Plus, former Demos' space slated for new Italian restaurant.
 
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79º Cloudy | 60% chance of rain | Sunrise 5:30 a.m. | Sunset 8:07 p.m.
 

Navigating new roadway tech on I-24
NASH_TDOT_SMART_June2023.jpeg
If you drive this section of I-24 regularly, you’ve noticed the lane control system above — now, the boards are in operation. | Photo via TDOT
A stretch of interstate connecting Nashville and Murfreesboro is getting “smarter” every day with each new phase of the I-24 SMART Corridor project.

As of Tuesday morning, the project’s mission to manage congestion issues along the corridor is officially being put to the test. Here’s what to know about Phase 2 before you hit the road:

How it works

The roadway’s ~175,000 daily drivers will see overhead electric boards, called gantries, alerting them of real-time information on traffic conditions (think: lane closures and speed limits). The 67 signs — spaced a half-mile apart in both directions — are located along:
  • 28 miles on I-24 from Exit 53 in Nashville to Exit 81 (SR 10/US 231) in Murfreesboro
  • 28.5 miles on Murfreesboro Road from I-24 in Nashville to SR 10/US 231 in Murfreesboro
  • 30 miles of connector routes between I-24 and Murfreesboro Road
Screen Shot 2023-06-20 at 3.38.44 PM.png

A map of the I-24 SMART Corridor project. | Graphic via TDOT

What to look for

Drivers will see five screens on the gantries — one for each lane and one indicating the speed limit. During free-flow conditions, the screens will remain blank with only a posted speed limit on the side. It’s during heavier congestion, road work, or traffic accidents that the screens will alert drivers of changes. If you see a:
  • Green arrow, the lane is open and traffic is flowing
  • Yellow X, begin merging lanes to avoid a lane closure ahead
  • Red X, move into lanes with a green arrow
Be prepared to pump the brakes — safely, of course — when a “reduced speed limit” is listed on the board. It’s determined by the current speed of traffic leading up to congested areas and is enforceable.

Other projects looped into this phase include extending ramp lengths, adding emergency pull-offs, and installing ramp meters.

To see the project in action, watch this two-minute clip from TDOT.
Asked

How often do you travel I-24, particularly the stretch between Nashville and Murfreesboro?
A. Daily
B. A couple times a week
C. A couple times a month
D. Rarely or never
You're in the driver's seat
Events
Wednesday, June 21
  • Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors | Wednesday, June 21 | 4-5 p.m. | Grimey’s, 1060 East Trinity Ln. | Free+ | Join Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors for an in-store performance, album signing, and “Strangers No More” record release celebration.
  • International Day of Yoga 2023 | Wednesday, June 21 | 5:30-8 p.m. | Cumberland Park, 592 S. 1st St. | Donations accepted | Small World Yoga hosts an evening of yoga at the park to celebrate the International Day of Yoga — the session is suitable for all levels of yoga and will feature live music.
  • Opera on Tap presents Summer Solstice Songs | Wednesday, June 21 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Jackalope Brewing Company, 429B Houston St. | Free | Celebrate the longest day of the year with opera performances at Jackalope’s taproom.
Thursday, June 22
  • Pride Latte Art Throwdown | Thursday, June 22 | 6 p.m. | Frothy Monkey, 1400 51st Ave. N. | Free+ | Attend as a spectator or pay $10 to compete — registration fees will benefit the Just Us program at Oasis Center.
Friday, June 23
  • Outdoor Movement Class with Limón Dance Company | Friday, June 23 | 5 p.m. | Vanderbilt University’s Magnolia Lawn, Edgehill Ave. and Magnolia Circle | Free | Join members of the New York-based Limón Dance Company for an interactive outdoor class.
  • Nashville Flea Market | Friday, June 23-Sunday, June 25 | Times vary | The Fairgrounds Nashville, 401 Wingrove St. | Cost of purchase | This month’s theme is “A Taste of Summer” with 500+ market vendors to shop.
Saturday, June 24
  • Nashville Pride Parade | Saturday, June 24 | 10 a.m. | Broadway, Between 8th Ave. and 2nd Ave. | Free | Join grand marshals Eric Cox and Olivia Hill for the kick-off to the Nashville Pride Festival.
  • Literary Flour Pop-up | Saturday, June 24 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Retro Vibe, 2517 Lebanon Pk. | Free | Snack on cookies from this literary-themed bakery — including “My Dear Watson,” “Shelly,” and more from the June menu.
Sunday, June 25
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
News Notes
Announced
  • Eric Church is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s newest artist-in-residence — a program that has featured Earl Scruggs, John Prine, and others. Church will perform two shows at the CMA Theater on Tuesday, Aug. 29 + Wednesday, Aug. 30. Tickets go on sale Friday.
Coming Soon
  • HiFi Cookies plans to open its Donelson location on Saturday, July 15 at the revamped Donelson Plaza — 2720 Old Lebanon Rd. The music-themed cookie shop opened its first location in East Nashville in 2020.
Concert
  • Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s annual Ryman Auditorium residency returns for an 8-show run in October. Each show will feature a different opening act, with Izzy Heltai, Amanda Shires, and six other artists scheduled to perform. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
Stat
  • Sports publication The Athletic asked 100 MLB players the best potential expansion city, and with 69% of the vote, Music City knocked it out of the park. Other cities polling 5% or higher include Montreal, Charlotte, NC, and Austin, TX.
Eat
  • The downtown building formerly home to Demos’ — 300 Commerce St. — is slated for a new Italian restaurant. West Tennessee-based Villa Castrioti plans to open in March 2024. (Nashville Business Journal)
Plan Ahead
  • All Elite Wrestling is bringing its Dynamite and Rampage shows to Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Aug. 16. The second-largest US pro wrestling company is billing its upcoming Nashville stop as the only Tennessee visit this year. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
Pets
Finance
Shop
  • It’s officially summer. To celebrate, shop our online store (Six & Main), where you’ll find many summer essentials such as new patio furniture by Palmetto Craft and delicious cocktail mixers by Simple Time Mixers. Now, that’s how you start the summer.
 
Development

👀 Peep this new pedestrian bridge rendering

An early look at a new pedestrian bridge connecting East Nashville to Germantown
A rendering of a pedestrian bridge over a body of water
Here’s what the pedestrian bridge could look like, according to early designs. | Rendering via Oracle Corp. and Metro Nashville
Nashville is getting an early look at a proposed pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River.

A conceptual rendering released yesterday visualizes the bridge connecting Oracle’s forthcoming East Bank campus (near Cowan Street) to Germantown. Plans for the pedestrian bridge were announced in spring 2021 when the tech company shared its vision for the $1.2 billion tech hub.

The cost of the bridge and when it could be constructed are not known at this time, but Oracle has reportedly committed to funding $175 million for infrastructure work on the riverfront. This includes the pedestrian bridge, greenways, and road improvements.
Shop
Eat
  • Bring the scoop shop to you with the Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker. Use it to make everything from ice creams to milkshakes, smoothie bowls, and sorbets.
Travel
  • Wanna save 40-90% on flights? Sign up for Going — a free travel membership — and you can browse deals immediately (like a $300+ round trip to Barcelona).
Drink
Outdoors
  • The perfect outdoor string lights do exist, and they’ve got a secret weapon: solar power. Light up your yard with a 50-ft strand.
 
The Wrap
 
Dylan

Today’s edition by:
Dylan
From the editor
Looking to take the Pride coffee crawl to the next level? Fido (one of the participants) announced an exclusive rainbow menu for Pride month — check out the special drinks.
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