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With I-40 damaged from Helene, how will it impact holiday traffic in Tennessee? What to know before you go

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With I-40 damaged from Helene, how will it impact holiday traffic in Tennessee? What to know before you go


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Are you taking a road trip this holiday season?

You’re not alone. AAA experts predict 71.7 million travelers to be on the roads nationwide around Thanksgiving, a 1.3 million increase over 2023 numbers.

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In East Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Transportation Spokesperson Mark Nagi anticipates the highways being “very busy.” Road damage and closures add even more complication and congestion to the already-crowded roads.

Tropical Storm Helene caused grave damage to Tennessee and North Carolina highways when the storm swept through on Sept. 27. Months later, road damage continues to be top of mind for drivers.

“We’re continuing to work to get these roadways and bridges open as quickly as possible,” Nagi said.

Interstate 40 remains closed across the Tennessee and North Carolina state border after a mudslide wiped out a portion of the highway. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has a plan to reopen two-way traffic in the gorge, but not in time for Thanksgiving or Christmas travel.

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To make travel a bit easier, there will be no temporary lane closures from noon on Wednesday, Nov 27, through 6 a.m. on Dec. 2, according to Nagi. However, this does not apply to long-term closures like I-40 where roads are closed for damage.

Tips for holiday travel

Knowing that highways in East Tennessee could be extra busy this year, Nagi shared some road trip tips to make the holiday travel easier.

  • Download the SmartWay app, or look at the road closure map online.
  • Give yourself extra time to travel. Leave early if you can.
  • Try to avoid travel during peak times, including Wednesday, Nov 27.

Where is I-40 closed?

Still, you’re unable to drive across the Tennessee state line into North Carolina on I-40.

In Tennessee, there is one lane of traffic open in each direction between Mile Marker 446 and Mile Marker 451 at the state line. Commercial traffic cannot go any further than Mile Marker 440 on I-40 East, according to Nagi.

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The highway is closed in both directions from Mile Marker zero to 20 in North Carolina.

How many people travel across I-40 at the gorge?

I-40 is a major thoroughfare through the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The stretch of I-40 in North Carolina that was damaged by Helene supports about 7,610 trucks daily and a total average daily traffic of over 26,000 vehicles.

Alternate route: Use Interstate 26 through Erwin

You can use I-26 through Erwin to cross the state line. This route option reopened in late October, according to Nagi. There is one-lane two-way traffic through the area.

Nagi said there would likely be more traffic on this route through the holiday travel season.

Alternate route: Use Interstate 81 and Interstate 77

From Knoxville, travelers can head north on I-81, which connects with I-77 toward Charlotte. It’s more miles, but you can eventually get to Ashville and other areas of North Carolina from there.

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Chronic wasting disease in Tennessee whitetail deer continues creeping eastward

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Chronic wasting disease in Tennessee whitetail deer continues creeping eastward


Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in whitetail deer continues creeping in an eastward direction in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has received the first-ever positive chronic wasting disease (CWD) test result in a road-killed deer found in Wayne County. Since Wayne County is already within the current CWD Management Zone, wildlife feeding and carcass transportation restrictions are already in place.

This means CWD has now been confirmed in 20 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. This is the third county where CWD has been confirmed East of Kentucky Lake, what some people hope might provide at least a partial impediment to CWD’s eastward expansion. The first CWD case confirmed in Tennessee came in 2018. Of course several cases have also been more recently identified in the northwest corner of Alabama.

In Wayne County, there are no changes to the deer hunting season dates and regulations. However, hunters are now eligible for the Earn-a-Buck Program. Hunters can earn additional bucks by harvesting antlerless deer in Wayne County and submitting them for testing. Hunters who have already submitted antlerless deer for testing this fall will be provided an earned buck. For more details on the CWD Management Zone and Incentive Programs, visit CWDinTN.org.

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As a reminder, Wayne County is subject to the following wildlife feeding and carcass transportation restrictions:

  • Deer carcasses can move within and between counties in the CWD Management Zone.
  • Hunters may not move whole or field-dressed deer carcasses or unapproved parts outside of the CWD Management Zone. Only approved parts may be moved out of the CWD Management Zone.
  • Once a carcass is brought into the CWD Management Zone, it cannot be moved out of the zone.
  • Approved parts are free to be transported anywhere statewide. Approved parts are listed below:
  • Deboned meat
  • Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates, cleaned skulls (where no meat or tissues are attached to the skull)
  • Cleaned teeth
  • Finished taxidermy and antler products
  • Hides and tanned products
  • Within the CWD Management Zone, the placement of grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable natural and manufactured products is prohibited.
  • Feeding restrictions do not apply if the feed or minerals are:
  • Placed within one hundred (100) feet of any residence or occupied building; or
  • Placed in such a manner to reasonably exclude access by deer; or
  • Placed as part of a wild hog management effort authorized by the agency; or present from normal agricultural practices, normal forest management practices, or crop and wildlife food production practices.

Hunter’s participation in CWD testing is critical for the continued surveillance and monitoring of CWD throughout the state.

Hunters can access CWD testing through participating taxidermists and meat processors or by using drop-off freezers.

The Wayne County drop-off freezer is available at: Beech Creek Fire Hall, 5775 Beech Creek Road, Waynesboro, TN 38485.

CWD is a progressive, fatal disease of the nervous system of cervids, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose.

The agency partners with certified laboratories to test samples, and TWRA has already submitted approximately 8,400 samples for testing this hunting season.

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Titans QB Cam Ward Talks Past, Present and Future

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Titans QB Cam Ward Talks Past, Present and Future


NASHVILLE – Cam Ward discussed the past, present and the future on Wednesday.

During his regularly scheduled session with reporters, the Titans quarterback also discussed what it’s been like handling the pressure of being the number one pick and the face of the franchise.

“I just wake up and go about my business, honestly,” Ward said. “I don’t really see no pressure. I mean, I get to do something every day that I like to do. I’m going to always remember the hard times that I went through my rookie year. I’ll remember the good plays that I made in my rookie year. I’ll remember how many reporters came to report on the team one year. And I’ll remember in the next couple of years when there’s a lot more reporters out here trying to get footage on us.

“You’ve just got to continue to take your day by day process. We continue to feed into each other as the locker room, continue to give emphasis on the coaching staff, what we’re looking for ahead. And we’re ready to turn it back around.”

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In 14 starts this season, Ward has thrown for 2,638 yards with 11 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

He needs just 181 pass yards to break Marcus Mariota’s Tennessee record with 2,818 passing yards (in 2015).

Ward has shown improvement in recent weeks – he has back-to-back games with two touchdown passes (zero such games in his first 12 starts) and this past Sunday was his first career game without taking a sack (3.8 sacks per game in Weeks 1-14).

Ward discussed some of the highs and lows of his rookie season.

Ward said he feels like he hasn’t had his signature game yet while saying “I don’t think I’ll ever have a signature game in my career, honestly.”

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“Every game there’s going to be some bad tape,” he said. “Whether it’s one play, two plays, from myself or another teammate. So I don’t really try to chase having a perfect game. I try to just chase having a good play every play. Because at the end of the day, I’m going to have a bad play. I’m going to throw another interception. I’m going to fumble the ball again at some point in my career. So the more I can continue to stress myself, limit the little bad plays and just continue to build on what I already know, what I’m good at, and then just continue to put the ball in space to my playmakers, I think that will serve me better in the long term.”

The Titans face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and after that the team has games left vs the Saints and Jaguars.

Ward knows there will be changes on the horizon, including the team naming a new head coach for 2026.

Ward on Wednesday was asked if he wants to meet the head coaching candidates during the process.

He said he’s actually talked to Mike Borgonzi and Chad Brinker about the process.

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“I want to meet all of them,” Ward said. “Every coach who’s going to get the opportunity to come here, I want to meet them, have conversations throughout the whole process with them because that’s someone that I’m going to be here with for that time. So, we got to just continue to — me being around and being open to it no matter whoever we try to hire because I know at the end of the day who we do hire is going to be the right fit for us. Whether it’s a defensive person or an offensive person, they’re going to make sure that every person is in the right place, and make sure every person is set up for success.

“Yeah, I have had a conversation with them about wanting to be involved. They know how much I want to be involved. And then especially just not even with the scheme part of it just as the head coach who he is on a everyday basis. And then, we’ll get into the scheme what I know I’m good at, what I want do, what he thinks will also help me.”



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Tennessee football QB Jake Merklinger plans to enter transfer portal

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Tennessee football QB Jake Merklinger plans to enter transfer portal


Tennessee quarterback Jake Merklinger plans to enter the transfer portal, Knox News has confirmed.

On3.com and Rivals.com were the first to report Merklinger’s decision. The transfer portal opens on Jan. 2.

Merklinger has also opted out of the Music City Bowl. No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) plays Illinois (8-4) on Dec. 30 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Nashville. Starter Joey Aguilar will play in the bowl game, so Merklinger was not expected to be a factor. Freshman George MacIntyre will serve as the backup.

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Merklinger spent two seasons at Tennessee but barely played and failed to win the starting job. He played six games and went 19-of-33 passing for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2024, Merklinger was a third-string freshman when Nico Iamaleava started. In 2025, he competed for the starting job but lost to transfer Joey Aguilar.

By the end of the 2025 season, Merklinger was neck and neck with freshman George MacIntyre for the backup job. And it didn’t appear that Merklinger would factor in the starting job in 2026.

Merklinger, a native of Savannah, Georgia, was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

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Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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