Latest news with #MarkNagi
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
When will more of Interstate 40 be repaved around Knoxville?
Interstate 40 is one of the busiest roadways in Tennessee, and it's easy to imagine how quickly it can get worn down over time. There are 200,000 vehicles per day traveling on I-40 through downtown Knoxville, according to Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesperson Mark Nagi. Resurfacing happens on a rolling basis, and some stretches have been refreshed more recently than others. "We prefer to resurface every 10 years for interstates and 12 years for state routes, but obviously those are general timelines, and are adjusted as needed," Nagi emailed Knox News. "The governor's budget includes $80 million in recurring funds for TDOT. Part of that $80 million is for pavement preservation. That will allow us to resurface an additional 130 lane miles statewide on an annual basis going forward." Here are some recent I-40 resurfacing projects: Liberty Street to West Dale Avenue was paved in 2009. West Dale Avenue to the bridge over Blackstock Avenue was paved in 2016. Papermill Drive to Liberty Street was paved in 2018. Intermittent paving work was done by TDOT crews as needed. If you're hoping some of those cracks in other areas will be fixed this year to make your travels less bumpy, you're going to be waiting at least another year or two. A project is scheduled to start from Papermill Drive to the bridge over Blackstock Avenue in summer or spring 2027. There is no current repaving schedule for I-40 from Papermill Drive westward to the Knox County line, or from Blackstock Avenue eastward to the Knox County line. Potholes on I-40? How you can help with maintenance Any issues you encounter along the interstates should be reported to the TDOT Road Repair Hotline at 833-836-8349 or by filling out an online request at On local roads in Knoxville, you can call 311, submit an online request at or contact the city's civil engineer at 865-211-6100. In Knox County, you can report potholes or other issues by downloading the SeeClickFix app on your phone. Myron Thompson reports on public safety for Knox News. Email: This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: When will more of Interstate 40 be repaved in Knoxville? Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
I-275 will close in Knoxville with 'significant impact on traffic': See when and why
If your route typically involves Interstate 275 in north Knoxville, you might want to give yourself more time to drive on upcoming weekends. Highway construction projects will have a "significant impact on traffic," according to Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesperson Mark Nagi. I-275 will be closed altogether from 7 p.m. July 11 through 6 a.m. July 14. The highway will be closed in each direction as crews work to replace the bridge over Elm Street and Bernard Avenue, according to Nagi. Additionally, I-275 will be closed from the night of July 18 through the morning of July 21. Drivers should plan to use the alternate route of I-40 and I-640 to bypass the construction. The Knoxville highway will be closed in July for replacement of the bridge over Elm Street and Bernard Avenue, according to TDOT. Crews will replace the current stretch with a single-span concrete box beam bridge using accelerated bridge construction techniques. After the project is complete, the clearance under the new bridge will increase to 15 feet, 3 inches. Additionally, crews will restripe Elm Street and Bernard Avenue, upgrade the cross slopes on I-275 and improve the bike and pedestrian paths on Bernard Avenue, according to TDOT. TDOT anticipates that the project should end by Nov. 15, depending on the weather, according to its published timeline. A third weekend closure of I-275 will happen in the fall. Drivers should plan to use the alternate route of I-40 and I-640 to bypass the construction. Tennessee drivers can see construction projects, road closures and more by using TDOT SmartWay. Before getting behind the wheel, drivers can also check traffic cameras. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Interstate 275 to close for construction in Knoxville: See dates
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Flooding forces I-40 to close in NC near Tennessee state line. Here's detour info
Interstate 40 is closed again through the Pigeon River Gorge near the Tennessee state line, this time because of a reported rock slide and flooding on the Tennessee side. Westbound traffic in North Carolina can go only as far as Exit 20, U.S. 276, about 20 miles from the state line. The N.C. Department of Transportation is warning westbound drivers as far away as the Triangle that they'll need to take a detour around the gorge to get to Tennessee. Photos posted by the Tennessee Department of Transportation show cars and trucks stuck in water-covering the highway at Exit 451, Waterville Road, less than a mile from the state line. TDOT closed the highway about 5 p.m. Wednesday, said spokesman Mark Nagi. 'TDOT crews are assessing the situation, but that area got a lot of heavy rain earlier this afternoon, and more rain likely tonight,' Nagi wrote in an email about 8:30 p.m. 'No ETA for road opening currently.' The reported rock slide occurred about a mile west of the interchange. Nagi said TDOT crews removed median barriers to allow stuck traffic to turn around. I-40 was completely shut down for months through the Pigeon River Gorge after the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused historic flooding last September that washed away sections of the eastbound lanes. NCDOT and TDOT used the remaining westbound lanes to reopen the highway to two-way traffic in February. This time, the floodwaters came off the mountain above the road, rather than from the river. From the Triangle and Triad, Tennessee-bound drivers are urged to take either I-77 or U.S. 52 and I-74 north to I-81. Drivers in the mountains or Asheville area are being directed to take I-26 west to I-81.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
8 Months Since Helene: 4 state-owned bridges still closed in Northeast Tenn.
TRI-CITIES, Tenn. (WJHL) — Eight months after Hurricane Helene flooded regional waterways and took some homes and numerous bridges with it, four state-owned bridges remain closed, including a heavily traveled passage in Elizabethton. On Sept. 27, Helene flooded rivers and creeks as it brought unprecedented rainfall to the area. Some of the most impacted waterways were the Nolichucky, Doe and Elk rivers. Bridges that cross over those rivers were largely wiped out, adding several minutes to emergency response times and nearly an hour to community members' commutes. SEE ALSO: ETSU preps for start of hurricane season while reflecting on Helene The Tennessee Department of Transportation's (TDOT) Region 1 Communications Officer Mark Nagi told News Channel 11 on Tuesday that the following bridges still remain closed as a result of Hurricane Helene: SR 67 bridge in Carter County (Broad St. Bridge) SR 159/US 321 in Carter and Johnson Counties (Poga bridges [x2]) SR 353 in Washington County (Bailey Bridge) TDOT initially planned for the Broad Street Bridge in Elizabethton to reopen at the end of May. However, on April 2, TDOT announced the opening would be delayed until the beginning of July. Two bridges in the Poga and Elk Mills communities of Carter County are being rebuilt with $10 million in grant funding. Tennessee and FEMA approved the grant to restore the two-lane bridges, located about a mile apart along the Elk River. That funding comes from FEMA's Public Assistance Program. The Bailey Bridge in the South Central community of Washington County is expected to be completed by May 2026, according to TDOT. Much progress has been made, though, as TDOT rebuilt and opened both the Kinser Bridge in Greene County and the Taylor Bridge in Washington County well ahead of schedule. 'Of the 49 sections of state/local routes initially closed due to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, 46 have reopened,' Nagi previously stated in a release. In addition to the above TDOT-managed bridges, Washington County's government was awarded $6.8 million to replace the Corby Bridge near Limestone. Long Hollow Road in Carter County also has a bridge at one end of the roadway that remains closed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
SR 81/Taylor Bridge open in Washington Co., Tenn. following post-Helene rebuild
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — The SR 81/Taylor Bridge has reopened in Washington County, Tennessee, following a full rebuild after floodwaters destroyed it during Hurricane Helene. According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) on X, the bridge reopened Saturday morning, just less than 8 months after the flooded Nolichucky River ripped it apart. SEE ALSO: Ribbon cut on rebuilt Kinser Bridge in Greene County The opening comes just a day after the SR 107/Kinser Bridge was reopened in Greene County. Both bridges pass over the Nolichucky, which swelled and flooded during Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, devastating those respective communities. Traffic can now pass over the two bridges. 'Of the 49 sections of state/local routes initially closed due to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, 46 have reopened,' TDOT's Region 1 Communications Officer Mark Nagi stated in a release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
