The Honest Take
Traffic: The One Thing Nobody Sugarcoats
If you ask a Spring Hill resident what they'd change about the city, the answer is almost always traffic. The average commute is 30 minutes — but that number hides a lot. Rush hour to downtown Nashville? Plan on an hour.
Real Drive Times
Off-peak vs. rush hour (7-9 AM / 4-6 PM). These are realistic estimates, not best-case scenarios.
The I-65 Bottleneck
The core issue is a 6-mile stretch of 4-lane I-65 between I-840 and Saturn Parkway that carries over 72,000 vehicles per day. It wasn't built for this volume.
I-65 Widening: Construction Expected 2028
TDOT's Ten-Year Plan schedules construction to begin in 2028 on widening I-65 from Saturn Parkway (SR-396) to near I-840 — the bottleneck stretch — from four lanes to six. As of August 2026 the work is in procurement, with auxiliary lanes planned between June Lake Boulevard and I-840. Cepicky / TDOT update (April 2026)
A 2028 start still means years before you feel it in the afternoon grind. Treat today's four-lane commute as the one you're buying.
Buckner Lane and the New I-65 Exit
- The I-65 exit at Buckner Road opened May 31, 2024. It cost $56.8M, and the city paid $30M (city page).
- Buckner Lane is going from 2 lanes to 5 between Buckner Road and Duplex Road. The north half was in punch-list work at last report, and the city's October 2026 capital projects report lists only the south half as active, due in December 2026 (project page).
- The Port Royal Road intersection on Buckner Lane is next. Bids opened Oct. 27, 2026.
- Lewisburg Pike near I-840 is set to be widened from 2 lanes to 4 before the Sagefield shopping center can open. The target is 2028.
What it means for you: if you live near Buckner Lane or June Lake, the Buckner Road exit is a real second way onto I-65. Expect lane shifts on Buckner Lane through the end of 2026.
What Is Being Fixed
Buckner Lane Widening — North Segment
2 lanes to 5 (Buckner Road to just north of Wades Crossing)
Wrapping up (punch-list work, per the city) · Four lanes from June Lake Blvd to Wades Grove
Buckner Lane Widening — South Segment
2 lanes to 5 (south toward Duplex Road)
Under construction, with lane shifts · December 2026
Buckner Lane / Port Royal Road Intersection
New left and right turn lanes, sidewalks and crosswalks
Bids opened Oct 27, 2026 · Work projected to start December 2026
Port Royal Road Improvements
Corridor study from Saturn Parkway to Kedron Road
Planning — preliminary design and environmental study · TBD
Kedron Road Improvements
Widening from Old Kedron Road to Main Street, intersection improvements
Planning / early stage · 7-10 year buildout
Buckner Road Widening — West Segment
Buckner Road to Main Street, widened to 5 lanes
Future · Not before 2027
I-65 Widening — Saturn Parkway to I-840
4 lanes to 6 lanes, plus auxiliary lanes at June Lake Boulevard; replace Thompson's Station Road overpass
In TDOT Ten-Year Plan — procurement as of August 2026. Construction expected to begin 2028. · Construction expected to begin 2028
US-31 / SR-6 Widening — Duplex Road to Buckner Road
Widen State Route 6 (Columbia Pike) from SR-247 (Duplex Road) to north of Thompson's Ridge Road / Buckner Road
In TDOT Ten-Year Plan. Construction expected to begin 2033. · Construction expected to begin 2033
Who Spring Hill Works Best For
Remote / hybrid workers. 23% of residents already work from home. With AT&T Fiber covering 85-95% of homes, the infrastructure is there. If you don't commute daily, the traffic issue largely disappears.
Cool Springs / Franklin commuters. 18-22 minutes off-peak. Very manageable.
Reverse commuters to Columbia. 15-20 minutes, against traffic flow.
Daily downtown Nashville commuters. This is the pain point. 60-75 minutes each way during rush hour is the reality.