Tennessee State Route 840

Infobox road
state=TN
type=TN
route=840
maint=TDOT

---

length_mi=78
length_round=1
established=1991
direction_a=west
starting_terminus=
beltway_city=Nashville, Tennessee
junction=
direction_b=east
ending_terminus=
previous_type=US
previous_route=641
next_type=Dual
next_route=1

State Route 840 is a state highway, a limited-access expressway being built around Nashville, Tennessee, and directed by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. First proposed by former Governor Lamar Alexander as part of a system of "Bicentennial Parkways", construction began on this expressway in 1991 - on the first segment extending south from Interstate 40 at Lebanon. The roadway currently serves the cities of Lebanon, Murfreesboro, and Franklin. The nearly-completed southern loop will be approximately convert|78|mi|km|1|abbr=on|lk=on long. Construction remains to be done between U.S. Route 31 near Franklin and Interstate 40 near Dickson. The Department of Transportation expects that the final convert|20.9|mi|km|1|abbr=on|1k=on segment will be completed and opened to traffic sometime in 2011.cite web |url=http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/sr840s/default.htm |title=State Route 840 South |work=Tennessee Department of Transportation |accessdate=2008-06-28]

Plans to construct a northern loop of Tenn-840 north past Dickson and past the cities of Clarksville, Springfield and Gallatin were put on hold since the Tennessee General Assembly recommended the Department of Transportation that it discontinue further studies and planning amid concerns of social and economic problems. An entire circular loop would be about convert|178|mi|km|1|abbr=on long. Other important objections raised to more building of Tenn-840 included the hilly nature of the terrain north of Nashville, which when compared to the existing southern route, would require more cutting, filling, and bridging construction, resulting in significantly higher construction costs than for the southern loop route. In October 2003, the Department of Transportation placed the northern loop project on an indefinite hold, citing a lack of documented transportation need and participation from local politicians. cite web |url=http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/news/2003/ut_projects/10-31-2003sr840n.pdf |title=TDOT Announces Decision on State Route 840 North |work=Tennessee Department of Transportation |date=2003-10-31 |accessdate=2007-07-17]

While initially referred to as "Interstate 840", or "I-840" by the mass media, all current official materials refers to the highway as a "State Route". It has been constructed entirely with state transportation funds, and it is not part of the Federal Interstate Highway System. Critics of the project charge that this was due to the Department of Transportation's and the Legislature's wish to avoid stricter Federal environmental standards, particularly with regards to difficult environmental impact statements, though nothing has been proven to date.

Counties traversed

The southern loop of State Route 840 traverses five counties. The figures for Williamson County reflect distance once the project is complete.cite web |url=http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/sr840s/facts.htm |title=SR-840 South: Project Facts |work=Tennessee Dept of Transportation |accessdate=2007-07-17]

*Dickson — convert|6|mi|km|1|abbr=on
*Hickman — convert|2|mi|km|1|abbr=on
*Williamson — convert|37|mi|km|1|abbr=on
*Rutherford — convert|20|mi|km|1|abbr=on
*Wilson — convert|13|mi|km|1|abbr=on

Exit list

References

:*Tennessee Department of Transportation (24 January 2003). "State Highway and Interstate List 2003".

ee also

*List of Tennessee state highways

External links

* [http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/sr840s/default.htm State Route 840 at TDOT]
* [http://www.kurumi.com/roads/3di/i840.html Kurumi 3-Digit Interstates]