State Route 690 opens for travelers in Obion County

OBION COUNTY, Tenn. — Wednesday marks an occasion that has been long awaited, as State Route 690 opens in Obion County.

SR 690 — part of the future Interstate 69 — opened the roadway for travelers.

According to TDOT, the section of road from west of SR 21 to south of SR 5 has taken multiple projects over the course of a decade to complete, along with a $220 million investment.

“Of course this is a major part in the overall plan to connect us to an interstate system,” said Obion County Mayor Steve Carr.

In celebration of this long awaited day Chamber members and other business men and women in Obion County met over lunch at Discovery Park of America, where they were able to watch from the 199-foot Cooper Tower the first few sets of wheels cruise the interstate.

“And so it’s really exciting that today it’s actually open and we’re seeing people drive back and forth on the interstate, and so the millions of people that have stood up here at Discovery Park’s Tower and looked down and seen what for a long time looked like a landing strip,” said Discovery Park’s CEO Scott Williams.

Williams also says how this will impact business in the area.

“Of course when you have an interstate coming through like this, it draws restaurants, hotels, gas stations and tourists,” Williams said. “There’s an exit on each side, so that whether you’re coming from one direction or the other, you’ll see Discovery Park’s incredible building.”

This road will become part of I-69 that will stretch into Kentucky.

The completion of the future I-69 will pave a way from the Michigan-Canada border down to Mexico.

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