Somerville Beltway (State Route 460)
Fayette County
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is constructing a new transportation corridor around the Town of Somerville in Fayette County. The purpose of the new highway, known as the Somerville Beltway, is to provide a facility that meets present and future traffic demands and provides motorists with improved connections to other major highways, such as SR 15 (US 64) and SR 76. The beltway will be given the designation of SR 460 (US 64) and will be funded and constructed in phases.
The proposed design of the new facility is a two-lane highway. There will be one 12-ft. travel lane in each direction and the shoulders will be 12-ft. wide. Turn lanes at intersections will be 12-ft. wide. The Somerville Beltway will be a controlled-access facility, meaning there will only be access at designated intersections along the highway. There will be four intersections along this new highway: US 64 west of Somerville, SR 76, Jernigan Road, and US 64 east of Somerville. All roadways will intersect at-grade, and the intersections at US 64 and SR 76 will be signalized.
Due to the size of the project, TDOT has split construction into two sections: One, from SR 15 west of Somerville to SR 76 south of Somerville, is currently under construction. The second section, from SR 76 to SR 15 east of Somerville, is not identified for funding in TDOT's 10-Year Project Plan. The second section will move to construction as funding becomes available.
Current Status: The first segment of the Somerville Beltway from SR 15 (US 64) west of Somerville to SR 76 south of Somerville (2-lane) is currently under construction.
Construction start: 2022
Estimated completion*: The first segment is estimated to be completed in Fall 2024.
History and Background
The proposed design of the new facility is a two-lane highway. There will be one 12-ft. travel lane in each direction and the shoulders will be 12 feet wide. Turn lanes at intersections will be 12 feet wide. The Somerville Beltway will be a controlled-access facility, meaning there will only be access at designated intersections along the highway. There will be four intersections along this new highway: US 64 west of Somerville, SR 76, Jernigan Road, and US 64 east of Somerville. All roadways will intersect at-grade, and the intersections at US 64 and SR 76 will be signalized.
Future phases of the project include the construction of a 4-lane divided highway. The future 4-lane highway will have two travel lanes in each direction, and a grass median will separate the eastbound and westbound travel lanes. There will be two 12-ft. travel lanes in each direction with 6-ft. wide inside shoulders adjacent to the median and 12-ft. wide outside shoulders. The 2-lane highway currently under development will be converted into the eastbound lanes of the future 4-lane highway.
Because the proposed construction is on the southern leg of the larger Beltway project, the interchanges at the ends of the project (US 64 west and east of Somerville) will be constructed in a way to be compatible with future continuation of the route to the north. Therefore, the configuration to be constructed at these two interchanges will be a partial cloverleaf.
Public Involvement and Engagement
A National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) Public Hearing was held in December 2008.
Project Imagery & Visuals
Environment
The Environmental Assessment was approved in September 2009.
Environmental Assessment (EA) Part I
Environmental Assessment (EA) Part II
Ecology Report
Historic Preservation Report
Somerville Beltway Archaeology Report
Air Quality and Noise Analysis
Notice of Availability for the Approved Environmental Document
Key Project Milestones
NEPA Public Hearing |
December 2008 |
Environmental Assessment (EA) Approved |
September 2009 |
ROW Meeting |
April 2011 |
ROW Appraisals Completed |
July 2011 |
ROW Acquisition Completed |
February 2022 |
Project Contacts
Nichole Lawrence
TDOT Region 4 Regional Communications Officer (Media)
Phone: 731.935.0318
Email: Nichole.Lawrence@tn.gov
Gary Scruggs
TDOT Region 4 Project Development (Preconstruction)
Phone: 731.935.0149
Email: Gary.Scruggs@tn.gov