Airport disaster drill will look real

WKRN Channel 2 News April 21, 2009 07:59 AM CDT NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville International Airport Tuesday night will conduct a full-scale disaster drill. The drill will look real and travelers and drivers near the airport should not be alarmed when passing by. The drill will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Runway 13-31, located in the northwest corner of the field. Airport officials said the location will allow normal flight operations on the rest of the field. Aircraft, emergency vehicles and other equipment will be visible from the Interstate 40 and Briley Parkway interchange. The airport will simulate an aircraft crash and corresponding emergency response and coordination. Officials stress it is not associated with an actual emergency situation. In addition, travelers should be advised of an ongoing construction project at the airport. The airport's Terminal Access Roadway Improvements Project at the entrance and exits of the airport could cause delays. Workers will be blasting from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, until the end of May. The project is designed to improve traffic conditions on Ring Road, the one-way road that surrounds the airport's short-term and long-term parking lots and gives access to the terminal. Orange barrels and detours are set up, but the detours are narrow and curvy. Officials urge drivers to be cautious driving through the area. Phase I of the project, which began in October, should be completed in the fall. Upon completion, the project will make it easier for drivers to get to and from the airport by both Interstate 40 and Donelson Pike. It will also eliminate the need for drivers to merge and weave through several lanes of traffic on Ring Road. During the construction, travelers can access the parking areas but the cell phone/waiting area is temporarily closed. The terminal entrance off Donelson Pike, near I-40, and the economy parking lot is also temporarily closed. The main airport entrance off Donelson Pike, near the Long-term parking, remains open. Visit the Nashville International Airport Web site for more information.