Stretch of Tenn. 385 opens up Arlington

Highway being hailed for its access to progress

By Cassandra Kimberly, Commercial Appeal
September 5, 2007

Five miles of highway can make a huge difference to a town like Arlington, said business owner Sandy Brewer.

"It's going to bring a whole new area to Arlington," she said. "Now people from Oakland and Eads and even Cordova have easy access to an area that they might not have known was there before."

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, the Tennessee Department of Transportation officially opened a 2.48-mile section of Tenn. 385 connecting U.S. 64 in Eads to Interstate 40, Arlington, Lakeland and Millington.

In the excitement of what state Sen. Mark Norris called "a red-letter day," Arlington business owners began imagining the potential for the tree-lined highway.

"I can just see a boom of businesses around U.S. 70 and around U.S. 64," said Arlington Chamber of Commerce president Claudia Horton, noting the need for shopping centers and entertainment businesses in Arlington.

"Hopefully that five miles along Highway 385 will link us together, and people won't pass us up as much."

The highway, which links Millington with I-40 and I-240 with Collierville, will skirt the Fayette-Shelby county line and provide an outer loop for the Memphis area. Eventually, it will be part of the Interstate 269 route extending from I-69 north of Memphis around the city into Marshall and DeSoto counties in Mississippi, where it will reconnect with I-69 and I-55.

The anticipation of growth to the town filled with mostly service businesses is warranted, said TDOT spokesman Pamela Marshall.

"Roadways help spur economic development in communities," she said. "I'm sure 20 years from now we may be baffled by the average daily traffic count."

In addition to the long-term benefit of managed developmental growth the town is hoping for, the highway will also benefit residents in the short term by redirecting congested traffic on Airline Road, said Arlington Town Superintendent Ed Haley.

"It's going to give us a double way to get into Arlington," he said. "It's not only going to be a relief valve, but it's going to make it much safer to get around."

Although it is expected to attract travelers and morning commuters, if the highway isn't a hit, all will not be lost, said Horton.

"If nothing else, it's certainly going to be a plus for the truckers," she said. "If they pull off in Arlington, we'll feed them and we'll certainly fill their tanks. How can we go wrong there?"