NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A woman has been charged with driving under the influence after she was caught driving the wrong direction through a construction zone.
There were scary moments over the weekend during T-DOT's Fast Fix 8 bridge replacement project. Somehow a woman was able to drive on to the project.
No one was hurt, but she was arrested for D-U-I just short of where workers were replacing a bridge over Herman Street.
TDOT is in the middle of the Fast Fix 8 bridge replacement project downtown.
For the most part all has gone well.
TDOT Spokeswoman Heather Jensen said, "I mean there have been a few hiccups, but nothing that we couldn't work through and get open on time and all that good stuff."
There have been many safety precautions with barricades, barrels, cones and even state troopers stationed at each end of the project where the interstate is closed.
Then, there are situations like early Sunday morning that didn’t make sense, but were very dangerous.
A woman got on the interstate going the wrong direction in the Fast Fix 8 construction zone.
Jensen said, "It's really baffling, because again she's heading east bound in the west bound lanes, so it's really unclear where she got on the interstate. How she could have gotten on the interstate and gotten that far."
A state trooper arrested 22 year old Katherine Caire for DUI Sunday.
Photographs taken by TDOT show how she narrowly missed a construction vehicle.
Jensen said, "Very scary moments. She's fortunate that one, she didn't go across the bridge, because it wasn't finished, and two workers were present, so very fortunate that this is not worse than it is."
A few more feet and she would have been on the bridge where people were still working.
With safety in mind, TDOT has thought about adding more barriers between workers and motorists.
Jensen said, "We're looking at potentially putting up more flashers or barricades up in places where people could potentially get on and go the wrong way."
It may be the only answer, and the only way they can keep workers entirely safe.
Jensen said, "We've got four more bridges to repair. We don't want this to happen again. We don't want anyone to get hurt."
The state trooper said in the police report Caire smelled of alcohol, and her speech was slurred.
She was arrested for DUI and taken to Saint Thomas Midtown where she gave blood for a blood alcohol content test.
Caire is scheduled to face the charge in Davidson County General Sessions Court on October 29, 2015.
