Traffic data and lower‑cost options highlighted as board considers CIP priorities for Mac Hatcher, Franklin Road and Carothers Parkway

City transportation staff used new traffic counts and simulation runs at a June 2025 work session to show where congestion concentrates in Franklin and to present lower‑cost, staged options that could be considered in the Capital Improvements Program.

Why it matters: the board is prioritizing CIP projects that address congestion in growth areas. Staff said some high‑traffic segments already approach two‑lane capacity constraints and that crashes and diversion from I‑65 and nearby widening projects can dramatically increase queuing on adjacent city streets.

Staffers cited Average Daily Traffic (ADT) counts and localized detector data. The presentation highlighted a segment of Murfreesboro Road with counts in excess of 68,000 vehicles per day in the study area (an ADT figure drawn from regional mappings and local counters), and flagged persistent AM and PM queuing at the intersections of Mac Hatcher, Franklin Road north of Mac Hatcher and Carothers Parkway near the I‑65 interchange.

For each hotspot staff proposed intermediate fixes and lower‑cost alternatives to full corridor widenings. Examples included adding a second westbound lane approaching Mac Hatcher / Hillsborough to reduce queuing; adding an additional northbound lane on Franklin Road north of Mac Hatcher together with turn‑lane changes; and targeted retiming and restriping packages that use existing pavement width to increase throughput. Staff said these smaller interventions can yield measurable reductions in delay while the city pursues funding for larger projects such as full Franklin Road widening or an interchange reconstruction at Route 96 and I‑65.

The Carothers Parkway widening was discussed specifically: the board has previously identified $29 million in CIP funds for widening but staff reiterated that peak problems are occasionally compounded by incidents on I‑65 and by northbound queues tied to school drop‑offs and nearby access points. Staff said a traffic signal is warranted at Long Point Way and that intersection work would address specific local delays even if it does not resolve broader interchange congestion tied to regional traffic patterns.

Aldermen and staff discussed the interchange at Route 96 and I‑65. Staff said the interchange appears in the regional transportation plan as a mid‑term, financially constrained project and that a corridor/interchange study and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) steps would be needed before construction. Board members asked staff to bring back data showing how many trips that use the critical junction originate inside Franklin city limits versus outside the city.

Staff also described short‑term measures already underway, including planned restriping and concrete barrier work at one problem intersection, and described use of new software tools to retime signals based on real‑time detector data. The team said the retiming had reduced delay at one intersection after the Murfreesboro Road widening and would be a continuing tool to manage corridor performance.

Ending: Staff said they will return refined cost estimates for the staged options, timing for right‑of‑way acquisition when required, and a clearer timeline for studies tied to the I‑65 interchange. The board asked staff to include the proposed short‑term restriping and signal work in project prioritization and to bring back the requested origin‑destination breakdown for trips affecting the I‑65 interchange.