SMYRNA, TN – At noon this coming Tuesday (12/16/2025), Jefferson Pike will enter a new era. The Town of Smyrna has announced updated speed limits along the freshly widened corridor, a move designed to protect not only drivers but also the growing number of pedestrians and cyclists who now share the roadway.
The changes come on the heels of the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) completion of the Jefferson Pike widening project. After decades of being labeled one of Rutherford County’s “most deadly” roads, Jefferson Pike finally received shoulders, sidewalks, bike lanes, and a new bridge over the Stones River. With the asphalt laid and the paint dry, Smyrna leaders didn’t stop there—they commissioned a formal speed study, backed by computer‑based safety analysis, to make sure the roadway’s design matched the realities of traffic flow.
The study broke Jefferson Pike into three segments, each evaluated for safe travel speeds. The result: new speed limits that aim to balance efficiency with safety. Town officials say the changes are not just numbers on a sign—they’re part of a broader push to ensure Jefferson Pike never again earns its old reputation as a “death trap.”…