Construction Won’t Slow Holiday Travelers
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Transportation is once again halting all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways for the busy Labor Day holiday travel period. More than 600,000 Tennesseans are expected to travel by car this holiday.
Construction crews will stop all lane closure activity beginning at noon on Friday, September 3rd through 6:00am on Tuesday, September 7th. This will provide maximum roadway capacity for motorists traveling during the busy Labor Day holiday.
“The Labor Day holiday is one of the busiest travel periods of the year,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “As thousands of people hit the road in Tennessee, we want to ensure they get to their destinations quickly and safely without road construction delays.”
While lane closure activity will be stopped, workers will still be on site in many construction zones. For instance, in Memphis workers will spend the weekend on the I-40/Hernando DeSoto Bridge seismic retrofit project preparing for a major new phase of work. Crews will reduce the bridge to one lane in each direction near exit 1 immediately following rush hour Tuesday morning. The I-40 Bridge will be reduced to one lane east and westbound from Tuesday, September 7th at 9:00am until mid-November.
Drivers convicted of speeding in work zones where workers are present face a fine of $250 to $500, plus court fees and possible increased insurance premiums.
“During this Labor Day weekend, travelers will notice an increased number of law enforcement personnel on Tennessee’s roadways,” said Governor’s Highway Safety Office Director Kendell Poole. “Our main goal is for everyone to have a safe holiday, so we want to emphasize the importance of buckling up, obeying traffic laws, paying attention, and, above all, never driving drunk or impaired.”
The summer travel season is expected to close with almost 10% more travelers during the Labor Day weekend than during the same period in 2009. AAA Auto Club South projects 658,864 Tennesseans will travel this Labor Day holiday, with 629,301 traveling by car and 18,242 traveling by air. Nationwide travel is expected to be up 10% compared to 2008. Tennessee is anticipated to experience a 9.7% increase in travel through the state compared to last year’s numbers.
For up-to-date travel information, motorists can call 5-1-1 from any land line or cell phone or visit www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway. Travelers can also get instant traffic alerts by following TDOT on Twitter. For a list of available Twitter feeds visit www.tn.gov/tdot/mediaroom/info.htm. Motorists are reminded that texting while driving is against the law in Tennessee, so please use these motorist information tools responsibly.
