Latest news with #TDOT
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Railroad repair prompts closure of part of W. Baddour Pkwy
Portions of West Baddour Parkway will be closed over the weekend for crews to conduct railroad repairs. The Tennessee Department of Transportation says the RJ Corman Railroad Company will close West Baddour Pkwy to through traffic at the railroad crossing behind Tractor Supply for the repairs. All businesses and residents will still have access during construction, but regular through traffic will be detoured to West Main Street. TDOT says the work is weather-dependent, as there are chances of showers and thunderstorms in Wilson County over the weekend. The Move Over Law, passed in 2006, was referenced by TDOT when reminding drivers to slow down and move over when traveling through a work zone. Violation can result in up to 30 days in jail and a maximum fine of up to $500. The closure is in effect from Friday, May 30, at 8 p.m. through Monday, June 2, at 5 a.m.
Yahoo
3 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
6 days ago
- 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
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
TDOT: Crash on I-26 West closes lane near Gray
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 26 has backed up traffic in Washington County. According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), the crash occurred around 3:16 p.m. on I-26 West at mile marker 12.2 between the Gray and Eastern Star Road exits. TDOT's SmartWay Traffic Map states that as of 3:24 p.m., the left lane of I-26 West is blocked. News Channel 11 has reached out to the Johnson City Police Department for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
What's that on State Route 12 near Rosa Parks Boulevard, Clarksville Pike in Davidson Co.
While there are no full lane closures on State Route 12 in Davidson County, the road will see slowdowns due to alternating lane closures as ramp work continues through the end of May. So, "what's that," you might ask. We have the answer. Erin Zeigler, a spokesperson with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said the project along State Route 12 is part of the state's policy to adhere to a Federal Highway Administration mandate to support bicycle transportation, pedestrian walkways that meet Americans with Disabilities Act and other standards. Curb upgrades will cause daily lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to TDOT. Lane closures on State Route 12 at the Rosa L. Parks Boulevard and Reverend Kelly M. Smith Way intersection are happening for ADA curb ramp upgrades at mile marker 3.2. There will be alternating lane closures during the project at Clarksville Pike and Buena Vista Pike for an ADA curb ramp upgrade from mile marker 3.34-3.9. While it is integral that TDOT meet guidelines and standards, ensuring the Department's transportation services, programs and activities are accessible to all persons goes beyond compliance, we know a successful transportation system is critical for the public's mobility, safety, economy and health – and we are dedicated to deliver that to all Tennesseans," Zeigler said in an emailed statement. Zeigler said the project will not have any full road closures or detours, though delays could occur because of the alternating lane closures associated with the project. The curb ramp project will be completed, weather permitting, by the end of May, Zeigler said. "What's that?" is a periodic feature in The Tennessean that focuses on road closures in Nashville and Davidson County. Email cshoup@ if you see a road closure and think: "What's that?" This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why State Route 12 in Davidson County will have delays through May
