Motorists on New Nashville Highway will soon get a sense of direction as the county hopes to begin putting up road signs in about a week.
“We have just ordered the signs and asked for them ASAP,” said Road Superintendent Levie Glenn, noting he did not realize the contractor would not be putting up the signs. “I started getting calls from citizens once the road opened asking about road signs. We weren’t aware we were supposed to be responsible for the street signs until after the road opened.”
Motorists who have traveled the 12.9-mile stretch of four-lane highway that links Newtown to the top of Woodbury Mountain have noticed the absence of signs with road names. While normal speed limit and safety signs have been erected by the state, the names of the streets have not.
That has made driving the new road troublesome as some motorists have experienced difficulty in knowing where to turn.
Glenn said once he started getting calls he contacted the Tennessee Department of Transportation, which revealed it’s the county’s responsibility to put up the new road signs.
“Once I found that out, we ordered them immediately,” said Glenn, noting he hopes for the first signs to arrive in about a week.
In the interest of time, Glenn said he and his men have already put up the posts and brackets for the signs. Once they arrive, all they will have to do is attach the signs to the posts.
The road superintendent noted in addition to the normal street-name signs, TDOT will be posting intersection notification signs.
“They will be put several hundred feet ahead of the intersections to give drivers warning the turn is coming up,” Glenn said of signs which will be posted soon.