Mayor Cooper is announcing today significant progress toward a grade-separated railroad bridge on Sadler Avenue. The effort is in partnership with CSX and TDOT and seeks to provide a solution to a specific long term neighborhood issue in Nashville. Persistent train blockages coupled with a single point of entry have prevented neighbors from accessing their street. The unique proximity to Radnor Yard and increasing freight movement have made the problem deeply acute for residents in recent years, with some residents unable to get to work or get their children to school on time. This issue, while certainly a quality-of-life concern, also poses safety concerns, with access to the neighborhood restricted.
“The solution Metro has achieved for the residents of the Sadler Village neighborhood is an example of the creative problem solving that can happen when government and institutions work together,” said Mayor John Cooper. “This is the type of practical, people-first approach that characterizes a Nashville that works for everyone.”
A funding partnership between TDOT, CSX and Metro will result in about a 10% cost contribution by Metro.
“CSX strives to be a good neighbor in the communities where we operate,” said Bryan Tucker, vice president of corporate communications at CSX. “We appreciate the collaboration with Mayor Cooper, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Nashville Department of Transportation & Multimodal Infrastructure to find a solution for this unique situation in Nashville.”
Next steps on the project include approval of a funding agreement that will be heard by Metro Council. The agreement, which is between the Nashville Department of Transportation & Multimodal Infrastructure and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, will come before councilmembers in the next few weeks. If the agreement is approved, the bridge project can move forward through the design and construction process.
“I believe our role as Nashville’s Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure is to problem solve, and this agreement between Metro, CSX, and TDOT does just that—solves a longstanding problem experienced by Nashville residents,” said NDOT Interim Director Faye DiMassimo.