After years of anticipation, the moment is finally here! The I-65 Interchange at June Lake has officially opened, giving Spring Hill a second direct connection to I-65.
Spring Hill officials were joined by state and federal leaders this week for the official ribbon cutting on the Diverging Diamond Interchange.
The "Diverging Diamond Interchange" is the fourth such interchange in Tennessee. The design is meant to help ease the flow of traffic to and from I-65.
The vision for this project began over a decade ago and partnerships with many outside entities — including grant writers, planners, design consultants, Federal Highway Administration, Tennessee Department of Transportation, and Bell Construction, among many others — made this project a reality.
In 2013, a Joint Transportation Task Force was formed with the Town of Thompson's Station, establishing a shared commitment to coordinate transportation planning. Shortly after, in January 2014, the Task Force recommended a "Corridor Management Agreement" be adopted by the two municipalities, which included a specific priority for the construction of an I-65 Interchange at the extension of Buckner Road and Lewisburg Pike.
In 2018, the City of Spring Hill applied for a federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation and was awarded the highest possible amount, $25 million. The City committed this funding to the interchange portion of the project, with TDOT contributing a portion as well.
LIC1 and LIC2 (the two connecting roads to Buckner Lane and Lewisburg Pike) were both built with City of Spring Hill dollars.
For a look back at the construction process, click here.