INVESTIGATION INTO I-65 NEAR ARMORY DRIVE REPAIRS AND ACCIDENTS

When it rains, it pours on Nashville roadways and more times than not, heavy rains set the stage for highway danger zones.

In just two weeks, two, rain related accidents have occurred in the same stretch of Interstate 65 near Armory Drive.

In 2005, News 2 investigated safety problems on stretch of I-65 located just a tenth of mile away.

"People have to adjust their speeds,” said Winston Gaffron of TDOT, “and see how people are driving around them.”

On March 28, a Brentwood woman was killed on I-65 near Armory Drive. Police said weather is to blame.

Two weeks later, on Wednesday, Nashville's next major rain, a driver lost control on I-65 and Armory, and hit a TDOT truck. A TDOT employee was taken to the hospital. “Drivers just need to be more careful when there’s wet conditions out,” said Graffron.

A News 2 investigation two years ago prompted TDOT to install new pavement and drainage on I-65 just south of Armory at Harding Place, because of frequent weather related car crashes. Now, with in the eyesight of the former crash zone, a similar scenario may be unfolding just a tenth of a mile down the road.

Graffon said, “I-65 and Armory was beyond the area surveyed, but TDOT does work with lawenforcement and also have our maintenance crews to tell us what needs to be fixed." TDOT said they don't know if I-65 and Armory has an abnormal number of weather related wrecks, but they do make an effort to fix problems when they're discovered.

Since News 2’s investigation, TDOT has used new laser mapping technology to identify locations where water ponds on the road. The technology has led to modifications of the interstate.