Latest news with #MarkNagi
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
8 Months Since Helene: 4 state-owned bridges still closed in Northeast Tenn.
TRI-CITIES, Tenn. (WJHL) — Eight months after Hurricane Helene flooded regional waterways and took some homes and numerous bridges with it, four state-owned bridges remain closed, including a heavily traveled passage in Elizabethton. On Sept. 27, Helene flooded rivers and creeks as it brought unprecedented rainfall to the area. Some of the most impacted waterways were the Nolichucky, Doe and Elk rivers. Bridges that cross over those rivers were largely wiped out, adding several minutes to emergency response times and nearly an hour to community members' commutes. SEE ALSO: ETSU preps for start of hurricane season while reflecting on Helene The Tennessee Department of Transportation's (TDOT) Region 1 Communications Officer Mark Nagi told News Channel 11 on Tuesday that the following bridges still remain closed as a result of Hurricane Helene: SR 67 bridge in Carter County (Broad St. Bridge) SR 159/US 321 in Carter and Johnson Counties (Poga bridges [x2]) SR 353 in Washington County (Bailey Bridge) TDOT initially planned for the Broad Street Bridge in Elizabethton to reopen at the end of May. However, on April 2, TDOT announced the opening would be delayed until the beginning of July. Two bridges in the Poga and Elk Mills communities of Carter County are being rebuilt with $10 million in grant funding. Tennessee and FEMA approved the grant to restore the two-lane bridges, located about a mile apart along the Elk River. That funding comes from FEMA's Public Assistance Program. The Bailey Bridge in the South Central community of Washington County is expected to be completed by May 2026, according to TDOT. Much progress has been made, though, as TDOT rebuilt and opened both the Kinser Bridge in Greene County and the Taylor Bridge in Washington County well ahead of schedule. 'Of the 49 sections of state/local routes initially closed due to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, 46 have reopened,' Nagi previously stated in a release. In addition to the above TDOT-managed bridges, Washington County's government was awarded $6.8 million to replace the Corby Bridge near Limestone. Long Hollow Road in Carter County also has a bridge at one end of the roadway that remains closed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
SR 81/Taylor Bridge open in Washington Co., Tenn. following post-Helene rebuild
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — The SR 81/Taylor Bridge has reopened in Washington County, Tennessee, following a full rebuild after floodwaters destroyed it during Hurricane Helene. According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) on X, the bridge reopened Saturday morning, just less than 8 months after the flooded Nolichucky River ripped it apart. SEE ALSO: Ribbon cut on rebuilt Kinser Bridge in Greene County The opening comes just a day after the SR 107/Kinser Bridge was reopened in Greene County. Both bridges pass over the Nolichucky, which swelled and flooded during Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, devastating those respective communities. Traffic can now pass over the two bridges. 'Of the 49 sections of state/local routes initially closed due to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, 46 have reopened,' TDOT's Region 1 Communications Officer Mark Nagi stated in a release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
TDOT stresses safety in work zones as 2025 sees higher rate of crashes
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is asking drivers to exercise caution on roadways as it observes National Work Zone Awareness Week. TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi told News Channel 11 on Tuesday that more TDOT vehicles have been hit so far in 2025 than by the same time in 2024. 'This calendar year alone, we've had 35 of our TDOT trucks, the attenuators or help trucks, dump trucks, wherever it may be, that have been struck by oncoming vehicles,' Nagi said. 'And that's even more than last year. At this time, we had about 29 of those. So unfortunately, crashes like this happen quite often.' Woman cited after crashing into THP unit responding to separate crash on I-81 in Sullivan Co. During National Work Zone Awareness Week and throughout the year, TDOT urges drivers to reduce their speed when workers are present. 'Just slowing down can make a huge difference because if you don't slow down, you have reduced lane widths in a lot of these areas,' Nagi said. 'You have close quarters, and not slowing down can have extreme circumstances.' Since the late 1940s, TDOT has kept a record of employees killed while working on roads. 'We've had 113 of our TDOT employees who have died in the line of duty, and obviously, that is 113 too many,' Nagi said. Nagi encouraged drivers to be vigilant and careful when driving in a work zone and said it could save a life. 'We know that everybody is trying to get to and from their destinations as quickly as possible,' he said. 'Certainly, we understand that. But traveling through a work zone, not only does it keep you safe and keep workers safe, but it's also the law as well. So you've got to make sure that you are slowing down and concentrate 100% on your task. And that task is driving your vehicle through these areas safely.' TDOT construction projects will begin ramping up as the weather trends warmer. Nagi said long-term resurfacing projects are expected to begin in several areas and asked motorists to travel safely through them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Daughter urges drivers to slow down for TDOT crews after father killed on the job
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Traveling through Knoxville, you may have noticed signs for Work Zone Awareness Week. It's an initiative urging drivers to slow down and share the road with TDOT crews working to repair our roadways. It's a message that the daughter of a TDOT worker who died in a construction zone. As part of this initiative, TDOT is remembering those killed while working in active construction zones by lining 113 barrels along I-640 as a reminder of the 113 TDOT workers who died in the line of duty in Tennessee. Catholics in East Tennessee mourn death of Pope Francis 'These are people that are trying to get home to their loved ones, just like you are when you're driving,' said TDOT spokesperson, Mark Nagi. 'So when you pass that memorial, maybe give them an extra thought because it's such a dangerous job that our TDOT workers do each and every day.' Among the barrels is the marker for Carl McGinnis, a TDOT worker who died in a construction zone in 1987. His daughter said she will never forget the day her dad didn't come home. 'These men and women who work these work zones, they have families waiting for them to come home to in the evenings,' she said. 'The day that we got the call that our dad had been in an accident, we didn't know how bad or anything, and just within a matter of hours, our world had been turned upside down because he never made it out of the ER.' Kathy Collins said her father worked for TDOT for nearly 14 years, but all it took was one moment to change their lives forever. 'The lady was speeding and lost control of her car,' she said. 'He was getting a drink of water and was climbing out of the back of a state truck when she lost control and hit him. He lost consciousness on the scene and never regained.' These Tennessee cities rank at the bottom for most affordable rent in the U.S., study says Collins said now her father's story has been used in safety training for new employees, and she urges drivers to stay off their phones, slow down, and look out for the men and women working on our roadways. 'Distracted driving is something we've just seen far too often, and it is the reason for so many crashes that we have,' said Nagi. 'So, motorists needs to do their part, make sure they're concentrating 100% on the task at hand and that is being behind the wheel.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
TDOT pours concrete at Kinser Bridge in Greene Co., signaling finish line of post-Helene repair
GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) began concrete-pouring on the Kinser Bridge (SR 107) in Greene County on Saturday, marking one of the final steps to reopening that Nolichucky River crossing on Highway 107. A post by TDOT's Region 1 Communications Officer Mark Nagi said Saturday's task marked a major milestone in the Kinser Bridge's repair process, and that TDOT hopes to have it open on or before June 23. More information on TDOT-managed Helene recovery projects can be found at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
