Commuters and residents in East and Middle Tennessee should brace for a week of significant roadworks affecting their daily travels. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has released a comprehensive Roadway Activity Report highlighting scheduled maintenance and construction from August 15-21. Travelers will encounter various closures, construction activities, and detours across Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, and Putnam counties.
Specifically, in Cumberland County, TDOT crews are performing slope mowing operations along I-40 eastbound, anticipating intermittent right shoulder closures between MM 329 and MM 340, cautioned to commence on August 19 from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM daily. Amidst the construction turmoil, bridge construction and paving on SR-28 are proceeding, demanding temporary lane closures and traffic stoppages from north of I-40 to near Potato Farm Road. Efforts to improve pedestrian access downtown are resulting in shoulder parking closures and potential lane shifts along Main Street from Lantana Road to Neecham Street.
Elsewhere on SR-1, a bridge over the Obed River is undergoing replacement, constraining travel with a total road closure and rerouting traffic via Northside Drive. Resurfacing efforts stride on SR-101, SR-298, and parts of SR-1, demanding vigilance from drivers due to flaggers and possible lane closures that ensure workers' safety and project progress.
DeKalb and Jackson counties are not spared, with SR-26 works continuing grading along US-70, and SR-135 sees necessary rockfall mitigation measures north of Daniel Hill Lane. Considering the imminent closures, detour signage has been diligently positioned, guiding travelers through the makeshift road navigation as crews replace a drainage structure on SR-52 in Fentress County, fabricating unavoidable lane closures during operations scheduled for the day. Traffic on SR-85 in Jackson County is reduced to a single lane controlled by temporary lights, making way for bridge repair activity that does not deter wide-load traffic with an alternative route.
Over in Putnam County, bridge maintenance on I-40 may cause slow lane closures between MM 300 and MM 301 during maintenance test operations beginning on August 20, with flaggers directing traffic. Paving will be carried out from 7 PM to 6 AM on I-40 east of SR-56, where lane closures and ramp shutdowns are predicted. SR-136 is set for grading activities resulting in occasional lane stoppages and thorough precautions advocated for travelers. For those using SR-135, a closure for bridge construction will redirect vehicles starting August 19 as part of a larger infrastructure overhaul sweeping the region.
