FRANKLIN (AP) - (AP) - Tennessee's top transportation official says that a road construction project that has been on the books since 1986 will finally be completed in November after years of construction and environmental delays.

John Schroer, the commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, said on Tuesday that the final 14 miles of State Route 840 will be open to the public on Nov. 2 and will complete the 78-mile southern route around Nashville that runs through Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties.

"This road has such regional significance," Schroer said. "It's a big deal."

The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/OnQ2Ro ) that Schroer told a group of bicyclists that before the public opening, bicyclists will be invited to traverse the last section of the roadway on Oct. 13.

Concerns over the road's environmental impact particularly in Williamson County prompted lawsuits that delay ed construction for years.

The project is designed to connect Interstate 40 west of Nashville in Dickson through a four-lane divided highway that would reconnect with the interstate on the east side of the city in Lebanon. The route would provide a scenic byway alternative for commercial traffic and truck drivers to avoid Nashville congestion and include interchanges for Interstates 65 and 24.

But the project was stalled for many years over environmental issues, including revising bridges to protect natural springs, making sure there was adequate storm water runoff and protecting the area's rural scenery. Construction was also halted to review safety requirements after the deaths of four construction workers.

Schroer announced the bike ride ahead of the planned opening date to a group called I am the Engine, which uses cycling to create interest in eco-friendly transit.

"I think TDOT has looked at how we do things and there were things we didn't do cor rectly," Schroer said of construction practices.