High traffic volumes created peak-hour congestion, resulting in delays and crashes along a 10-mile portion of I-65 outside Nashville. The Tennessee Department of Transportation undertook a widening project to eliminate that bottleneck by adding one additional travel lane in each direction to widen the highway to six total lanes; replace and widen five mainline bridge pairs (10 bridges total); replace four overpasses; add 17 retaining walls; convert the northbound weigh station into a truck parking facility; and add 11 new SmartWay traffic cameras. Despite the complexity and scope of the project – plus unforeseen challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic – the agency completed this project seven months ahead of schedule. Substantial socioeconomic benefits of the project were brought about by transforming what was once a modest two-lane, tree-separated roadway into a crucial transportation corridor. The enhanced capacity and improved infrastructure are streamlining the movement of goods, reducing transportation costs, and increasing the competitiveness of regional businesses. The Tennessee DOT said the $188 million project was so successful that it is emulating the same approach on the next segment of I-65 to be widened, which begins in the summer of 2025.