According to NewsChannel 5, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will close the James Robertson Parkway Bridge for a two‑year period beginning in the summer of 2027. The closure, which will extend through the summer of 2029, is longer than initially projected because crews will be placing utility lines directly into the bridge structure, a process TDOT says is time‑consuming.
The bridge, which carries more than 25,000 vehicles a day and runs beside the Metro Courthouse into downtown Nashville, will not have its river span over the Cumberland River altered. Instead, TDOT will lower the bridge’s approach to the level of South First Street and remove the large concrete sections that currently elevate the roadway over the East Bank. New renderings released by TDOT show the lowered configuration, which is intended to create a seamless street grid for the East Bank Development.
“We’re going to be lowering the approach to the James Robertson Parkway Bridge, and that is because we are creating a seamless street grid into the East Bank Development,” said Erin Zeigler of TDOT. The grid will allow other roads, such as East Bank Boulevard, to cross the East Bank and run in front of the planned Titans Stadium.
Ed Branding, a real‑estate researcher who has lived in Nashville most of his life, warned that the closure could cause significant traffic congestion. “It’s like putting eight gallons of traffic in about five gallons worth of bridges. It’s gonna be a problem,” he said.
TDOT indicated that the bridge closure will commence after the Rock and Roll Marathon and will be completed by the summer of 2029, with a hard deadline tied to the Super Bowl scheduled for early 2030. The agency has not yet released official detour routes, but noted that three other bridges still provide access to downtown Nashville.
Residents and commuters are being given advance notice so they can plan alternative routes once detours are announced. The department emphasized that the project, while disruptive, is essential for modernizing infrastructure and supporting upcoming development on the East Bank.
What’s next: TDOT will issue official detour information in the coming months. The bridge is slated to close after the Rock and Roll Marathon in the summer of 2027 and remain closed until the summer of 2029, with the overall project deadline set for the early‑2030 Super Bowl.
Sources: newschannel5.com
