Jones Boulevard, a narrow 2-lane roadway that stretches in the center of neighborhoods between Broad Street and Church Street, will undergoing a major improvement beginning in late 2017.

The 1.5-mile street currently has no shoulder or sidewalks. The widening project from Ridgely Road to Northfield Boulevard will add a 10-foot multi-use path, a 5-foot sidewalk, and the addition of curbs and gutters.

"We're excited about it. It's a project that I've wanted to get sidewalks and pedestrian connectivity installed for a while," said City Engineer Chris Griffith.

The goal is to make the area more pedestrian friendly, especially for the children who walk to school or to the Boys and Girls Club of America, located at 820 Jones Blvd.

"I think it's important because we currently have children walking to and from the Boys and Girls Club between Mitchell Neilson," said City Councilmember Eddie Smotherman. "When it rains there is no ditch to get off into because the ditch is full of water. We've got a dangerous condition that we've kind of ignored for a few years and truly it needs to be brought to the forefront."

The 1.5 mile project will add a 3-lane section, sidewalks, and a multi-use path. The project will ultimately connect residential areas to commercial areas along Medical Center Parkway.

"We're essentially talking all the way from Northfield Boulevard down to the Boys and Girls Club just past Medical Center Parkway," added Griffith. "I tell people it will be a headache, it will be a nuisance while the construction is on-going, but I think it's something that the community will be proud of for years to come."

Construction will begin at the end of 2017 and is scheduled to be completed by 2019.

For more information on the project, contact City Engineer Chris Griffith at cgriffith@murfreesborotn.gov or by calling (615) 893-6441.

The City of Murfreesboro conducted a public informational meeting at Mitchell Neilson Elementary School on the proposed project, November 1, 2016, which provided an opportunity for public comment on the proposed Jones Boulevard Improvement Project.