Cocke County Construction Project Halted Until September

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Tuesday, the Tennessee Department of Transportation suspended current operations on the median barrier replacement project along Interstate 40 in Cocke County.  Work will resume after Labor Day.

 

The project, which got underway today, requires the inside lanes of I-40 East and West be closed around the clock for approximately 10 days. The decision to halt work was made after local businesses contacted Representative Jeremy Faison and TDOT, expressing concern about the potential loss of business to the area.

“Once Representative Faison alerted us to this issue, we immediately worked with the contractor to adjust the construction schedule,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “We know this is a critical time for many of the businesses in this area, particularly for the river rafting companies, and we don’t want a construction project to cause negative impacts to the area during the busy summer travel season.”

 

“I’m so pleased to work with Mayor Vaughn Moore in Cocke County and TDOT to come up with a good solution quickly,” added Representative Faison. “I also want to give a special thanks to business owner Harold Cates and all of the rafting companies for bringing their concerns to us.”

Work on the median barrier repair project will resume on September 11, 2011. 

 

For more information on TDOT construction project activity visit the TDOT SmartWay website at www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway. Travelers can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel information or www.twitter.com/Knoxville511 for traffic information in the Knoxville area. Motorists are reminded to use all motorist information tools responsibly. Drivers should refrain from texting, tweeting or using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle. TDOT advises drivers to “Know before you go!” by checking traffic conditions before leaving for their destination.