Collierville residents will have to wait longer for smoother travels along Shelby Drive. According to the latest update, the stretch of Shelby Drive between Quinn Road and Collierville High School won't reopen until late 2025. This delay, courtesy of some relentless rainfall in May and June, plus the added weight of the ongoing improvements, has forced the the officials to err on the side of caution. Closing the road is, after all, about ensuring the safety of the students and construction workers active in the area.
Deputy Town Engineer Tim Gwaltney spelled it out, "We were hopeful to complete this infrastructure work before the new school year begins," but the clear and present call to keep the construction zone closed trumped that. He expressed this in a statement, per the Collierville's local news, likely hoping to cushion the blow of community inconvenience with the reassurance of enhanced future safety.
The Shelby Drive Improvements Project is no small feat – converting a modest two-lane into a four-lane urban street, complete with a median, mirrors the upgraded area near Collierville High School. And there's a lot more in the package – the replacement of two old bridges and major drainage culverts, improved water, sewer, and irrigation utilities, brand new street lighting, and bike lanes. Don't forget the curbs, gutters, and sidewalks topping it all off. And to streamline the flow, modernizing the traffic signal at Shelby Drive and Highway 72 is also on the agenda.
