There is a local option law found at T.C.A. § 54-10-216 which provides for a much easier process for opening, changing and closing county roads. The alternative procedure must be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of the county legislative body to become effective in a given county. Counties operating under this section have the following method available to them for opening, changing and closing county roads:
If a county chooses to operate under this alternative procedure and does not have a regional planning commission, a standing committee of the county legislative body will perform the functions of the planning commission. The standing committee must be comprised of five (5) county legislative body members selected by the chair of the county legislative body each year on or before September 1. The committee will only be formed if no regional planning commission exists to perform the functions of the planning commission under the alternative procedure law and will operate for the sole purpose of considering applications to open, change, or close a county road.
Adoption of the alternative procedure does not preclude interested parties from seeking damages arising from the opening, changing, or closing of a county road to which they are otherwise entitled under the law.
As used in T.C.A. § 54-10-216, “change”, with respect to the changing of public roads, does not include any proposed or actual reduction of the maximum gross weight limits of freight motor vehicles operating over public roads.