State Route 19

Lauderdale and Haywood counties

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) plans to construct improvements to State Route 19 in Lauderdale and Haywood counties. The project, which includes widening and spot improvements at various locations along the corridor, stretches from east of Eastland Avenue in Lauderdale County to east of SR 87 in Haywood County. Due to the size of improvements to the corridor, TDOT has split this project into three segments. All three segments are identified for funding in TDOT’s 10-Year Project Plan.

Current Status: All segments are currently under development.

Estimated construction start: All three segments are scheduled in TDOT’s 10-Year Project Plan to begin construction in Fiscal Year 2029.

Estimated completion*: TBD

Funding Type: TDOT anticipates that all three segments will be funded in part through the Transportation Modernization Fund and with Traditional Federal/State dollars.

History and Background

The SR 19 corridor provides a critical connection from Ripley, Tennessee, to Brownsville along I-40; additionally, traffic along this corridor is projected to increase due to additional development at and around the Memphis Regional Megasite, including the BlueOval City complex.

Additionally, this segment of SR 19 is a proposed bicycle route in the Tennessee State Bicycle Route System. Expansion of the existing roadway and shoulders will significantly improve the level of service for bicycles.

The planned alignment for SR 19 along a portion of the project corridor is a “Super Two-Lane” typical section, which includes one 12-foot travel lane in each direction and 10-foot outside shoulders. A Super Two-Lane design provides operational and safety benefits compared to a traditional two-lane roadway, especially for freight traffic, while remaining more cost-efficient than a wider alignment.

Eastland Avenue to Haywood County Line

Through this segment, SR 19 will be widened to a “Super Two-Lane” typical section, which includes one 12-foot travel lane in each direction and 10-foot outside shoulders.

Lauderdale County Line to Binford Lane

In this section, SR 19 will be widened to a Super Two-Lane from the Lauderdale County Line to near Gil Bracken
Road and will also include passing lanes in both directions. From Gil Bracken Road to Binford Lane, the planned project scope is resurfacing the existing road and constructing intersection improvements.

Binford Lane to State Route 87

This section’s proposed scope includes passing lanes, intersection improvements, resurfacing the existing road, and improvements to the slope in high-crash areas.

Key Project Milestones

Lauderdale County
Eastland Avenue to Haywood County Line	Preliminary Engineering	Underway
	Right-of-Way	Fiscal Year 2026 (scheduled)
	Construction	Fiscal Year 2029 (scheduled)
Haywood County
Lauderdale County Line to Binford Lane	Preliminary Engineering	Underway
	Right-of-Way	Fiscal Year 2026 (scheduled)
	Construction	Fiscal Year 2029 (scheduled)
Binford Lane to SR 87	Preliminary Engineering	Underway
	Right-of-Way	Fiscal Year 2026 (scheduled)
	Construction	Fiscal Year 2029 (scheduled)

Finding of No Significant Impact

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is announcing the availability of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) environmental document for public inspection. The FONSI was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on August 19, 2026, for the State Route (SR) 19 project, from East of Eastland Avenue in Lauderdale County to East of SR-87 in Haywood County, Tennessee. The Selected (Build) Alternative would implement the following improvements along the approximately 15.4-mile project segment of SR-19:

East of Eastland Avenue to west of Gill Brackin Road: Widen to two 12-foot travel lanes with 10-foot shoulders (8-foot paved).
West of Gill Brackin Road to Nunn Road: Mill and resurface the existing roadway.
Nunn Road to east of Jim Binford Lane: Widen to two 12-foot travel lanes with 10-foot shoulders (8-foot paved).
East of Jim Binford Lane to east of SR-87: Mill and resurface the existing roadway.
Additional Improvements: Realign several intersections, correct geometric deficiencies, and address erosional/slope issues throughout the project area.

The proposed project is intended to address the following transportation needs that have been identified through coordination with local officials, agencies, and the public:

Increased percentage of severe crashes;
Existing roadway geometric deficiencies; and
Improve SR-19 to meet the legislative intent of the “Improvement Manufacturing, Public Roads, and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy” (IMPROVE) Act and the Transportation Modernization Act (TMA).

The purpose of the proposed project is to:

Reduce the rate of severe crashes;
Improved roadway geometric deficiencies to meet current TDOT design standards; and
Meet the legislative intent of the IMPROVE ACT and the TMA.

Hard copies of the SR-19 FONSI and technical appendices will be available for public inspection at the following locations starting September 4, 2026:

TDOT Region 4 Office – 300 Benchmark Place, Building A, Jackson, TN 38301
Ripley City Hall – 110 South Washington Street, Ripley, TN 38063
Haywood County Courthouse – 1 North Washington Avenue, Brownsville, TN 38012

Environmental

Public Involvement

Project Contacts

Nichole Lawrence
TDOT Region 4 Regional Communications Officer (Media)
Phone: 731.935.0318
Email: nichole.lawrence@tn.gov

Seth Hendren
TDOT Region 4 Project Management
Phone: 731.935.0143
Email: Seth.Hendren@tn.gov

*Subject to change