State Route 50 (Pelham Road)
Grundy County
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is proposing to construct improvements along State Route 50 in Grundy County. The project is located east of Pelham along SR 50 between mile markers (MM) 8.0 and 11.1. The increasing traffic volumes along SR 50 create a need for improvements to geometrics, passing opportunities, and wider pavement widths in the hairpin turns. Future traffic projections indicate that performance of the roadway will decrease, resulting in increased travel times, time spent following slow-moving vehicles and safety issues.
The proposed improvements on this project include widening the lanes and shoulders through the hairpin horizontal curves (MM 9.0-9.1 & MM 9.8-9.9), paving the widened shoulder (MM 10.3-10.4), adding a passing lane for eastbound traffic (MM 10.4-11.1), and re-striping the length of the project (MM 8.0 – 11.1).
This project is identified for funding in TDOT's 10-Year Project Plan, with construction scheduled for Fiscal Year 2027.
Current Status: Preliminary engineering is underway.
Estimated construction start: Fiscal Year 2027
Funding Type: Partially federally funded.
History and Background
This section of SR 50 is located within Grundy County in Middle Tennessee. Grundy County has been recognized as an economically distressed and/or at-risk county by Governor Lee. Distressed counties rank among the 10 percent most economically distressed counties in the nation. Each year, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) prepares an index of county economic status for every county in the United States. Economic status designations are identified through a composite measure of each county's three-year average unemployment rate, per capita market income, and poverty rate. Based on these indicators, each county is then categorized as distressed, at-risk, transitional, competitive, or attainment.
SR 50 is a major connector between Pelham and SR 108, providing access to and from the various homes and businesses between them. SR 50 connects most of the communities in Grundy County to Interstate 24. The adjacent land use primarily consists of rural residential use with occasional light and industrial use. SR 50 is the primary connecting route between Pelham and Altamont.
Project Imagery & Visuals
Environment
Environmental Studies are scheduled for November 2025.
*All forecasted dates are subject to change
Project Contacts
Project Manager:
Andy Parr
andy.parr@tn.gov
Regional Communications Officer:
Rae-Anne Bradley
rae-anne.bradley@tn.gov
*Subject to change