Memphis is bracing for a major overhaul on one of its busiest corridors. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has officially announced the start of a considerable widening project on Summer Avenue, expected to ease the dense traffic plaguing the area and aim to bolster the safety for commuters. According to the TDOT news release, construction is set to commence on June 8, at 7 p.m.
Plans include reducing traffic to one lane in either direction, accompanied by a turn lane, providing the necessary workspace for the crews starting their work. Navigating these changes will demand patience from the motoring public, as they will also encounter temporary lane closures, shifts in traffic flow, and full weekend intersection closures throughout the duration of the project.
The project, which spans 1.8 miles from near I-40 to east of Sycamore View Road, was awarded to Bell & Associates for a total of $69.4 million. Upgrading Summer Avenue entails broadening the road from its present two lanes in each direction with a central turn lane to three lanes each way plus the turn lane. Such improvements are designed to minimize the current congestion and cut down on travel times, a boon for drivers who regularly confront the area’s traffic woes.
Additionally, the construction project will involve the replacement of aging bridges over the Wolf River and Fletcher Creek, updating these structures to accommodate the widened road. Scheduled for completion by June 30, 2028, the project promises to conceive an avenue reshaped to better serve its community, connecting Memphis with the kind of infrastructural integrity modernity demands.
