Interstate 40 Interchange at Airline Road
Shelby County
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), in partnership with the Town of Arlington, plans to construct improvements to the Interstate 40 Interchange at State Route 205 (Airline Road, Exit 25) in Shelby County. The proposed
improvements will include widening the I-40 eastbound exit ramp to include two left and one channelized right turn and widening the I-40 westbound on ramp to include two lanes before tapering back into existing. The scope of the project will also include widening SR-205 through the interchange to include two travel lanes in each direction with a continuous two-way left-turn lane. A signal will be installed at the intersection of SR-205 and Arlington Trails.
Current Status: The project is under development.
Estimated construction start: This project is scheduled in TDOT’s 10-Year Project Plan to begin construction in Fiscal Year 2027.
Estimated completion*: TBD
Funding Type: This project is funded through the Statewide Partnership Program. The Town of Arlington is providing a portion of the project’s funding, with the remainder funded through the Transportation Modernization Fund and traditional federal and state sources.
History and Background
Because of delays and congestion at the I-40 interchange at Airline Road, the Town of Arlington conducted a feasibility study in order to analyze whether conversion from the exiting interchange, a signal-controlled diamond interchange, could potential result in improved traffic operations during peak traffic periods. The study identified a dumbbell roundabout configuration, whereby the existing signal-controlled intersections would be converted to roundabouts, as a good candidate for improving traffic operations, reducing delay, and minimizing queuing on the eastbound exit ramp from I-40 to Airline Road. Additionally, TDOT projects that converting the interchange to include roundabouts will have safety benefits, as roundabouts are generally acknowledged to be safer than other intersection types, particularly for injury crash rates.
In 2023, the Town of Arlington submitted this project to TDOT as a potential Statewide Partnership Program project, whereby Arlington would contribute local funding to accelerate a project on TDOT’s system. TDOT review indicated that this project was a strong candidate, and the project is identified for funding in TDOT’s current 10-Year Project Plan.
Project Contacts
Nichole Lawrence
TDOT Region 4 Regional Communications Officer (Media)
Phone: 731.935.0318
Email: Nichole.Lawrence@tn.gov
Eli Jones
TDOT Region 4 Project Management
Phone: 615.969.0245
Email: eli.jones@tn.gov