Road No. 7: Reimagining the Gateway to Music City

For decades, the Interstate-40 interchange at Donelson Pike has served as Nashville’s front door — the key connector to Nashville International Airport (BNA) and the first impression for millions of travelers arriving in Music City. 

Built in the 1980s to serve a single airport terminal, the interchange had become overwhelmed by Nashville’s meteoric growth. What began as a modest access point for airport travelers had evolved into one of the region’s busiest and most congested corridors — a lifeline not only for air passengers, but for commuters from Donelson, Antioch and downtown Nashville.

Now, thanks to a visionary reconstruction effort by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) in collaboration with the Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), that gateway has been transformed. The I-40/Donelson Pike Interchange Relocation and Reconstruction Project represents a bold reimagining of one of Tennessee’s most important transportation hubs, and it improves safety, traffic flow and access to the airport while also paving the way for the city’s next era of growth. 

It’s a model of collaboration, innovation and accelerated delivery, and for these reasons, the project placed seventh on our list of Top 10 Roads of 2025.

During peak hours, the interchange became a chokepoint, plagued by congestion, confusion and safety concerns. Drivers desperate to avoid gridlock often cut through airport property, mixing high-speed commuter traffic with low-speed airport circulation — a recipe for frustration and risk.

The I-40/Donelson Pike project tackled these challenges by introducing a diverging diamond interchange (DDI). The design team at Gresham Smith delivered a safer, more efficient configuration that reduces conflict points and improves travel time for airport and commuter traffic.

From the beginning, TDOT and MNAA recognized that the project’s success depended on close coordination. Monthly meetings between the two agencies became a cornerstone of the process, fostering a collaborative environment where decisions could be made quickly and effectively. 

The project brought together an all-star lineup of firms: Gresham Smith as lead designer, Wilson and Associates to survey, Civil and Environmental Consultants (CEC) for environmental and stormwater support, Arcadis for scheduling and cost estimating and Thompson Engineering and Ragan Smith as CEI providers. MasTec Civil (formerly Superior Construction) served as the contractor.

Designing a major interchange adjacent to an active runway required exceptional precision. Engineers had to ensure that roadway alignments, signage and vertical elevations respected FAA airspace restrictions and preserved clear sightlines between the control tower and the runway. 

Since federal design guidance didn’t fully account for an interstate project so close to a major airport, the team collaborated directly with the FAA, Air Traffic Control, and the Tennessee Valley Authority to develop custom solutions.

Among those solutions was a temporary grade-separated interchange — a creative, interim structure that maintained full traffic flow while allowing MNAA to advance its concurrent Terminal Area Roadway Improvements (TARI) program. The two massive infrastructure efforts ensured neither project stalled the other.

The new DDI, relocated eastward adjacent to the runway, provides smooth, signalized movements and improved safety. A new 1.5-mile collector-distributor road eliminates weaving along I-40, while three new bridges and six retaining walls complete the redesigned corridor. 

The former Donelson Pike bridge was repurposed as a pedestrian and bicycle connection, linking the airport campus with the surrounding community.

Projected safety benefits include a 7% reduction in crashes on I-40 and a 33% reduction on Donelson Pike.

The I-40/Donelson Pike Interchange Project is more than an infrastructure upgrade — it’s a statement about how Tennessee builds for the future. By blending innovation, precision engineering and unprecedented collaboration, the project team delivered a critical link that enhances safety, supports economic growth and improves quality of life for millions of travelers.

Project: I-40 Interchange at Donelson Pike Relocation
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Owner: Tennessee Department of Transportation
Designer: Gresham Smith
Contractor: MasTec Civil (formerly Superior Construction)
Cost: $118.6 million
Length: 1.3 miles along I-40 and 1.74 miles (S.R. 255 Relocation)