Page 8 - March-April2021 Vol 38 No 7

TDOT’s I-440 Reconstruction
from page 7
The rubblization process greatly
decreased the amount of debris that
needed to be hauled off-site or directed also crosses Franklin Road and CSX
toward landfills. It also significantly
reduced the number of trucks leaving
the construction site and subsequently
creating traffic congestion issues
on other roadways. The contractor
estimated reducing the number of
truckloads of import/export materials
by 25,000.
A Full Color Dynamic Message Sign introduces the newly reconstructed, and much smoother riding, I-440
Grand opening events adopted a caravan parade due to COVID-19 ©Eric Brown/TDOT
8 TPW March/April 2021
I-440 over I-65 Bridge Widening 3.6% superelevation, which precluded
One of the more significant aspects combining the two structures into one
and further compounded the design
of the project involved the widening and construction. The existing bridges
of the twin bridges on the fourth level were built with steel tub girders. The
of the I-440/I-65 interchange, which proposed design called for the addition
of continuous steel plate girder pairs for
railroad. The bridges are over 1000 feet each bridge.
in length (with a span arrangement of
115-166-282-205-160-102 feet), with Due to location constraints, it was
only a 32-foot gap between them. The determined by the DB Team that the
bridge reaches a maximum height of 80 use of cranes at this location would not
feet over I-65 mainline lanes. be optimal. Innovative rolling gantry
cranes were utilized to place rebar
The alignment of I-440 at this location cages for the drilled shafts and pier
is curved with a radius of 3,820 feet and columns, and to lift girder pairs from
the roadway median to place them on
the substructures.
©Eric Brown/TDOT Work at this interchange was
constrained for MOT with only a few
weekends allowed for closures of the
interchange. Girder erection schemes
allowed much of the girder fit-up to
occur off the bridge, thus limiting the
amount of time required when a full
closure was needed.
Project Completed during COVID
A ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark
the re-opening of the roadway was held
in July 2020, a month ahead of schedule.
“The I-440 project is a perfect example
of the importance of investing in our
infrastructure,” Tennessee Governor
Bill Lee said during the grand opening
event. “This roadway is a vital part
of Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s
transportation system, and it now will
be capable of serving this community
for decades to come.”
Due to COVID-19, the ceremony
to celebrate the opening of the
reconstructed highway was modified
from traditional grand opening events; a
60-vehicle caravan paraded through the
project corridor while being escorted
by TDOT HELP Trucks. Vendors and
contractors were staged along the route
to celebrate the achievements for all
involved.
COVID-19 has lessened the
anticipated impact of the reconstruction
project as traffic volumes have not yet
returned to normal levels. However,
early feedback is that the smoother
ride is greatly appreciated, and the two
additional lanes have improved free flow
vehicle movement along the new stretch
of highway.