WEEKEND TRAFFIC ALERT: Roadwork to close I-440

WKRN Channel 2 News NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The westbound lanes of Interstate 440, from Interstate 65 to Interstate 40, west of town, will again be closed this weekend as a major concrete rehabilitation project continues. The roadway will close at 8 p.m. Friday, September 18 and reopen no later than 6 a.m. Monday, September 21. Crews with the Tennessee Department of Transportation will saw out and remove damaged sections of concrete and pour new concrete, which must harden completely before the road can reopen to traffic. TDOT Spokesperson BJ Doughty said the construction will continue, despite the rainy weather. "The contractor wants to work rain or shine," Doughty said. "They have got some means to cover up if it starts raining, but we've got a lot of work that we're trying to get done on 440 in a short amount of time so they're going to go for it." The opening will be one day earlier than previous I-440 weekend construction to help with traffic flow for Sunday's Titans game at LP Field. "We don't like doing things like this when we know we have heavy volumes of traffic at a particular time," Doughty said. The project, which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, includes repairs to deteriorating concrete along I-440 and this weekend's closure is one of several planned. "The concrete surface along most of I-440 is experiencing significant deterioration and is in need of extensive repairs," said TDOT Chief Engineer Paul Degges. "By closing sections of the road on weekends over the next few months, we can complete these repairs in a relatively short amount of time and provide a smooth riding surface for this heavily traveled roadway." Read more at TennesseeAnytime.org.