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Franklin plans $753,190 SR‑96 access‑control and turn‑lane project after debate over cheaper temporary option
Summary
Staff recommended awarding a $753,190 contract to Nickel Mill Nickel Company LLC for State Route 96 / Murfreesboro Road median and turn‑lane improvements. Aldermen debated a lower‑cost temporary delineator option and whether added milling/resurfacing scope justified the higher price.
City staff presented a proposed construction contract for State Route 96 (Murfreesboro Road) access control and Royal Oaks improvements at the Aug. 26 work session, recommending award to Nickel Mill Nickel Company LLC with a bid of $753,190.
The project scope includes installation of a raised median along SR‑96, conversion of shoulders east of I‑65 to through and turn lanes to add capacity, and minor turn‑lane modifications at Royal Oaks to address sight‑distance issues at a commercial driveway (Aldi). Staff said most work will take place at night, with daytime work limited to the Royal Oaks modifications, and that the contractor anticipates a four‑month construction window beginning with a notice to proceed in early September and possible completion by December.
Aldermen engaged in an extended discussion about a lower‑cost option previously discussed in December — temporary delineators and a less extensive pavement treatment — that staff estimated at roughly $70,000–$84,000 versus the current package. Staff explained the current bid added milling and resurfacing of shoulders east of I‑65 and additional items intended to bring the corridor further into compliance and improve long‑term safety and capacity; an alderman estimated the new scope added about $375,000 to the earlier base concept.
Opposition and concern focused on the higher price and whether it was necessary for a temporary safety fix; supporters argued the intersection is among the city’s highest crash locations, that the work will deliver a longer‑lasting safety improvement (mountable concrete medians, extended turn stacking, improved U‑turn signalization) and that the added scope reduces recurring maintenance and safety risk. Staff said the design extends turn‑lane stacking by roughly 100 feet in some locations, preserves emergency‑vehicle access with mountable curb sections and adds signal changes to better control U‑turns. Aldermen sought and staff provided a construction timeline and stakeholder outreach plan for affected businesses.
No final contract vote was recorded at the Aug. 26 work session; staff sought direction and indicated the work is time‑sensitive due to seasonal asphalt availability and a short construction window.
