Construction is under way to rebuild a Tennessee truck stop and travel destination that has been shut down for more than a year due to a fire that destroyed the popular site.

Land Line, a trucking News source, reported recently that owners of the historic Tennessean Travel Stop unveiled plans for a new, 25,000-sq.-ft. facility in mid-August. The new building will be constructed on the site of the earlier truck stop, located off Interstate 65 at Exit 22 in Cornersville, which welcomed travelers for 50 years.

"We understand how important the Tennessean has been to the state … proudly serving national over-the-road truckers, travelers, and especially our incredibly loyal Cornersville community," Gregory Sachs, owner of the Tennessean Travel Stop, said in a statement.

"I'm extremely proud to unveil the new Tennessean Travel Stop. Our dedicated team has been working diligently throughout this past year to design and plan a more expansive facility."

In July 2021, the former building was leveled by a grease fire that started in one of the restaurants. According to Sachs, one of the old fueling station's canopies was the only part of the truck stop to survive the fire.

The Tennessean Truck Stop's owners promise that the new facility will be "bigger and better" than the former truck stop. While some of the old favorites will be returning, like the Tennessean BBQ restaurant and buffets, many new features will modernize the travel center.

Among the travel complex's new amenities are:

• A full-service cocktail bar.
• An ice cream shop with donuts and coffee.
• A quick-service deli with pizza, wings, and sandwiches.
• Outdoor seating, including a rooftop deck next to the second-floor bar.
• A dog park.

Truck Drivers to Be Treated to Relaxing Lounge

During a groundbreaking ceremony in August, Sachs said the new facility also will feature something special for truck drivers.

"[For] our truckers, who are our haul heroes because they haul loads and make all of our lives better — we're adding a big, very comfortable lounge for them," he explained.

A spokesperson of the Tennessean Truck Stop told Land Line that the new construction project plans to include nearly 100 truck parking spaces. In addition to 60 striped spaces for 18-wheelers, an added 38 to 40 spaces in an unstriped gravel area also will be available for long-haul drivers.

Impetus, the New Orleans-based construction group company tasked with building the new travel stop, said in its own statement that the project will take approximately one year to finish and open for business.

But, with some building materials in short supply, Land Line reported Sachs said he "has his fingers crossed" that the builders will be able to meet that target date.

A rendering showcases the design of the new Tennessean Travel Stop, a project being built to replace the popular former travel facility that was destroyed in a fire last year. (Image courtesy of the Tennessean Travel Stop)

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