Office of Emergency Management

PUBLIC WORKS BEGINS EMERGENCY ROADWAY REPAIRS
TDOT, TN Highway Patrol lift H-O-V lane restrictions for daily commuters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2010
3:00 p.m.

EOC Media Desk
(615) 862-8540

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Receding flood waters is especially good news for state and Metro agencies working around the clock to get flood-damaged roads and bridges repaired and re-opened to traffic.

Major interstate routes and other main roads previously closed by heavy flooding are now open, yet a few roadway sections still have spot flooding and some key intersections are troublesome due to lack of power for traffic signals. Another 30 to 40 sections with severe pavement damage, sinkholes, cave-ins, slides and other pavement problems have been identified, and repair plans being developed.

Meanwhile, drivers, especially commuters, report experiencing heavy congestion on many Metro roadways. To help keep traffic moving, officials with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), Department of Safety, Department of Transportation (TDOT), the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Metro Public Works (MPW) and the Metro Police Department are implementing the following:

  • Beginning today, TDOT and the Tennessee Highway Patrol will not enforce HOV lane restrictions on interstate highways during rush hours.
  • MPW’s Traffic Division and Nashville Electric Service are coordinating efforts to restore power to signalized intersections; those still without power are being set up with signage (and where necessary, police officers) as temporary 2- or 4-way stops.
  • Teams of MPW engineering and paving inspectors are visiting every street and roadway section where damage is reported to assess the extent of repairs needed. Metro roadway repair crews are being dispatched to areas where emergency repairs can be conducted so at least one lane of traffic can be restored.
  • Private contractors, who are not allowed to close streets during peak traffic hours for construction or utility work, are being asked to minimize work that could interfere with off-peak traffic.

Motorists are advised to check both the TDOT SmartWay and Nashville.gov websites for roadway closings and plan their daily commutes and other trips accordingly. Information is subject to change often, however, as new problem areas are discovered when flood waters recede, and streets are re-opened as soon as repairs are finished.

Road closings are posted at www.nashville.gov and http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/tdotsmartway/.

Citizens can also call 3-1-1 for Metro street closings information, 5-1-1 for TDOT and interstate closings, and the Tennessee Department of Safety’s roadway hotline for Middle Tennessee:
1-800-342-3258.

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