Thousands will hit the road for Nashville this week and weekend for CMA Fest and Bonnaroo. However, there is a piece of the interstate that’s a big concern for drivers and local officials.
It’s the two-mile stretch on I-24 between Haywood Lane and Bell Road. According to data from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, so far this year there have been 97 crashes. Two have been fatal, and both killed motorcyclists.
“It’s dark, but it’s always been this way,” one driver told News 2.
And he’s right. The Tennessee Department of Transportation says when they widened I-24 about 20 years ago, lights were never installed.
Now, there are many light-less patches on Tennessee’s highways, and TDOT says it’s up to the local municipalities to request and help pay to install them.
“That’s a really heavily-traveled stretch,” said driver Justine Hart. She drives between Nashville and Murfreesboro where she’s a student at MTSU.
“Even as far as personal safety, what happens when you pull over on the side of the road? There should be lights on the interstate,” Hart added.
When News 2 called Metro Public Works, the city’s traffic engineer said he was shocked by the number of crashes and (continue reading at WKRN)