KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Across East Tennessee, law enforcement agencies are partnering together ahead of Labor Day to make driving safer on a 120-mile-long highway that has had several serious crashes.
On Friday, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Hawkins County Sheriff`s Office, Bean Station Police Department and other traffic safety partners announced the “Safer on 11W” campaign. Highway 11W spans all the way across Tennessee, but during the campaign, law enforcement will be focusing on the 120-mile stretch between Knoxville and Bristol, connecting several communities along the way.
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During the campaign, participating law enforcement agencies will hold a DUI checkpoint on Highway 11W on August 29. There will also be increased traffic enforcement from August 29 through Labor Day on September 1.
Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that between 2020 and 2024, there were 792 crashes on Highway 11W. In 2020, the number of crashes was 104 on the highway, but in 2024, the number of crashes nearly tripled to 291…