The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has selected Cleary Construction to undertake the overhaul of a state culvert, allocating $2.7 million to improve water flow under State Route 53 in Jackson County. This project is necessary to maintain the safety and serviceability of the roads, as detailed in an announcement released on October 23.
Traffic will be rerouted for approximately 50 days once construction begins at Hurricane Branch Lane, with TDOT promising a two-week notice before the exact date the road will close, which will be announced to the public, as stated in the TDOT news release.
Detour signs will soon point drivers to SR-85 and SR-52, thoroughfares that got the thumbs up for both rigs and regular rides after officials weighed up the alternatives; these roads are set to bear the brunt of the redirected traffic for nearly two months.
As the repair plan waits in the wings, TDOT is putting the word out to schools, emergency services, and municipal figureheads to help keep things running smooth for Jackson County locals, the scheme uses a jumbo pre-cast concrete piece that slashes the construction time from 120 days to 50, neatly tucking itself within the current roadway margin to avoid legal snarls over land rights, maintaining a thread of communication is key here and by tapping into TDOT's real-time traffic tools—available by map or dialing 511—drivers can stay looped in according to the announcement.
Motorists are getting a nudge to remember Tennessee's Move Over Law, too—it's not just polite, it's the law to slide over for those braving the highways to work or respond to emergencies; forget or ignore it, and you might find yourself $500 lighter and with a month-long vacation in county lodging.
