TDOT Awards Contract for New I-65 Spring Hill Buckner Road Interchange
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation has awarded the Design-Build contract for the new I-65 Buckner Road interchange in Spring Hill. Bell & Associates, out of Nashville, Tenn., had the low bid of $54.3 million and are expected to complete the interchange project by May 2023.
The project includes the extension of Buckner Road from Buckner Lane to Lewisburg Pike across I-65 with a Diverging Diamond Interchange. The City of Spring Hill kickstarted the project with a $25 million BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in late 2018.
“The City of Spring Hill’s diligence in securing this competitive grant put this interchange on the fast track,” said TDOT Commissioner Clay Bright. “TDOT has an aggressive schedule to meet, but the Design-Build contracting method allows us to tap into the innovation of the private industry and deliver the project in a much shorter timeframe compared to traditional design-bid-build projects.”
In the Design-Build delivery process, the prime contractor partners with a designer to develop final design plans and complete right-of-way acquisition, permit approvals, utility relocation, and construction. Bell & Associates have partnered with engineering firm Neel-Schaffer for the interchange project and the tentative schedule is as follows.
· January 2021 – Fall 2022 Project design
· Spring 2021 – Fall 2022 Right-of-way acquisition, permit approvals, and utility relocations
· Spring 2022 – Spring 2023 Construction
At this time, TDOT anticipates minimal traffic impacts for construction activities. More information regarding the construction schedule will be available in the coming months.
For more information on the I-65 Buckner Road Interchange and the Design-Build method of project delivery, visit https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-buckner-road-interchange.html