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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Lee cuts ribbon for Taylor Bridge reopening in Washington County
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee visited the region Friday to cut the ribbon on Washington County's Taylor Bridge. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) reopened the bridge Saturday, nearly 8 months after the rising waters of the Nolichucky River tore through it. Governor Lee was accompanied by TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley, representatives Rebecca Alexander, Tim Hicks, and Rusty Crowe, as well as Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy. The governor called it a 'redemptive day' and thanked everyone who worked tirelessly to open the bridge a month early. Cattle stolen from Glade Spring farm, reward offered 'It took a remarkable community to pull that off,' Lee said. 'The people of this part of the state came together in unprecedented ways to serve one another and to come alongside one officials, members of the General Assembly, the TDOT workers, the contractors. We had a job to do, and we knew it was urgent and had to be done quickly. This bridge is opening a month early to help alleviate just part of the struggle that this community has seen over the last eight months.' He said the push to get it done as soon as possible was in the community's best interest. 'The Commissioner said it earlier, but we are talking about steel and concrete and asphalt,' Lee said. 'But this is about people. It's about the people of Upper East Tennessee. The people of Washington County. This is about serving the people. And that is what the effort has been for eight months. And it'll continue to be going forward.' And thanked the Representatives who made it happen. 'They're advocates,' Lee explained. 'They represent the people in this community. And they knew that people were hurt in this community. So, yes, they called, they advocated, they pushed because it had to be done. And we responded to that because it had to be done. We have continued to build and continue to rebuild. And a lot of it is because of the work of the people in the community and those who represent them.' TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley said not only were they able to complete the Taylor Bridge project more than a month early, but also that 46 of the 49 roads closed due to Hurricane Helene are now reopened, and the last three are already under contract to be completed by next year. 'We're on the road to recovery here,' Eley said. 'And as the governor said, the asphalt and the steel and the concrete that we see here today do not represent the true community input that we have seen over the last eight months. Since this hurricane hit, it truly has been a community-wide, state-wide effort, including our federal partners. And as you see here today, our state legislature. So, we're close. We're close to the end from a TDOT standpoint, but there's still a lot of people who've been impacted, who are suffering and, the effort continues to go on to help those people as well.' Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy described the collaboration that had to take place between all parties involved. 'For us, it was it wasn't really hard because we worked together over all the projects,' Grandy said. 'And so, you know, we knew each other, we're friends, we're a team. And so everyone realized how the devastated this community was down here because of the flood. Obviously, people lost homes, and some lives were lost. People lost property and everything. But in addition to that, so much responsibility after we get the people straight, all there is to help build infrastructure. And so roads, bridges, our sanitary convenience center, our highway department, all those things, you know, that fall on local government and our team to put together and to rebuild.' Governor Lee and Mayor Grandy reflected on the day of the flood. Standing in the same place as they did on Friday, they once wondered how they would rebuild, believing it would take years. They then described the emotion of the day as the rebuild is complete, less than a year later. 'It's really hard to describe,' Grandy said. 'It is emotional because at that time, we weren't able to get supplies. We weren't able to get, safety equipment in there or ambulances or fire. And we had a whole community that was isolated. I explained how desperate I was. I was not sleeping. And these people came together and helped us make it happen.' Lee said that there was a time when he felt he had little to no hope. 'The first day I came here, into this community, we met with people whose family members had been lost, whose farms had been destroyed, whose homes had been washed away,' Lee said. 'And it was just a couple of days after the disaster that it felt very hopeless, because of the tragedy that had unfolded and was still unfolding right before us. There were people still missing. There were, you know, families unaccounted for. So in the midst of that tragedy, it felt at times hopeless.' He commented on the community's teamwork. 'But what happened is this community came together in remarkable ways. And redemption comes by people coming together and serving one another, by elected officials advocating, by TDOT workers, National Guardsmen, and local road officials coming together and putting their hands to the task. And this is an example of that redemption. What seemed hopeless at the moment seems incredibly hopeful for the years ahead for this community.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What to know before hitting the road in East Tennessee for Memorial Day weekend
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — As interstate construction work is suspended in Tennessee for Memorial Day weekend and a near-record number of travelers are expected, 6 News anchor Bo Williams has what drivers need to know. Tennessee Department of Transportation crews and contractors stopped all road construction work that requires lane closures from noon on Friday, May 23, through 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27. However, drivers will still come across some long-term lane closures on construction projects that will remain in place. This pause is in anticipation of increased holiday travel. Airport Road in Roane County closed after 'large' crack spotted 'We want to do our part to help everyone have an enjoyable and safe holiday weekend and keep traffic flowing as smoothly and efficiently as possible,' said Deputy Governor & TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. 'We also want to remind drivers that it is the law to move over and slow down for first responders and emergency vehicles, including TDOT HELP trucks that will be on patrol during the holiday weekend. So far this year, we've had 47 incidents where a driver hit a TDOT vehicle or equipment.' Several roads in Sevierville will be closed on Sunday, May 25, for the Smoky Mountain Thunder Memorial Motorcycle Ride. The following streets will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Court Avenue from Commerce Street to Cedar Street Bruce Street from the Sevier County Court House to the Parkway Joy Street from Court Avenue to the Parkway Cedar Street from Court Avenue to the Parkway The following streets will be closed from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Bruce Street from the Parkway to Gary Wade Boulevard Gary Wade Boulevard from Dolly Parton Parkway to Prince Street East TN nonprofit raising money for disabled dog found abandoned Court Avenue, between Commerce Street and Bruce Street, will also be closed on Monday, May 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for a Memorial Day event being conducted by Sevier County government. TDOT has also released its weekly construction report for May 23 through May 28. The listing includes lane closures and road construction activities for 24 East Tennessee counties. TDOT-Weekly-Construction-Report-5-22-25-to-5-28-25Download More than 948,300 Tennesseans are predicted to travel for Memorial Day, with the majority, 800,250, driving to their destination. That's up from 783,595 in 2024. AAA shared the best and worst times to hit the road over the weekend. Best and Worst Times to Travel by Car Date Worst Travel Time Best Travel Time Friday, May 23 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM Before 11:00 AM Saturday, May 24 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM Before 12:00 PM Sunday, May 25 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM Before 1:00 PM (Memorial Day)Monday, May 26 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Before 2:00 PM SECOND HELPING: Miss a Food for Thought segment? See them all here. If you have any specific questions about road work in your area, email bwilliams@ 6 News takes a look at upcoming road work and traffic conditions from the 6 News Alert Desk on Friday afternoons. The stream can be watched live on WATE6+. Stay up to date with the latest road work updates here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ribbon cut on rebuilt Kinser Bridge in Greene County
GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Nearly eight months after Hurricane Helene washed it away, the Highway 107/Sgt. Kinser Bridge is set to reopen. At 11 a.m. on Friday, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening of the bridge. News Channel 11 live-streamed the ceremony on Drivers will be able to travel over the bridge around 5 p.m. on Friday, TDOT stated in a news release. Deputy Governor and TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley was joined by State Representative David Hawk, Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison, Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger and other officials to mark the completion of the project. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Lee, TDOT unveil $80 million recurring investment to boost infrastructure over next decade
In a historic announcement, the Tennessee Department of Transportation revealed that in addition to $1 billion in non-recurring dollars allocated for statewide infrastructure projects, $80 million in recurring general fund dollars will be invested to assist the advancements of various transportation projects. Governor Bill Lee and Deputy Governor and Commissioner of Transportation Butch Eley stopped at TDOT's Region 4 facility in Jackson on Tuesday to share the news. Lee, who described interstates as "tributaries of commerce," says the major infrastructure investment is a reflection of what Tennessee is going to look like, not just today, but in 25 years from now. Facilitated by a reallocation of existing revenue from the Tire Sales Tax, the $80 million in recurring funds will preserve the state's infrastructure without raising taxes. Lee noted during the discussion of the reallocation of state dollars that it is actually taxpayer dollars of which the state government "are stewards of." More: Manufacturing leaders meet in Jackson, discuss industry growth, investment momentum More: Jackson Regional Airport receives $10 million grant, infrastructure development More: City of Jackson seeks public input via survey, traffic safety improvements Tennessee Governor Bill Lee speaks with press following an $80 million dollar recurring investment in various infrastructure projects in Jackson, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. "Tennesseans who put their hard-earned dollars into the tax rolls, they expect to have roads and bridges and highways that they can drive, that their commerce can roll on, that the companies that are coming in here to give them jobs, have a place to land on. So that's why we've changed priorities in the budget and invested more heavily in roads." What projects are included in the investment? Tennessee Governor Bill Lee poses with Jackson TDOT workers in Jackson, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. TDOT's updated 10-year plan encompasses 96 projects across the state, primarily focusing on maintenance of pavement and bridge repairs. Eley says that the infrastructure projects are guided by the question, 'Is what we start going to finish?' He reports that in 2024, 100% of infrastructure projects promised were delivered. "We know we've got bridges that need help, so we're committed to doing that, committed to keeping them safe," Eley said. "They're safe now, but our average bridge in Tennessee is 48 years old with a life span of around 75 [years]. Most of these bridges were built in the 60s and 70s, so a lot of these bridges are reaching the end of their life cycle, and we need to keep investing in them to make sure they're safe." Deputy Governor and Commissioner of Transportation Butch Eley speaks in Jackson, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. According to TDOT, the following projects are included in the $80 million: Pavement Preservation Program: 130 additional miles to be resurfaced annually Bridge Preservation Program: 700,000 square feet of bridge deck treatment repaired annually Mowing and Litter Program: implementing a mowing and litter schedule on interstates and state routes Spot Safety Program: addressing transportation safety concerns, which Eley says include traffic lights and turning lanes Rural Service Patrol: Help Trucks will expand beyond just urban areas to an additional 46 counties in rural areas Blue Oval pushes I-69 project forward The I-69 Project board photographed in Jackson, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. In West Tennessee, key projects are extending Interstate 69 from Dyersburg to Kentucky. With Dyersburg located just an hour north of Ford's Blue Oval City Megasite in Stanton, Lee says Beyond that, fostering an environment for the ongoing economic growth, Tennessee of which is ranked among the fastest-growing in the nation, Lee says the prioritization of the I-69 project has been amplified in the wake of Blue Oval City. "We do know that that's been a priority project, but certainly now, that there is forecast for significant economic activity in West Tennessee, that that project becomes all the more important." Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing here. This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: TN Gov Bill Lee unveils recurring $80 million for TDOT 10 year plan
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
TDOT starts repairing ‘abundance of potholes' after snow & rains
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced on Friday that it was starting to repair potholes after recent weather left state roadways pockmarked. 'The recent heavy rains and winter weather have created an abundance of potholes along interstates and state routes,' TDOT stated in a news release. Elizabethton woman allegedly struck victims with vehicle, killing 1 As of Friday, TDOT crews and contractors were working across the state to repair affected areas. 'Each year, we anticipate severe weather will impact our roads, and we've proactively planned for pothole repairs while also addressing winter conditions,' Deputy Governor and TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley said in a statement. 'Our teams have been focused on putting contracts in place ahead of time, enabling us to immediately mobilize and begin repairs. This approach ensures we can respond quickly and effectively, prioritizing the safety and service of Tennesseans.' Drivers will notice crews patching potholes during the upcoming weeks, TDOT stated. While it remains chilly, crews will use a cold mix asphalt for temporary repairs. By spring and early summer, TDOT will make permanent repairs with hot mix since asphalt plants will be able to produce more. Some short-term traffic delays may occur while repairs are made. TDOT stated it will try to perform repairs between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
