NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A local contractor is being fined $12,000 for a job that went more than four hours late and impacted traffic during the entire Wednesday morning commute.
Around 85,000 drivers pass through the impacted area near Interstate 40 and Charlotte Pike daily, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation's most recent traffic counts. Crews from Rogers Group were milling and paving the road overnight Tuesday into Wednesday to resurface it before winter. They were supposed to clear out at 5 a.m., but were delayed, and continued to block all but one inbound lane throughout the morning. It caused a traffic jam that stretched for miles and well into Cheatham County.
The contractor was blocking two lanes for four hours beyond the limit. With a $1,500 fine per lane per hour, TDOT says there will be a $12,000 penalty.
The job isn't finished yet — TDOT says it will allow the contractor to start work earlier in the evening when crews return in an effort to head off future impacts.
Drivers may remember the road was patched during emergency repairs in March, but potholes have reopened in several places and TDOT says it needs this longer-term fix.
