What's the deal with Old Hickory Blvd (OHB)? (Murfreesboro, Gallatin: high school, license)

[maverick92170]

I've seen roads with this name in virtually every part of Metro Nashville...is this supposed to be the same road, even though it doesn't appear to totally connect at all?

Thanks as always...

[nashvols]

Yes, it's confusing. And there are different highway names for them as well.

Starting clockwise from the northwest, Old Hickory Blvd "begins" at the bottom of Bells Bend in a very rural part of the county. The first several miles of road are windy, two line, and climb through the rugged hills on the northwest side of the county.

On the north side of town, from White's Creek to Gallatin Road (in Madison), it is State Route 45. At Gallatin Road, the Old Hickory Blvd name jumps a block over and runs as a non-highway 2 lane road through part of the old Madison business district.

State Route 45 becomes Robinson Road in Old Hickory, then Hadley Avenue in Lakewood, before becoming Old Hickory Blvd again a little north of The Hermitage. It continues as that until just past I-40.

Past I-40, Old Hickory Blvd "ends" at Pleasant Hill Road. There is a short leg that goes straight towards Percy Priest Lake (boat access ramp & parking area). If you look at a satellite image, you can still see remnants of the original road as it went through what is now part of the lake. There is a stranded piece of OHB on that side of the lake (near the Cook Public Use area).

The next place that OHB starts up again is on the southeast side of town at Murfreesboro Road (as Highway 171). It runs south across to I-24, then soon departs the "main" road (which becomes Burkitt Rd.) and winds its way through semi suburban and semi rural Southeast Davidson.

It winds up at Bell Road (Highway 254) just east of Nolensville Road. OHB continues as Highway 254 westward across I-65, all the way to Highway 100 near Bellevue. Then it takes about a quarter mile jump down Highway 100 and starts up as Highway 251 and runs north to Old Charlotte Pike, about two miles (and across the river) from the "start" point of OHB.




I can see why people find it so confusing and frustrating. It carries 4 different highway names, it (the name) meanders off of the main road a few times, and it most certainly doesn't connect in a circle, although each interstate has an Old Hickory Blvd exit on each side of town. It would be a lot easier if they just took OHB on the path of Bell Road just south of Hermitage. Then, at the very least, it would actually make most of a circle, with the only stop being the short stretch down Highway 100, and the gap between the beginning and end.

[maverick92170]

Sounds like it was a LONG time ago if the lake impounded some of the road...pretty forward thinking, I guess, to a small degree...

Thanks as always, NashVols...I hope I get to hang around Music City for a bit so I can become an "expert" of sorts who can help others on the board in the future also...

BTW-is your handle referring to UT or to the historic minor league BB team from the Sulphur Dell days?

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by maverick92170

Sounds like it was a LONG time ago if the lake impounded some of the road...pretty forward thinking, I guess, to a small degree...

Thanks as always, NashVols...I hope I get to hang around Music City for a bit so I can become an "expert" of sorts who can help others on the board in the future also...

BTW-is your handle referring to UT or to the historic minor league BB team from the Sulphur Dell days?

I'm a UT graduate. But amazing that someone even knows of the Nashville Vols. That's old school.

[groovamos]

I think every kid coming of age in Nashville goes through an OHB orientation, mentally or otherwise. I certainly had a discussion about it with my dad shortly after getting my license and I remember him telling me that it was 200 miles total. It's such a major feature that I could never imagine Nashville without Old Hickory BL, just like I could never have imagined Houston without the Oilers, except, well, OK lots of oh sh__s going around.

[Antioch]

There are are about 4 maybe 5 disconnected Old Hickory Blvds. in Antioch alone... Part of it behind Antioch High school, near the lake, which is on Hobson Pk, which turns to OHB, another one is on St. Rt. 170 (Hobson Pk./Mt. Juliet Rd. in Wilson Co.) it crosses I-24 and becomes Burkitt Rd. You have to turn left off OHB/Burkitt Rd. to be on OHB again, a different one, it then splits through the Cane Ridge Part of Antioch and becomes 2 different OHB's, one that takes you to Bell/Rd OHB, the other one takes you some where else... So just in this area along OHB is very confussing.

[GWoodle]

About the time you get used to Old Hickory you will run into Briley Parkway. Changes it's name and direction as you circle the city.

[maverick92170]

There are 100 or so variations in our metro area here...

The original famed street itself changes names as it goes north...

Crazy that the trees w/peaches are 90 miles south of Atlanta, but hey...

At least OHB appears to have the semblance of some kinda old school bypass that was attempted back in the day, as described here in the thread...

Peachtree has become like a "brand" name here, copied endlessly...

Then again, Old Hickory was a PRESIDENT, so...kinda hard to beat that!

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by GWoodle

About the time you get used to Old Hickory you will run into Briley Parkway. Changes it's name and direction as you circle the city.

At least Briley Pkwy/Thompson Ln/Woodmont Blvd/White Bridge Pk actually makes a complete ring and keeps the same highway designation (TN 155, except on Woodmont, which is unsigned), and the "main" road stays the same throughout.

[justvic77]

Historically, Old Hickory Boulevard used to be a complete circle around Nashville, with ferries used for the river crossings. Rerouting due to new roads/growth has created several disjointed sections, and a portion of OHB was inundated with Old Jefferson when Percy Preist Dam was completed.
I would love to actually find an old map showing the original route. I've seen an 1860 map, but it was just of Downtown, and an 1874 map, but It doesn't show OHB on it.