Topic: Tennessee Department of Transportation

Keeping a watchful eye on bridges in the State of Tennessee

October 16, 2009 |

Tennessee in Motion is a monthly column by Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely

TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely

As heavy rains fall on Tennessee, TDOT’s bridge inspectors await notifications from an automated program called “Bridge Watch.” Flooding can undermine the structural integrity of certain bridges in the state, so TDOT utilizes this program to alert the department of any potential problems with bridges due to heavy rains.

The most common cause of bridge failure is the undermining of a bridge structure because of scour. Scour is the erosion of a stream or river bed due to excessive stream flow. TDOT has classified 897 bridges in Tennessee as scour-critical, which means bridges could experience a catastrophic failure or become structurally unstable as a result of a destructive flood event.

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Governor Bredesen Awards Highway Safety Grants for Montgomery County

October 16, 2009 |

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Clarksville Police Department, and Austin Peay State University all benefit from Department of Transportation Grants.

Nashville – Tennessee officials announced Wednesday that Montgomery County has been awarded a highway safety grant of $101,922 for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department to fund the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, $98,713 for the Clarksville Police Department to support the 2010 Impaired Driver Abatement Project, and $5,000 for Austin Peay State University to support high visibility law enforcement campaigns.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Office (GHSO) mission is to save lives and reduce injuries on Tennessee roadways through leadership, innovation, coordination, and program support in partnership with other public and private organizations. The grant awarded will be used to promote this mission.

“These highway safety grants reflect a continued commitment to work with local and state agencies to make our roadways even safer than they are today,” said Bredesen. “The funds made available through these grants will support the efforts of many local and state highway safety partners to reduce the number of people killed and injured in traffic crashes each year.” «Read the rest of this article»

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No lane closures on Tennessee highways Labor Day weekend

September 4, 2009 |

TDOT Commissioner Announces No Lane Closures during Holiday Travel Period

Nashville – 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. While AAA reports travel numbers are expected to be lower than last year, nearly a half million Tennesseans are still expected to travel by car this holiday.

Construction crews will stop all lane closure activity beginning at noon on Friday, September 4 through 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8. 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.” «Read the rest of this article»

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Partial closure of interstate 440 this weekend for concrete repairs

August 27, 2009 |

Nashville – Tennessee Department of Transportation crews will once again close a short section of Interstate 440 in Nashville this weekend as a major concrete rehabilitation project continues. This weekend’s closure is one of several planned for the coming months. Contract crews will close I-440 Eastbound from the Interstate 40 junction on the west side of Nashville to Interstate 65 at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2009. I-440 will reopen no later than 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 31.

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Road construction to effect Fort Campbell Blvd. and Gate 1 area

August 25, 2009 |

Fort Campbell – In concert with the Tennessee  Department of Transportation (TDOT), the Fort Campbell Department of Public Works has awarded a contract to add a second inbound lane at Gate 1 to match TDOT’s plans to add a second northbound turn lane onto Fort Campbell.

Weather dependent, DPW’s contract work would close Gate 1 for a period not to exceed two weeks beginning Aug. 31st. TDOT’s work is expected to start simultaneously with Fort Campbell’s paving work, however, the north bound left turn lanes may be closed for approximately four weeks.

Milling and paving operations on Highway 41A from 101st Parkway to the Tennessee – Kentucky state line will also begin the week of Aug. 31st. This will require various lane closures. Motorists should expect some temporary delays until this project is completed sometime around Sept. 15th. Changeable message boards will notify motorists of changing road conditions. Motorists are urged to seek an alternate route.

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Interstate 440 partial closure this weekend for concrete repairs

August 21, 2009 |

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Transportation crews will close a short section of Interstate 440 in Nashville this weekend as a major concrete rehabilitation project gets underway.  This weekend’s closure is one of several planned for the coming months.  Contract crews will close I-440 Eastbound from the Interstate 40 junction on the west side of Nashville to Interstate 65 at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2009.  I-440 will reopen no later than 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 24.

“The concrete surface along most of I-440 is experiencing significant deterioration and is in need of extensive repairs,” said TDOT Chief Engineer Paul Degges. “By closing sections of the road on weekends over the next few months, we can complete these repairs in a relatively short amount of time and provide a smooth riding surface for this heavily traveled roadway.” «Read the rest of this article»

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TDoT’s 511 service receives 2 millionth call

August 7, 2009 |

Nashville – More than two million people have called Tennessee 511 for information since the program launch in August 2006.  On Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 9:53 p.m. eastern time the 2,000,000^th caller dialed 511 for information about Tennessee’s roadways and weather.

Drivers in Tennessee have been using Tennessee 511 in increasing numbers since TDOT launched the system in 2006.  In addition to real-time traffic information on Tennessee’s interstate and state highways, travelers can access weather conditions, Amber Alerts, TDOT’s Record-A-Comment phone line and the 511 systems in neighboring states, such as Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina. «Read the rest of this article»

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TDOT’s HELP program celebrates ten years of service

July 15, 2009 |

More than One Million Served during First Decade of Service

NASHVILLE – From flat tires and empty fuel gauges to major interstate incidents, TDOT’s HELP program is celebrating ten years of service in Tennessee’s urban areas.  HELP trucks began rolling in Nashville and Knoxville in the summer of 1999.  Service began in Memphis and Chattanooga in the summer of 2000.  Since the program launched, TDOT’s HELP drivers have responded to more than a million calls for various types of assistance, including one driver who helped deliver a baby.

“TDOT’s HELP trucks have become a fixture in our urban areas and motorists in distress have come to depend on them,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “Our operators are also key partners with police and emergency management agencies during serious incidents, all in an effort to clear our highways as quickly as possible and keep traffic moving.” «Read the rest of this article»

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New Tennessee laws are in effect

July 7, 2009 |

Despite tight revenues, state finishes fiscal year on schedule, lawmakers save jobs, education programs. (See complete text below of newly published Public Chapters of the Tennessee Code Annotated.)

NASHVILLE – While several other states struggle to close out the fiscal year ending Wednesday, Tennessee has already published new laws passed during its recently completed legislative session.

“We didn’t have a $24 billion shortfall in revenue like the legislators in California are struggling with, but it was still a tight budget year in Tennessee,” Senator Lowe Finney of Jackson, incoming chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, said.

Still, we were able to protect our better schools program – pre-K in particular – and we can move ahead with projects that will put Tennesseans back to work.

That’s good for our families, our hometown economies and our state revenue. As more jobs begin to open up – thanks to projects like the West Tennessee industrial megasite – we can build a stable tomorrow for Tennesseans.

Among the laws now in effect:

• Increased energy efficiency is now required in state buildings and vehicles.
• Sex offenders are prohibited from being within 1,000 feet of certain places where children are likely to gather.
• Tennessee driver’s licenses now print birthdates larger to make them easier for retailers to read.
• Vending machines installed on state property after July 1 must use energy efficient lighting, and the new lighting must be installed on any that are repaired.

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GHSO warns Tennesseans not to get “Nailed” by the cops this summer

July 2, 2009 |

Governor’s Highway Safety Office Kicks Off 100 Days of Summer Heat Campaign

NASHVILLE – The phrase, “I just got nailed by the cops,” is taking on a whole new meaning for Tennesseans.  Today, the Governor’s Highway Safety Office joined AAA and the Franklin Police Department to launch “100 Days of Summer Heat” and unveiled a new “Drive Drunk, Get Nailed” message.  GHSO has already spread the message to many in Middle Tennessee in a unique and surprising way.  Vehicles with 10 foot nails driven through the hoods have appeared in high visibility locations across Middle Tennessee since June 22 in an effort to spread the word.

“There is never a good reason for getting behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely.  “Unfortunately, many people are still not getting the message, so we hope this new campaign will help draw attention to the problem of drunk driving in Tennessee.” «Read the rest of this article»

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