Cumberland County Road Projects: Funding, Construction and What Comes Next
Last verified: October 1, 2026
This is a project-status tracker, not a live traffic service.
What major road projects are underway or planned in Cumberland County, Tennessee?
Major projects include US 127 widening north of Crossville, replacement of the US 70N bridge over the Obed River, I-40 bridge work and resurfacing, and the planned Northwest Connector Phase 2. Their stages differ: US 127 from I-40 to Potato Farm Road remains under construction; the next stretch, Potato Farm Road to Lowe Road, has a construction award; and TDOT has announced the Lowe Road–Little Road segment complete. The Northwest Connector has a $21 million grant but still has preconstruction work ahead. US 127 overview · August contract awards · TDOT completion announcement · City engineering record
This page tracks 10 distinct projects, including one recently completed corridor segment. The two middle US 127 planning segments share one construction contract and are counted once. Separate I-40 and US 70N traffic notices for the same bridge contract are also counted once.
Latest road-project updates
- US 127 middle segments have advanced beyond the overview page’s right-of-way label. The August 14, 2026 letting produced contract CN262058, awarded to Charles Blalock & Sons for $69,978,616.17. The bid schedule specifies October 31, 2030. An actual construction start was not established from records reviewed. Award · Bid schedule, PDF page 80
- Lowe Road to Little Road is agency-announced complete. TDOT’s September social announcement is newer than the corridor overview’s “under construction” entry. Formal contract acceptance was not located. TDOT announcement
- Crab Orchard bridge work has a newer start forecast. TDOT’s October 1 report forecasts October 5; its September 3 report had forecast September 8. These are successive forecasts, not proof that work started on either date. October report · September report
- Crossville’s Main Street resurfacing still has final activities listed. Do not treat the original July 31 bid deadline as proof of completion. Bid schedule, PDF page 76 · October report
Master project-status table
Dollar figures below have different meanings. A grant, an awarded bid and a current contract amount are not interchangeable. “Current contract” means the amount shown in the cited dated TDOT progress estimate, not a final audited cost. All rows were checked October 1, 2026.
| Project | Route / limits | Type | Verified stage | Cost / contract figure | Latest milestone | Expected next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 127: I-40–Potato Farm | SR 28, LM 17.8–22.7 | Widening, bridges and paving | Construction underway | $65,533,461.15 current contract | October activity report; August pay period | Completion target November 6, 2026; verify acceptance S02 · S03 |
| US 127: Potato Farm–Lowe | SR 28, LM 22.68–29.18; includes Hollow Lane | Widening, drainage and bridges | Contract awarded; start not established | $69,978,616.17 awarded bid | August letting; award list updated September 9 | Verify notice to proceed / start; bid deadline October 31, 2030 S05 · S06 |
| US 127: Lowe–Little | SR 28, across Cumberland–Fentress line | Widening and Clear Creek bridge | Agency-announced complete | $78,478,913.55 current contract in August estimate | September agency completion announcement | Locate formal acceptance and final amount S04 · S07 |
| Northwest Connector Phase 2 | Northside Drive, US 70N–US 127N | New connector | Design / preconstruction; grant awarded | $21 million SPP grant; final cost undetermined | City engineering file dated August 28 | Plans, environmental and utility coordination; conditional fall 2027 bidding assumption S09 |
| Obed River bridge | US 70N / SR 24, LM 15.37, Crossville | Bridge replacement | Construction underway | $5,454,834.94 current contract | July pay period and October activity report | Contract target December 20, 2026 S10 · S02 |
| I-40 bridges over US 70N | Western county edge; I-40 work zone MM 304.4–306.6 | Bridge widening / repair and paving | Construction underway | $16,243,467.04 current contract | August pay period; median work reported | Contract target December 20, 2027 S11 · S02 |
| I-40 near Plateau Road | MM 306.2–311 | Major resurfacing | Construction underway | $3,946,690.07 Rogers bid | October activity report | Original bid deadline October 31, 2026; check later contract record S12 · S02 |
| Main Street, Crossville | US 127 / SR 28, Miller Avenue–near Elmore Road | 2.35-mile resurfacing | Final construction activities reported | $1,900,000 Rogers bid | October activity report | Confirm revised schedule and completion S12 · S02 |
| I-40 over Main Street, Crab Orchard | MM 328.2–328.4 activity area | Bridge repairs | Contract awarded; start forecast rescheduled | $598,394.70 awarded bid | October 5 start forecast issued October 1 | Verify start; original bid deadline October 31, 2026 S13 · S15 |
| Westel Road / I-40 interchange | SR 299, near Pig Path Road–I-40 | Road and interchange improvements | Preconstruction proposal / county coordination | Final scope-matched cost not established | August county proposal and mayor’s explanation | Verify executed agreement, design/ROW milestones and letting S16 · S17 |
Source labels in the table refer to the official links at the end of this page. The individual sections explain schedule and funding limitations.
US 127 / SR 28: three different project stages
I-40 to Potato Farm Road: construction continues
TDOT’s October activity report lists grading and paving under Jones Bros. Contractors, contract CNV009. Its August 2026 progress estimate records work beginning April 7, 2021, and a November 6, 2026 completion target. That precise contract target is more useful than the corridor overview’s broader fall 2026 estimate, but neither is a guarantee that the project will be accepted that day. Activity · Progress estimate, page 1
The original contract amount was $62,976,602.67; the same estimate lists $65,533,461.15 as the current amount. Those are construction-contract figures. They do not establish the full cost of property, design or every utility agreement. The estimate is marked unapproved, and its dollar-based completion percentage is not a measurement of how much roadway is physically finished. Progress estimate
What comes next: a dated completion or acceptance record. Until then, retain construction status and keep temporary travel restrictions in the dated traffic box below.
Potato Farm Road to Lowe Road: one award covers two planning segments
This is the most consequential change from the corridor overview. The overview still describes the Potato Farm–Hollow Lane and Hollow Lane–Lowe Road pieces as being in right-of-way acquisition. TDOT’s newer award record identifies one contract, CN262058, for both pieces: grading, drainage, concrete bridges and paving from LM 22.68 to LM 29.18. Charles Blalock & Sons received the award at $69,978,616.17. Overview · Award
The bid schedule gives a 6.359-mile contract length and a completion deadline of October 31, 2030. A construction start or notice to proceed was not located in the records reviewed. The accurate label is therefore contract awarded, rather than an unverified claim that crews are already building the entire middle stretch. Bid schedule
Older planning figures must remain separate. The May 2025 ten-year plan listed estimated costs of $60.8 million and $49.8 million for the two planning segments. Those figures are not two additional contracts to add to the combined award. The draft FY2026–2029 STIP also separates construction programming from total project estimates. Its draft status does not establish a new federal authorization. Ten-year plan · Draft STIP
There is also a scope discrepancy worth preserving: the corridor overview describes a two-lane “Super Two” approach, while the draft STIP’s Hollow–Lowe entry describes four lanes. This tracker does not promise a final lane count for the awarded package without resolving that difference against the construction plans.
What comes next: verify the start record, the controlling construction cross-sections and subsequent contract updates. The 2030 date is the bid-schedule deadline, not an opening announcement.
Lowe Road to Little Road: completion announced, financial closeout not established
TDOT has announced completion of this cross-county segment and its Clear Creek bridge. That agency statement supersedes the undated overview’s construction label. It does not mean every remaining part of US 127 between I-40 and Little Road is complete. TDOT announcement
Contract CNV300 began work February 21, 2022. Its August estimate lists an original contract of $85,391,056.98, a current contract of $78,478,913.55, and an August 31, 2026 target. The estimate’s substantial-completion and acceptance fields are blank. A lower current amount is not evidence of final savings until the final scope and accounting are reconciled. Progress estimate
What comes next: obtain formal acceptance and the final contract amount. This row remains visible as a recent completion so readers can distinguish it from the neighboring projects.
Northwest Connector Phase 2: what the $21 million grant covers—and what remains open
Phase 2 is the proposed Northside Drive connection between US 70 North and US 127 North. Crossville’s engineering record reports a $21 million Statewide Partnership Program grant. It assigns TDOT coordination of environmental reevaluation, permits, utilities, plan review and bid preparation, with Gresham Smith responsible for design services. City file 26-0356
The city would cover costs exceeding the grant, and the final amount depends on construction bids. The record’s fall 2027 bidding reference is conditional. Its related cash-flow assumptions are not a contractor start order. The public file reviewed does not establish an executed construction contract or completed council action on every requested agreement.
The documented position is therefore design/preconstruction with a grant award. Next evidence should include executed agreements, updated plans and environmental/utility milestones, followed by an actual letting notice. Do not call the entire project fully funded at a final fixed price. City file
US 70N bridge over the Obed River: an active replacement with a long closure
This is SR 24 at LM 15.37, not a different Obed River bridge on US 70 / SR 1. TDOT’s November 2025 notice forecast a November 19 closure and December 2026 completion. It identified the detour via SR 462 / Northside Drive and SR 1 / Sparta Highway and committed to maintaining access to Obed River Park. Closure announcement
The later CNZ206 progress record identifies Mid-State Construction Company, work beginning October 30, 2025, and a December 20, 2026 contract target. The original amount was $5,442,181.06; the July-period estimate lists $5,454,834.94. October’s activity report continues to list the closure. Progress estimate · Activity
What comes next: a newer progress estimate and an official reopening/completion notice. The closure’s extent is not the bridge’s physical length, and the forecast date alone does not authorize calling the bridge open.
I-40 and Main Street: separate contracts, separate clocks
Western I-40 bridges over US 70N
CNZ290 combines bridge widening/repair with grading, drainage and paving. Rogers Group’s August estimate lists a $16,243,467.04 current contract, up from $15,995,774.10, with work beginning January 20, 2026 and a December 20, 2027 target. The I-40 and SR 24 activity entries describe the same contract, so their costs must not be added together. Contract record
The activity area reaches toward the Putnam County boundary. The cost above is the entire identified contract, not an allocation calculated for particular motorists, road sections or jurisdictions.
I-40 resurfacing near Plateau Road
Contract CNZ327 covers 4.8 miles, from near the parking-area exit to east of the Plateau Road interchange. Rogers Group’s bid was $3,946,690.07, with an original October 31, 2026 deadline. October’s activity notice supports construction status; it does not establish a revised final contract amount or acceptance. Bid schedule · Activity
Crossville Main Street resurfacing
Contract CNZ291 covers 2.35 miles of US 127 / SR 28, from near Miller Avenue to near US 70N / SR 24. Rogers Group bid $1.9 million. The original bid deadline was July 31, 2026, but the October report still lists final activities. This establishes work being reported after the original deadline; it does not establish the reason or terms of a formal extension. A revised deadline was not located. Bid schedule · Activity
Crab Orchard: I-40 bridges over Main Street
The award record identifies CN262041, Capital City Construction Services, and a $598,394.70 bid for repairs over the abandoned Southern Railway and Main Street. The bid deadline was October 31, 2026. October’s activity report uses a shortened contract identifier and forecasts work starting October 5, superseding the September 8 forecast in the September report. No revised completion deadline or actual start was established. Award · Bid schedule · September · October
Westel Road and the I-40 interchange: preconstruction evidence
The county mayor’s August 17 account identifies a TDOT proposal under resolution 08-2026-1 and describes improvements from near Pig Path Road to I-40: widening, turning movements, drainage, sidewalks and interchange/bridge work. It also states that closing Pig Path Road is not part of the proposal. County agenda · Mayor’s explanation
These records support tracking a public transportation project. They do not establish a construction award or start date. The mayor’s page contains an “approved/failed” drafting inconsistency in its vote sentence; this tracker does not use that sentence as certified minutes. Executed agreements, adopted minutes and a scope-matched current budget remain the next records to verify.
Temporary traffic information: October 1–7, 2026 only
The following is a dated snapshot of TDOT’s activity report, not a promise of conditions when you travel:
- US 127 near the southern widening project: Lawson Road closure and a posted detour; temporary stops may occur.
- US 70N at the Obed replacement: road closure and signed detour.
- Western I-40 bridge work: shifted traffic; associated SR 24 single-lane operation with temporary signals.
- I-40 resurfacing and Crossville Main Street: nighttime work may affect lanes.
- Crab Orchard Main Street: a single-lane restriction is forecast with the October 5 bridge-work start.
Check the official report, TDOT SmartWay or 511 for travel conditions. Remove or replace this box after October 7; expired closure information must not remain labeled current.
How to read stages and costs
Planning and design describe preparation. Right-of-way concerns property acquisition. Environmental review and utility relocation are separate activities and can overlap other stages. A funding award establishes the identified funding, not that every required dollar or approval exists. A letting is the bidding event; an award selects the contractor. Construction status requires dated evidence of actual work. Substantial completion and final acceptance require their own records.
“Not established from records reviewed” means evidence is missing, not that a project is canceled. An old date passing does not by itself prove cancellation, breach or a formal schedule extension.
We distinguish estimates, programmed funds, grants, awarded bids, current contract amounts and final costs. We do not total this table into a countywide spending figure: it mixes cost classes, dates and cross-county scopes. Federal project identifiers show a federal-program connection but do not establish the final federal/state/local split.
Next milestones to watch
| Milestone | Date or window supported | What would confirm it |
|---|---|---|
| Crab Orchard bridge-work start | October 5, 2026 forecast | New TDOT work report |
| I-40 resurfacing and Crab Orchard original contract deadlines | October 31, 2026 | Completion record or revised contract deadline |
| I-40–Potato Farm completion target | November 6, 2026 | Completion / acceptance record |
| Obed bridge completion target | December 20, 2026 | Reopening and contract completion record |
| Western I-40 bridge contract target | December 20, 2027 | Later progress record |
| Northwest Connector bidding | Conditional fall 2027 assumption | Actual letting notice |
| Potato Farm–Lowe bid deadline | October 31, 2030 | Subsequent contract updates; first verify start |
Sources, corrections and related local decisions
We match records by route, endpoints and contract number. A newer award or completion record can supersede an older overview. News coverage helps locate records and understand chronology, but current stages above rely on agency records or a clearly identified official’s account. Some documents are undated or update in place; source dates and verification dates are kept separately.
The tracker is selective, covering consequential construction and preconstruction projects. It is not a complete inventory of county maintenance. The county highway department maintains road-list and service information. Being on that road list does not establish a funded improvement project.
Change log — October 1, 2026: Initial research edition. Separated three US 127 construction packages; reconciled the middle-segment award and northern completion announcement; distinguished original bid dates from later activity; added connector and Westel preconstruction limitations.
Corrections: Please identify the project, disputed statement and supporting official record through WorthFighting.org’s established contact channel. Substantive corrections should record the old claim, corrected claim, evidence and correction date. A new target date should preserve the previous date in the history.
For related decisions, visit the Cumberland County hub, development-projects tracker, building-permit guide and Crossville water-decisions tracker. Broader coverage is available in Tennessee local resources and the Tennessee state page.
Official records
- S01: TDOT US 127 / SR 28 corridor overview. Undated; checked October 1.
- S02: TDOT October 1–7, 2026 activity report. Published October 1.
- S03: CNV009 August progress estimate. Printed September 11, 2026.
- S04: TDOT agency announcement feed: Lowe–Little completion. September 2026 post; relative date displayed; checked October 1.
- S05–S06: August 14 award list and bid summary. Letting page updated September 9.
- S07: CNV300 August progress estimate. Printed September 11, 2026.
- S08: TDOT ten-year plan. Updated May 2, 2025.
- S09: Crossville engineering file 26-0356. Created August 28, 2026.
- S10: CNZ206 July progress estimate. Printed August 11, 2026.
- S11: CNZ290 August progress estimate. Printed September 10, 2026.
- S12: December 5, 2025 bid summary. CNZ327 PDF page 69; CNZ291 page 76.
- S13, S15: May 8, 2026 awards and bid summary. Crab Orchard, CN262041.
- S14: TDOT September 3–9, 2026 activity report. Historical forecast.
- S16–S17: August county agenda and county mayor’s August 17 explanation.
- S18: Draft FY2026–2029 STIP. Draft revision February 5, 2026; relevant project sheets dated September 25, 2025.
- S19: TDOT Obed bridge closure announcement. November 13, 2025.
- S20: Cumberland County Highway Department. Road-list and service resources.