State Route 109 is a primary state highway in Wilson County and Sumner County, Tennessee

Sumner County, Tennessee

Sumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 130,449. Its county seat is Gallatin, but its largest town is Hendersonville...

. It runs from the intersection of SR 265

Tennessee State Route 265

Tennessee State Route 265 is a primary state highway in Wilson County and Davidson County, Tennessee, USA. It runs from US 70 in Hermitage, through middle Tennessee to its Eastern terminus again with US 70, outside of Watertown....

 and SR 840 (Exit 72) near Lebanon

Lebanon, Tennessee

Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...

, north through Gallatin

Gallatin, Tennessee

Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...

 to the Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

 state line and US 31-W

U.S. Route 31W

U.S. Route 31W is the westernmost of two parallel routes for U.S. Route 31 from Nashville, Tennessee to Louisville, Kentucky. At one time, it split with U.S...

.

SR 109 is mentioned in several country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 songs including "Church on the Cumberland Road" by Shenandoah

Shenandoah (band)

Shenandoah is an American country music group founded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1984 by Marty Raybon , Ralph Ezell , Stan Thorn , Jim Seales , and Mike McGuire...

 and “Goodbye, Earl” by the Dixie Chicks

Dixie Chicks

The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...

. The first Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is an American chain of combined restaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme. The company was founded by Dan Evins in 1969 and its first store was located in Lebanon, Tennessee, where the company is now headquartered...

 Restaurant was at the corner of I-40 and SR 109.

History

SR 109 originally ended at its interchange with U. S. Highway 70, but was extended Southward to connect with Interstate 40 in 1968 and in the early 2000's to connect with Tennessee State Routes 265/840. The highway is a four lane divided highway from SR 265/840 to Interstate 40 where it becomes a two-lane highway until it intersects with Airport Road and South Water Ave. in Gallatin. At that point, SR 109 becomes a four lane divided highway once again and continues as a four lane divided highway to the top of the ridge where it becomes a two lane highway north to the state line. A new highway to replace current SR 109 is being constructed beginning at the top of the ridge to join with current SR 109 on the south side of Portland , where it is being four-laned from there into town.

A new interchange was constructed with US 70, allowing the free flow of traffic on the Federal highway. The old intersection had US 70 traversing a long down-sloping hill in both directions, which was very dangerous for traffic.

A bypass of downtown Gallatin

Gallatin, Tennessee

Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...

 was constructed in the 1990s, allowing traffic to divert around the city proper to the West.

Future

SR 109 is slated to be widened to a four-lane divided highway from Gallatin

Gallatin, Tennessee

Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...

 to I-40 in Lebanon

Lebanon, Tennessee

Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...

, primarily for the increased level of traffic from the industrial park just off the Interstate. Plans are also underway for S.R. 109 to intersect with I-65. This project would extend S.R.109 across U.S. 31-W to intersect with the interstate at the Tennessee-Kentucky border near Lake Springs Road in Robertson County. This project is currently in the environmental phase.