Interstate 40 Interchange at State Route 205 (Airline Road)

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.