Council approves construction contract for Rutherford Boulevard Adaptive Signal Control Technology project
S&W Contracting Awarded contract for TDOT grant-funded adaptive signalization
The Murfreesboro City Council approved the $5.35 million construction contract, Thursday, March 27, 2025, including a 5 percent contingency allowance, for construction of the Rutherford Adaptive Signal Control Technology (ASCT) project. ASCT is an emerging technology that allows transportation agencies to provide safer and more efficient roads and roadway systems. This technology monitors traffic in real-time and automatically adjusts signal timings to reduce congestion and keep traffic moving. Murfreesboro is one of the first municipalities in Tennessee to leverage this technology on such a large traffic signalization network.
The ASCT project is funded by $4.86 million in federal expenditure through TDOT grant funding and $536,127 in local matching funds through the City CIP budget and reallocated FY22 CIP funds.z
“This high-technology improvement to 14 signalized intersections will help traffic flow to alleviate congestion in this highly traveled area,” said Mayor Shane McFarland. “The City of Murfreesboro is grateful for the support and funding by TDOT. The City and TDOT continue to collaborate on major projects. This is just another example of that partnership.”
S&W Contracting Co., LLC was the lowest responsible bidder on Feb. 11, 2025, in the amount of $5,106,752. The City Transportation Department recommended a contingency allowance of an additional 5 percent to accommodate unforeseen requirements, ensuring project completion in a timely manner. Construction on the ASCT project is expected to begin within the next couple of months.
The Council also approved a $357,323 addendum with Neel-Schaffer, Inc. to perform construction administration services for the ASCT project. The addendum is 100 percent federally funded for services typically retained on most large construction projects.
In 2017, City Council approved the design contract for the ASCT project for development and implementation of adaptive signal technologies for signalized intersections on Rutherford Blvd. and Northfield Blvd. to improve traffic flow.
On Dec. 29, 2016, The City announced that TDOT awarded a $3.35M Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant for an Adaptive Signal Control Technology System for seven miles of roadway. The project includes Rutherford Boulevard (Southeast Broad Street to New Lascassas Highway) and East Northfield Boulevard (New Lascassas Highway to Highland Avenue). The CMAQ Grant funds 70 percent of the ASCT project containing 14 signalized intersections.
“We are excited to get started on the ASCT project and delighted to receive grant funding for the system as part of Rutherford Boulevard,” said Transportation Director Jim Kerr. “Implementation of the ASCT technology will not only enable the City to achieve many of the traffic signal operational efficiencies realized with other City coordinated signal systems, but will enable the City Transportation Department to actively and effectively identify and respond to changing traffic patterns and roadway conditions for the corridor.”
According to TDOT, the ASCT Project will help reduce mobile source emissions and improve Tennessee’s air quality. Funding will enable the City to implement the following:
1) Upgrade each of the signalized intersections with new signal control cabinets and internal control equipment;
2) Install fiber optic communication cable and hardware along the entire corridor;
3) Install corridor and system vehicle detection infrastructure and communications;
4) Install 12 (twelve) CCTV cameras;
5) Install pedestrian signals at selected signalized intersections;
6) Develop and implement new traffic signal timing for each intersection and system as a whole
The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program provides funding for transportation projects that reduce mobile source air emissions (e.g., cars, trucks, construction equipment) in areas that do not meet federal air quality health standards for ozone, microscopic particles, or carbon monoxide. Federal CMAQ funds are apportioned to TDOT to be invested by the state and local metropolitan planning organizations in projects and programs that help achieve and maintain federal air quality health standards.
The City of Murfreesboro has a long history of utilizing Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) based traffic congestion mitigation solutions. The City implemented its first Closed Loop Systems and integrated these interconnected arterial traffic signals into a Traffic Operations Center (TOC) in the mid-1980s. Since implementation of the initial system, the City has to-date interconnected 112 or 67 percent of the traffic signals out of the current 167 signalized intersections in the City.
The additional interconnection of the 14 existing intersections included in the project corridor will increase the City’s interconnected signal system from the current 112 signalized intersections to 126 or 75 percent of the City’s total traffic signal inventory accessible.
The project will expand the City’s CCTV system by adding 10 cameras to the current 53 camera system for a total of 63 cameras to provide strategic visual coverage of key locations for remote intersection and roadway monitoring and evaluation of traffic progression.
The City of Murfreesboro Transportation Department applied for the funding necessary to cover the cost of implementation.
