Thank You, TDOT

Dear Tennessee Department of Transportation Team,

I know you hear all of the complaints. I know you get hit with a thousand “When’s this mess getting cleaned up” or “When are yall going to fix this road?” Or maybe some “Do you ever work? It’s been months and you’re still in this one spot making my commute terrible.” For all of the hate and negative comments thrown your way, I’m sorry. 

This is my letter to you, our state transportation team. This is my thank you! Thank you for the countless hours you spend crunching numbers, hosting meetings, and jumping hurdle after hurdle to make our roads safe and usable. Thank you for the attention to detail your team puts into something the “common” eye sees as nothing- if they even notice it at all. Thank you for putting aside your own plans and ideas to ensure our safety during snow storms. Thank you for sacrificing sleep to make sure every car that finds itself stuck after braving a patch of ice is pulled out of the ditch. Thank you for choosing a career that puts you in seasons where time away from work seems few and far between. Thank you for working in some less than ideal conditions to get the job done. 

What many people see as annoying traffic cones, delays to their commute, or half- started constructions just sitting, I see an entire project being carefully and thoroughly completed. I see men and women putting time and effort into a job that gets under-appreciated day after day. I see fathers, mothers, friends, spouses putting themselves in dangerous spots/conditions to make sure we all have a safe road to travel on. Thank you for willingly choosing a career that puts your life at risk and gets you some very nasty comments from others. Without you, we’d be nowhere- literally! 

Sincerely, 

A wife of a hard-working TDOT employee 

If you see a construction site or crew, PLEASE slow down! Those men and women have families to come home to. If you get the chance, tell them how much you appreciate them. There is SO much more that goes into roadwork than just laying down some asphalt. Until you know all the details, please don’t criticize your local transportation crews.