A stretch of Interstate 40 East in Mt. Juliet notorious for hydroplane-related crashes has improved, according to city officials.
The inbound lanes of the interstate near mile marker 226 saw numerous crashes caused by hydroplaning in 2015. According to Mt. Juliet Police, officers responded to more than 20 crashes in two months last summer.
"It was really bad," Yanith Rosas, a clerk who works near the interchange said. "I would see ambulances go by all the time."
The Tennessee Department of Transportation helped fix what was believed to be a drainage issue last October. Since then, the number of crashes has dropped from several to none at all.
"We've had several downpours since the repair and have had no crashes," Mt. Juliet Deputy Public Works Director Andy Barlow said. "I think it shows that the pattern we were having is no longer existing."
There were no crashes up until Thursday night after a two-vehicle crash involving a jack-knifed tractor trailer nearly shut down the interstate.
Those with the Tennessee Highway Patrol said each driver claimed the other person swerved into their lane. A trooper on the scene believed it could be weather-related.
There were no serious injuries.
Despite the recent crash, Barlow believed the conditions have improved tremendously compared to last year.
"It's the first one I've seen at the same spot since we had the repairs done on the roadway," Barlow added.
Since the road repairs, the city also split the the $700,000 plan with TDOT to install 12 LED lights along the same stretch of the interstate.
The installment was finished by October and has been expected to save $20,000-30,000 in energy costs each year.
