Bryant Deploys 72 Meridian Barriers for Cma Fest 2026
Metro Nashville Police has added 72 Meridian Barriers and eight car gates for cma fest 2026 in downtown Nashville as the festival kicks off Thursday, widening the buffer between vehicles and the crowds expected downtown.
About 400,000 people are expected downtown this year, and Sgt. Chris Bryant said the new system gives officers faster options than the equipment Nashville used before. “These are an absolute gamechanger for us. The ease of being able to put them out wherever very quickly.”
Chris Bryant on the street plan
Bryant, the department’s traffic-planning officer for large events, said Metro had previously relied on stopgap gear to block streets. “We had to make do with whatever we could get our hands on,” he said. “Tractor trailers, water filled barriers, we’ve used everything that we’ve had at our disposal over the years.”
That old approach is being replaced with barriers that can be deployed on both roadways and sidewalks, closing weak points without tying up crews for long periods. Metro says the setup can go in place in less than 45 minutes and can be added throughout the weekend as closures change.
Broadway buffer zones
Metro has also expanded the safety area around the event, pushing security screenings farther from festival attendees. Bryant said the point is to keep cars away from dense crowds. “It can be a massive threat. We have large groupings of people, fans and so forth, that are packed in in areas where if a car were to get in there, it could do massive damage,” he said.
Cody Osborne, the Nashville Department of Transportation assistant director who manages the barrier systems, said the arrangement adds another layer of protection while permanent retractable barriers for Broadway are still planned but not yet in place. “It’s kind of that protection for those people who are coming down for CMAs, those people at other events that may be out behind those barriers. It’s added protection for them,” he said.
Police presence downtown
Metro tested the barriers last year and expanded their use after buying them following a deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The city is now using the same equipment for major events on Broadway and at Nashville’s professional sports stadiums, and NDOT has started using it to block off busy downtown roads every weekend.
Metro Nashville Police said there are no credible threats against CMA Fest, but more than 300 extra officers will be downtown this weekend working with security staff. Osborne said planners are treating every option as part of the job. “I think we always look at every option. I don’t think we try to leave any stone unturned when it’s looking at safety,” he said.
