(Smith County Insider Press) Lancaster, Tenn – Frequent travelers who commute through Lancaster will see an interruption today on State Highway Route 141 (also known as Lancaster Highway). The portion of road that will be under reconstruction is a short distance across the Dekalb County line and will be closed off. The road borders the Caney Fork River and has a long history of stability problems. Over the last several years, the portion of the road has seen many pavement operations and small improvements, but none have been successful in the long term.
Information from TDOT and some of the construction companies who were making the bids led many people to believe the construction was going to begin at the first of summer. Because the highway is an important access route to Center Hill Lake, the construction was delayed to allow better convenience for the high level of summer traffic.
Coming from Gordonsville commuters will come across the first warning sign in the right lane of traffic in front of the entrance to Smith Fork Creek Road. Over the next 2.5+ miles there will be a couple of more warning signs (another at the entrance to Betty’s Bend Road) before the highway is eventually shut off.
TDOT encourages only local traffic to come through the area during the construction time. No exact date of completion or reopening of the highway is set.
