TN.gov Newsroom

 

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.

 

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen joined TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely, Senator Douglas Henry, Representative Gary Odom, Mayor Karl Dean and other state and local officials in Nashville today to break ground on Phase II of the Interstate 40-White Bridge Road interchange improvement project. The project is being totally funded through money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

 

 

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.

 

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen joined TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely and Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Susan Whitaker at the Bristol, Tennessee Welcome Center today to launch Tennessee Groves, a program that provides people with a way to memorialize loved ones, commemorate special events and beautify the state. The program is a partnership between TDOT and the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.

Knoxville, Tenn. – After 53 years on the job, Fred Corum is retiring as Tennessee Department of Transportation Region 1 Director effective June 30, 2009. 

 

NASHVILLE – Governor Bredesen announced today that the Environmental Protection Agency has selected the Tennessee Department of Transportation to receive a $2 million American Reinvestment and Recovery Act discretionary grant to begin equipping truck stops across the state with truck stop electrification (TSE) technology. Truck stop electrification systems provide heating and cooling for sleeper cab compartments and power to run electrical appliances, such as computers and microwaves. TSE systems also allow trucks outfitted with on-board equipment to "plug in" to operate necessary systems without idling the engine.  

 

 

NASHVILLE – Road construction won’t slow travelers through Tennessee this July 4th holiday weekend. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will suspend all interstate construction that requires lane closures beginning at midnight on Thursday, July 2.

 

NASHVILLE – TDOT will hold a Construction Kick-off Meeting next week to provide the public with details of the upcoming Hillsboro Road Improvement Project. The project, which will begin in the coming days, will add a center turn lane to a section of Hillsboro Road between Sharondale Drive and Crestmoor Road. Hillsboro Road will also be resurfaced from Interstate 440 to Harding Place.

 

Knoxville, Tenn. --- With a push of a button the SmartFIX40 completion countdown clock stopped and I-40 in downtown Knoxville officially reopened to traffic today, 18 days ahead of an already accelerated schedule. Local, state and federal officials, including Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, Congressman John Duncan, Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale have all referred to the project as an excellent example of team work, dedication and a job well done. At approximately 2:30 p.m. state and local leaders gathered around a large red button and officially reopened the interstate as a procession of Knoxville residents rounded the hill and became the first to drive the new I-40.