City will reconsider current conditions, community concerns, and the full range of potential solutions
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 8, 2026 — The City of Memphis is pausing further work toward the proposed Paul R. Lowry Road Extension while it reassesses whether a project first envisioned in 2017 remains the right solution for Southwest Memphis today.
The proposed project has been examining ways to create a second access point to the Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park. Of the alternatives previously under consideration, no route has been selected, and no construction has been approved.
Nearly 10 years have passed since the need for the project was first identified. During that time, conditions within the industrial park and the surrounding area have changed significantly.
“When a project has been under consideration for nearly a decade, we have a responsibility to ask whether the solution proposed then is still the right solution today,” Mayor Paul Young said. “A great deal has changed around Paul R. Lowry Road, and residents have raised legitimate concerns about what this extension could mean for their streets, their homes, and their quality of life. We are going to pause, listen, and take a fresh look at the need and every potential solution, including whether the project should move forward at all.”
During the pause, the City will work with our residents, along with our state and federal partners to reassess the project’s purpose and need, review current conditions, and determine whether additional study is warranted.
The City will also consider whether the identified access and emergency-response needs can be addressed through a different approach. Possible outcomes include revising the proposed project, pursuing another solution, or ending the project altogether.
“We recognize the importance of reliable access to the industrial park, particularly for emergency response,” Mayor Young said. “But we also have a responsibility to protect the health, safety, and quality of life of the people who already call Southwest Memphis home. We must do both.”
Media Contact:
Arlenia Cole, Media Affairs Manager
City of Memphis
Arlenia.Cole@memphistn.gov