Construction has begun on the first diverging diamond interchange in middle Tennessee. The $30.5 million project will expand Interstate 24 Exit 60 at Hickory Hollow Parkway, Nashville.

Construction is under way on an interchange improvement project on Interstate 24 at Hickory Hollow Parkway in Nashville.

The current interchange at Exit 60 is a partial-access facility, which was constructed to accommodate the Hickory Hollow Mall area in the 1970s. The $30.5 million project will modify the interchange to a full-access facility, allowing drivers to access the south side (Cane Ridge area) of I-24 from Exit 60.

The changes will help relieve congestion at Exit 59 (SR 254/Bell Road) and improve access to this rapidly growing area. The project also includes safety improvements at the Old Hickory Boulevard eastbound exit ramp.

Most of the lane closures for this project will be done at night, between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., but there will be some lane closures during the day on weekends starting in Spring 2019. The prime contractor is Jones Bros. Contractors, and the contract completion date is May 31, 2021.

The interchange will be middle Tennessee's first diverging diamond interchange (DDI). DDIs have a criss-cross design that allows high volumes of traffic to move through the interchange and reduces conflict points compared with conventional diamond interchanges. There are two DDIs in use in Tennessee, one on I-40 at the Sevierville exit and one on U.S. 129 in Blount County.

For information, visit www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/interstate-24-hickory-hollow-pkwy-interchange.

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