TDOT Continues Clearance Efforts in Middle Tennessee

Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) continues to urge motorists to stay home as clearance of interstate and state routes continues. TDOT crews are on day seven of around-the-clock operations and are making real progress despite challenging conditions.

This is a statewide, coordinated response, and every region is engaged. These figures help illustrate the scale of the effort:

· 39,000 equipment hours

· 71,000 labor hours

· 61,000 tons of salt

· 1.4 million gallons of brine

· 510,000+ miles of roadway treated

· 2,300+ incidents managed

· Thousands of Trees Cleared

TDOT workers are still actively plowing, salting, and removing debris from state-owned roadways in Region 3's 26 counties. While interstates and priority state routes are looking better, many secondary routes remain unsafe, and the department is committed to restoring connectivity not only for travel but also for linemen and utility companies working to restore power.

Late yesterday, Governor Bill Lee signed Executive Order 111. The Executive Order gives TDOT the ability to assist on non-state roads by clearing routes of snow and ice and removing downed trees. TDOT is bringing in additional crews from across the state and mobilizing contractors to address locally owned roads as quickly as possible. For TDOT to be deployed on non-state roadways, the request must come from the city or county through the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA).

If you must drive to get essential supplies, reach a safer location, or report to work, drivers are urged to use extreme caution. We remind motorists to reduce speed, increase following distance, and stay alert for sudden icy patches, downed trees, and power lines. Every precaution helps protect not only the individual driver but also other motorists and the men and women working hard to keep our roads clear.

From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest road conditions and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at https://www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 for travel information or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/myTDOT for statewide travel.

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