Construction of the 28th/31st Avenue Connector that will unite parts of West End with North Nashville is more than half-way complete, following the installation of 18 massive support beams and placement of the concrete deck for the bridge.  

The bridge spans the CSX railroad that runs behind Centennial Park and is the centerpiece of the 0.3 mile roadway that will connect neighborhoods while creating a better line of traffic from Metro General Hospital, Meharry Medical College and TSU to Centennial Medical Center, HCA and Vanderbilt. 

The 18 beams, each measuring 102’x9” long and weighing approximately 70,000 pounds, were installed over a three-day period in mid-March. The bridge deck, completed during April, required approximately 120,000 pounds of reinforcing steel and 62 truckloads of concrete. 

“When completed, the 28th Avenue Connector will reconnect two vital parts of our city and spur economic development,” Mayor Karl Dean said. “It will also showcase public art and help make Nashville even more pedestrian and bike-friendly, which are all important to me. With the project beyond the halfway point, I am pleased with the progress and am grateful to all the Metro departments that have partnered to make it a success.”

Mayor Dean and community leaders broke ground for the long-awaited connector on May 24, 2011. September 2012 is the estimated completion date for the approximately $18 million project.  

“For many months, work on the Connector project involved grading operations and installation of foundations, retaining walls and other support structures,” said Tony Montiel, PE, construction inspection manager. “Now that the bridge support beams and deck are in place, the remaining phase of construction should move forward quickly.”

The 28th/31st Ave. Connector will be a median-divided thoroughfare that will accommodate alternatives to car trips including new transit service, separate bike paths and wide sidewalks.

In addition to public art, it will also include sustainable features such as special landscaping.

The Connector project team is being led by Metro Public Works Engineering Division. Team members include Metro Water Services, Metro Arts Commission, Metro Parks & Recreation, Metro Transit Authority, Gresham Smith & Partners, Littlejohn Engineering Associates, CDM Smith, and Bell & Associates Construction.