New DDI in Nashville Part of Major Interchange Rebuild at I-40, Donelson Pike

TDOT's major interchange rebuild at I-40/Donelson Pike near Nashville Airport includes a new DDI, easing traffic congestion. Completion now set for mid-July 2025 due to sign installation delays. The project expected to enhance traffic flow, improve safety and accommodate future growth in the area.

Tue June 10, 2025 - Southeast Edition
Tennessee Department of Transportation & WKRN-TV

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is wrapping up a major interchange project that has been in the works for a few years.

Officials with the state agency expect these upgrades to relieve much of the heavy traffic on Interstate 40 near Nashville International Airport (BNA).

WKRN-TV in Nashville reported that the project at Donelson Pike/Tennessee Highway 255, located at I-40's Exit 216, southeast of downtown, is being completed ahead of schedule, though not as early as TDOT had hoped. The interchange's opening date has been moved from June to July 2025.

TDOT had to delay the roadway's opening until mid-July 2025, due to complications in getting overhead signs put up at the interchange, the television station added.

However, a key milestone was reached early on June 9, 2025, when TDOT began shifting traffic onto a new Donelson Pike/Tenn. 255 diverging diamond interchange (DDI) over I-40. The move resulted in permanent and temporary lane and ramp closures near the airport.

MasTec Civil, a Florida contractor with a regional office in Nashville, redirected traffic onto the new Donelson Pike interchange in three phases. TDOT officials expected the work to last until the early morning hours of June 10.

Under the supervision of TDOT, MasTec Civil is applying the final touches to the work and make sure the interchange is 100 percent safe.

The construction has involved relocating the interchange and transforming the exit into a DDI, which is a unique crisscross roadway pattern that allows two directions of traffic to temporarily cross to opposite sides of the road in order for motorists to drive over the overpass before crossing back and resuming the original travel pattern.

The new DDI also will use concrete dividers, stop bars, traffic signals and extensive signage to guide vehicles through the interchange.

For those who have never seen a DDI, the transportation agency acknowledged that the configuration looks a bit complicated at first glance, but added that once people get used to it, it will flow a lot smoother than the current interchange, according to WKRN-TV.

The interchange will provide two lanes in each direction on Donelson Pike. Ramps from Donelson Pike to I-40 will diverge from the through lanes, while ramps from I-40 to Donelson Pike will merge as well. Two signalized intersections have been installed at either end of the overpass to control those movements.

TDOT had to delay the roadway's opening until mid-July 2025, due to complications in getting overhead signs put up at the interchange, the Nashville television station added. The signage is a crucial piece of the project, and the agency noted that it will be worth the wait to ensure everyone is safe.

"When it comes to safety at TDOT, that's our [top] priority. That's something we're not going to compromise with," said Erin Ziegler, a TDOT regional communications director. "So, if that means delaying a project a little bit longer, we're going to do that."

Once TDOT does open the interchange, the construction around that area will still not be completed. Final paving, coating and joint repairs will need to be done late summer 2025, which are likely to cause temporary lane closures.

In addition, Donelson Pike has been relocated to the east of its previous footprint to accommodate the new interchange.

Airport's Growth Spurred Need for New Interchange

Donelson Pike/Tenn. 255 is an urban principal artery in Nashville-Davidson County that runs east and north from Tenn. 6/U.S. 31/Franklin Pike on the south of the city to Tenn. 24/U.S. 70/Lebanon Pike just north of BNA. The corridor also stretches east to west as Harding Place and north to south as Donelson Pike, connecting I-65, I-24 and I-40.

The old I-40 interchange with Donelson Pike used a trumpet design with restricted turning movements and can no longer accommodate the current and future traffic demands of Donelson Pike and the expanding airport, TDOT noted.

The interchange at I-40 and Donelson Pike was originally built to provide access to a new airport terminal in the 1980s. Since then, BNA has been a major contributor to the rapid growth of the area, creating high volumes of both cargo- and traveler-related traffic. Future developments, including the expansion of the airport, are expected to increase traffic volumes.

Reconstruction of the interchange will increase capacity, correct geometric deficiencies and improve its overall operation by providing efficient access to the airport, I-40, and other nearby businesses, according to TDOT.

The state agency is repurposing the old Donelson Pike over I-40 interchange to primarily provide ramp access to expanded facilities at the airport. Construction of BNA property by Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) has occurred simultaneously with the TDOT project.

The entire I-40/Donelson Pike interchange reconstruction first began in 2022 and Zeigler said that TDOT expects the work to be completed in 2027.