On a day filled with sunshine and smiles, Murfreesboro City leaders gathered with former Mayor Tommy Bragg and his family to officially dedicate naming a stretch of roadway connected by a bridge over Stones River. The new Tommy Bragg Drive is sure to make residents in the River Rock and Cason Lane area smile as well. The connector bridge project, paid for by $8.65 million in City dollars, gives easier access to SR 99 and the I-24 interchange. It will reduce traffic away from the busy Cason Lane and Hwy 96 intersection.
“What a great place we have to live and how great our City leaders are in taking care of us,” said former Mayor Bragg who thanked the gathering for being on hand to support the ceremony, his legacy, and his family, “It is a pleasure and a great honor for me and I certainly appreciate it, so thank you for this honor to me and my family and for making Murfreesboro a great place that we all love to live, work and make a place for our children.”
Bragg served three terms as mayor of Murfreesboro from 2002 to 2014 during a time of substantial growth in which he helped spearhead the development of The Gateway and Medical Center Parkway, now a centerpiece of the growing and vibrant City. Bragg also stressed transportation and roadways during his administration.
“This project represents a significant milestone for our community, enhancing our transportation and connectivity to further foster growth,” said Murfreesboro City Manager Darren Gore.
Gore and members of the City Council gathered Tuesday, Oct. 22, for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony and opening of the Beasie Road/River Rock Blvd. Extension. The new Connector Bridge spans over the West Fork of Stones River. Watch the 17-minute ceremony coverage provided by CityTV in this YouTube link https://youtu.be/meu6J_Vuuuk
The street dedication and bridge ribbon-cutting included an official first drive and first walk over the new bridge.
The local government project built a connector road of approximately 0.30 miles from the north end of Beasie Road extending west over to River Rock Blvd. The extension incorporates a three-lane bridge over the West Fork of the Stones River including curb and gutter, sidewalk on one side and multi-use path on the other overlooking the Greenway. In January 2023, City Council approved the construction contract for the Beasie Rd./River Rock Blvd. Connector project as outlined in the 2040 Major Transportation Plan. The City contracted Bell and Associates, LLC to construct the $8.65 million connector bridge project with funding in the FY18, FY19 and FY21 CIP Budgets. Volkert provided engineering and design services and Energy Land & Infrastructure, LLC performed construction administration services for the project.
The new bridge connects residents in the River Rock Blvd. and Cason Lane area to destinations on Warrior Drive and Beasie Road with access to SR 99 and the I-24 interchange. It allows motorists to avoid the busy Cason Lane and Old Fort Parkway intersection. As part of the 2040 Major Transportation Plan, a future crossing of I-24 will provide residents with access to downtown by avoiding interchanges and congestion at Old Fort Parkway and New Salem Highway (SR 99), estimated at 10,000 trips per day.
In addition to the traffic improvements, the bridge provides access to the Stones River Greenway for pedestrians and cyclists using the sidewalk and multi-use path.
Tommy Bragg was born and raised in Murfreesboro and has been married to his wife Jeanne for 55 years. He has three children, Beth, Anne, and John, and two grandchildren. He earned his degree in journalism from U-T Knoxville and is a retired Colonel from the Tennessee Air National Guard. As mayor, he ran on support for the City Schools, sustainable economic development, and support and cooperation for Middle Tennessee State University. Murfreesboro grew by an estimated 50,000 people during his time as mayor with over $6 billion of capital invested in public and private construction. In 2005, he received the Mayor of the Year Award from the Tennessee Municipal League and served as president of TML in 2006. Many who served with Mayor Bragg attended the ceremony.
The new connector bridge is 550 feet in length, composed of continuous reinforced concrete slab, supported by pre-stressed column beams. The three columns are founded on bedrock and the two abutments are built on steel piles to rock. The beams over the Stones River are deeper to accommodate the long spans and the eastern-most spans are shallower to allow the bridge to be as low as possible to still allow a 100-year storm to pass the bridge.
For City News online, visit www.Murfreesborotn.gov.
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