Gallatin Corridor Makeover Coming This Winter

They say East Nashville has changed — this winter, the area’s main roadway will catch up after a complete makeover with pedestrians in mind. Metro Nashville planner Valeria Martinez shared an in-depth look at coming changes to Main Street and Gallatin Pike last week as Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Choose How You Move priorities kick in across the city. The projects will precede even more work, at a later date, as part of CHYM's complete streets renovations.

O’Connell has implemented a streets vision that invites more pedestrians, cyclists and bus riders, requiring comprehensive improvements to Nashville streets designed for drivers. Deadly crashes, specifically ones victimizing pedestrians, have made headlines this year as residents consider shifting transit habits away from personal vehicles. East Nashville’s Gallatin corridor will be the next huge project planners and builders tackle. 

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Winter construction will bring more lighting, resurfacing, new crosswalks and additional safety features that aim to make Main Street and Gallatin Pike friendlier territory for foot traffic. The city has planned to improve the stretch for years. It's among Metro's "All-Access Corridors" touted as key proofs of concept for CHYM. 

Martinez — a Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure planner who helps implement a city roadway safety program known as Vision Zero — presented specifics in an online presentation on Thursday. Work will also address the many driveways that bring ingress and egress directly onto the busy artery and mark up potentially dangerous left turns at intersections with posts, striping or both at 17 cross streets. In the meantime, expect more traffic — construction begins this month. Martinez’s timeline shows completed work by spring 2027.

"The safety improvements coming to Gallatin Pike this winter are an important step forward," says NDOT via a spokesperson. "NDOT is implementing three new signalized crosswalks, improved lighting, and updated signal timing at 14 intersections to give pedestrians a head start crossing safely. The project also includes paint and flexible delineators, a 'quick build' approach, to address safety issues on the corridor's long, open frontages. This work is funded through State of Good Repair and Vision Zero dollars, and while it's separate from Choose How You Move funding, it helps lay a strong foundation for the future Gallatin Pike All-Access Corridor. We're grateful to the local business owners and Vision Zero Advisory Committee members who engaged with us throughout this process."

Nine people have died, including six pedestrians, along that stretch in the past five years. One of the city’s most dangerous pedestrian areas lies just across Briley Parkway in Madison, where 14 people have been killed in that time, nine of them on foot. More than $10 million has been slated for additional safety improvements this year farther up Gallatin between Alta Loma Road and Liberty Lane, according to the Greater Nashville Regional Council’s Transportation Improvement Program.