Proposed Kirby-Whitten Parkway (Shelby Farms Parkway)
Shelby CountyNOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed Kirby-Whitten Parkway (Shelby Farms Parkway) in Shelby County, Tennessee. The Federal Highway Administration issued the ROD on November 13, 2019.
Download copies of the ROD (PDF) here. Hard copies can be viewed at the following locations.
*The ROD is a large file consisting of 6,588 pages or 515 MB.
For more information:
Erick Hunt-Hawkins
TDOT Environmental Division
James K Polk Building, Suite 900
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, Tennessee 37243
Office: (615) 253-5163
Email: Erick.Hunt-Hawkins@tn.gov
Overview
The city of Memphis, in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), is proposing to construct a new transportation corridor, known as Kirby-Whitten Parkway (Shelby Farms Parkway), that will extend 2.5 miles, from Walnut Grove Road to Macon Road, in Memphis, Shelby County. The roadway will be an access-controlled facility with either four or five lanes, depending on location.
The proposed project is part of a larger project that involves a 10-mile-long north-to-south corridor in eastern Shelby County. The roadway has been constructed from East Shelby Drive to Humphrey’s Boulevard.
Purpose and Need
Originally planned in the 1980s, Kirby-Whitten Parkway was intended to provide a north-south route between Interstate 240 and Germantown Parkway. Since then, the route has been redesigned to address environmental concerns, public recreation needs, and stakeholder input.
The primary purpose of the currently proposed roadway is to improve regional mobility, connectivity, and accessibility for the east Memphis area. The new route would greatly reduce congestion and lessen travel times along existing routes. It would also result in a more efficient, safer roadway, providing a facility that could accommodate future growth.
Additionally, a new north-south route would complete the one-mile grid system that is the basis of the Memphis regional transportation plans.
Proposed Design
The proposed Kirby-Whitten Parkway passes through Shelby Farms Park, a 4500-acre urban park. The existing road, Farm Road, is a two-lane facility. The Selected Alternative design, known as Build Alternative Q, includes new construction and improvements to the existing road system.
The new facility consists of a four-lane section on new alignment, from Walnut Grove Road to Mullins Station Road. This section will include four 12-foot travel lanes (two in each direction), separated by a median, with 12-foot outside shoulders and 7-foot inside shoulders.
The remainder of the proposed parkway follows existing Whitten Road, from Mullins Station Road to Macon Road, and consists of five lanes. This section will include four 12-foot travel lanes (two in each direction), a dedicated center turn lane, with 5-foot sidewalks and 6-foot bike lanes on both sides of the road.
Rendering of the proposed design for Kirby-Whitten Parkway (Shelby Farms Parkway)
Additional improvements include construction of a new grade-separated interchange at Walnut Grove Road, modifications to Walnut Grove Road to accommodate the new interchange, and modifications to Mullins Station Road to allow for better sight distances.
Enhanced trail connections within and adjacent to Shelby Farms Park are also included as part of the project.
Project Management
Transportation projects are developed in four phases: Planning and Environmental, Design, Right-of-Way (ROW), and Construction. For this project, the Design, Right-of-Way, and Construction processes will be managed locally with coordination by TDOT Local Programs Office. For more information on the TDOT-managed Environmental process, visit the Timeline section of this website.