Thanksgiving travelers will not be delayed by construction on Tennessee roads during this holiday. TDOT will halt all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways in anticipation of higher traffic volumes across the state. All construction-related lane closures will be stopped beginning at noon on Wednesday, November 22, through 6:30 a.m. on Monday, November 27.

“Thanksgiving is typically the most traveled holiday of the year,” said Deputy Governor & TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. “Halting road work during this time will provide maximum capacity on our highways and help alleviate congestion, especially during the predicted peak travel days of Wednesday and Sunday. TDOT’s regional HELP Trucks will also be working throughout the holiday weekend to assist with incidents that may occur along the interstates. Watch out for them – move over, slow down. It’s the law.”

While all lane closure activity will be stopped, workers may be on-site in some construction zones. Long-term lane closures will also remain in place on some construction projects for motorists’ safety. Motorists are reminded to drive safely and obey the posted speeds, especially in work zones. Drivers convicted of speeding in work zones where workers are present face a fine of up to $500, plus court fees and possibly increased insurance premiums. 

AAA predicts in Tennessee, 1.2 million will take a road trip; an increase of 28,000 people from last year’s holiday. With higher traffic volumes comes greater potential for crashes. Traffic fatalities https://www.tn.gov/safety/stats/dashboards/trafficfatality.html are up 1.2% from this time last year.