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Sign Inspections Underway in Tennessee Valley

Reported by Mark Bruce
Eyewitness News Reporter/Anchor

CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) - Tennessee Department of Transportation crews are inspecting more than 600 road signs statewide to prevent them from collapsing onto local highways. Department leaders ordered the immediate inspection of all single pole support signs after one collapsed near Nashville Monday.

Three, three-man crews are checking those structures in Hamilton County Friday and Saturday.  There are 51 signs locally to inspect. Workers are checking the bolts, using binoculars and spraying special dyes to look for cracks and strain.

"We spray it with a red paint," said Inspector Chris Smith.  "Then we spray a developer on it which is white.  After a couple seconds, the paint will seep out of crack and it'll show up as red mark on white paint and we can tell if there are cracks or defects."

"We want to make sure the traveling public is safe," TDOT Spokesperson Jennifer Flynn said.  "A driver on a roadway in Tennessee shouldn't have to worry about a sign falling on top of them."

Flynn says any sign with a crack in it will be taken down immediately.  TDOT has crews on standby in case.  So far, one sign was removed near Kingsport when a crack was spotted in the base, similar to the one that fell in Williamson County.  As of Friday afternoon, all signs in the Tennessee Valley had checked out okay.