cedarmont to Eulala Drive.
It is great that one project is done but I urge the city to pick up the pace on the other intersections it has identified. Drivers, their passengers, bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians across Nashville struggle each day with increased traffic congestion, unsafe conditions and well known trouble spots.
The city’s infrastructure needs serious attention, and the 15-intersection program is a good start.
And you need legal attention after an accident at these trouble spots or any others in Nashville or Brentwood. Even if you or your loved one think the crash is minor, reaching out right away is far better than getting surprised later on.
My team and I will be your fiercest advocates. It’s what we do, and our clients say were darned good at it.
“Fighting for your rights” Contact David Weissman and the law firm of Raybin & Weissman for a confidential consultation of your case today at 615-237-8934.
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