"It just takes a long time to be able to complete these projects," Mt. Juliet Commissioner Art Giles told NewsChannel 5 in August. He was talking about Lebanon Road, after the city won $12 million in federal money to widen the stretch between Park Glen Drive and Curd Road to five lanes.
The same report gave the full project six to eight years. Construction itself accounts for 12 to 18 months of that. The rest goes to engineering and buying the land the wider road needs.
That ratio matters if you're comparing homes across Mount Juliet. When someone says a road near a house is getting widened, ask who's paying for it. In this city right now, the answer to that question explains most of the difference between a road that changes in two years and one that changes in eight.
Most of the wait happens before a single lane gets poured
Look at what the Lebanon Road grant actually buys. The City of Mt. Juliet's announcement, carried by WSMV, says the initial $12 million covers the right-of-way acquisition phase. Construction money is expected to follow later, in the form of an estimated $24 million in more federal grants. The Greater Nashville Regional Council grants cover 80% of eligible costs, and the city pays the other 20%.
So the August headline paid for land, not asphalt. With that funding in hand, the city said it would resume engineering and get ready to acquire right-of-way.
That phase is where the real estate friction sits. A Tennessean report in September noted that businesses near Lebanon Road may be affected because right-of-way will be needed along the 1.2-mile stretch. If you're looking at a property that fronts a corridor in this phase, the road you drive on a showing is the road you'll live with for years. The right-of-way line that eventually gets drawn could also come close to the lot. The city or TDOT can tell you where a specific parcel sits in a project's plans. Ask before you sign, not after.
Giles also named the source of the pressure. "There's a lot of growth on Bender's Ferry," he told NewsChannel 5, "and because of that growth, it filters out onto Lebanon Road." Count six to eight years from August 2026 and a finished Lebanon Road lands somewhere between 2032 and 2034.
Three projects, three funding sources, three clocks
Here are the three biggest corridor projects in town, set side by side by who's paying:
| Project | Who pays | Where it stood as of fall 2026 | Construction outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Lebanon Dirt Road, Moreland Dr. to Chandler Rd. | City of Mt. Juliet, start to finish | Groundbreaking held June 29, 2026 | About two years |
| Lebanon Road, Park Glen Dr. to Curd Rd. | Federal grants at 80%, city match at 20% | $12M awarded in August 2026 for right-of-way | 12 to 18 months, inside a 6- to 8-year total |
| I-40/Central Pike interchange | City, state and a federal BUILD grant | Preliminary engineering; right-of-way meeting expected Q4 2026 or Q1 2027 | Start scheduled for fiscal year 2029; completion TBD |
The two ends of this table tell the story. One project broke ground this summer. The other was first approved in concept almost nine years ago and still has no completion date.
When the city writes the whole check
Old Lebanon Dirt Road is the fast example. City documents show a pre-bid meeting on February 3, 2026, with construction expected to start in May. City leaders held the groundbreaking on June 29, less than five months after that meeting. Main Street Media reported that Moss Tech Civil won the bid and that construction is expected to take two years. Vice Mayor Bill Trivett called it "the first road project the City funded from start to finish."
The scope goes beyond extra pavement. Public Works Director Matt White told the Lebanon Democrat that the work corrects horizontal and vertical curves and adds guard rails, rumble strips, reflective markers and a 10-foot multi-use trail. Commissioner Jennifer Milele's May 2026 newsletter adds drainage improvements and an extension of sanitary sewer along part of the corridor.
The reported price isn't settled. Main Street Media put it at $25 million, all city money. The Lebanon Democrat quoted White at roughly $16.5 million, with just over $2 million of that coming from the Stormwater Utility Fund. Both outlets agree on the timeline, and for a homebuyer on that stretch, the timeline is what matters. The road will be under construction for about two years from late June 2026, and then it will be finished.
Even paying to go faster has limits
The I-40/Central Pike interchange shows what happens when a city tries to speed up a state project with its own money. TDOT's project page says the Federal Highway Administration gave conceptual approval to the interchange request in November 2017. In 2023, Mt. Juliet submitted it to TDOT's Statewide Partnership Program, which means the city pays part of the cost to move the project up. The design is a diverging diamond interchange, and Central Pike goes from two lanes to four through the interchange area.
The city's money is substantial. The May newsletter says Mt. Juliet agreed to contribute $25 million and had funded $5 million of it so far. The U.S. Department of Transportation's BUILD grant fact sheet from July 2025 lists $24,666,750 for the project. In May 2026, TDOT moved the construction start up two years, from 2031 to 2029.
On September 15, Main Street Media reported that the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved TDOT's terms for the city's obligations. Those include transferring city-owned land needed for right-of-way at no cost, relocating city utilities, maintaining any new frontage road, and making no changes to road segments inside the acquired right-of-way.
Even with all that money and momentum, TDOT's page still shows preliminary engineering underway, completion "TBD," and a right-of-way meeting expected in Q4 2026 or Q1 2027. Paying more brought the start date closer. It didn't skip the right-of-way phase.
Dates on the connecting roads move in both directions, too. TDOT's page lists the Central Pike widening for fiscal year 2030. Milele's June 2026 newsletter gives 2032 for Phase 1, from I-40 to South Mt. Juliet Road. Her May issue reported that TDOT had pushed that phase back a year, from 2031, and pulled South Mt. Juliet Road forward a year, to 2031. The two sources don't line up, and either date could shift again.
Lebanon Road has one more segment worth knowing about. Milele's May newsletter says the stretch from Park Glen Drive to Golden Bear Gateway is on hold because TDOT hasn't funded its right-of-way or construction phases. Right-of-way alone is estimated at more than $15 million, and the city had already spent $855,473.17 on engineering.
How to use this on a showing
If the funding source sets the clock, then which funding phase a road is in tells you how much of your ownership you'll spend with the road as it is today. Here's how that plays out house by house:
- Drive the commute at the hour you'll actually drive it. Giles described Lebanon Road backups as worst "in the afternoons and early evening." If the federal timeline holds, a buyer near that stretch today could be living with the current road into the early 2030s.
- Ask what phase the project is in. A city-funded project with a contractor already working, like Old Lebanon Dirt Road, has a short, visible horizon. A project funded only for right-of-way, like Lebanon Road, has its longest stretch still ahead.
- Ask whether right-of-way acquisition has started near the house. For corridor-frontage property, it's a question for the city or TDOT about that exact parcel, and the answer can affect your plans.
- Count the small fixes too. TDOT's center turn lane in front of West Elementary was reported complete in early August 2026. A May 2026 update on the N. Mt. Juliet Road and Curd Road intersection listed Nickel Contracting as contractor, a $900,000 cost and projected completion in November 2026. Smaller projects like these can ease your commute years before the big widenings are done.
This is general information about public projects, not legal or financial advice. If right-of-way work could affect a property you're considering, confirm the details with the city, TDOT or your attorney.
Questions buyers ask about Mount Juliet road work
Does a big grant announcement mean construction is close?
Not necessarily. The August 2026 Lebanon Road award paid for right-of-way. Construction depends on a separate, anticipated $24 million.
When does the Central Pike interchange open?
TDOT hasn't set a completion date. Construction is scheduled to start in fiscal year 2029, and the right-of-way meeting is expected in Q4 2026 or Q1 2027.
Where can I check a project's status myself?
TDOT keeps a Central Pike project page. Main Street Media's "Mt. Juliet Road Map" column covers city projects as they reach milestones.
Eddie Poole and our team will drive the route with you at rush hour and help you find out where a nearby project stands before you make an offer. Schedule a free consultation and bring the addresses you're considering.
