TDOT to deploy Rural Service Patrol

I am extremely pleased to see that the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will be deploying the “TDOT Rural Service Patrol Program” for Interstates 81 and 26 starting on Thursday, May 28, 2026.  The Johnson City MTPO has long advocated for this program, similar to the HELP trucks that patrol large urban areas.  Former MTPO Executive Board Chairman and Johnson City Mayor Jane Myron was a strong supporter of this program. In addition to her, former Washington County / Johnson City EMA Director, Nes Levotch, and myself continued to advocate for this project along with our TDOT District 17 Office, and I know there were others.  The Johnson MTPO consistently and continually kept this issue in front of TDOT, and they were supportive.  The issue was funding.  This past year, the Governor included reoccurring funding in the state budget for this program to be deployed. 

TDOT is a valued partner of the Johnson City MTPO and we sincerely appreciate their efforts to make our highways safer for our families, friends, and people “just passin’ through.”

Please check out the flyer for details about the program.

Below is a map showing the route coverage for each interstate in Region 1 (East Tennessee). For Interstate 26 in our area, 1 crew with two trucks will cover from Exit 1 in Kinsport to Exit 27 in Johnson City. A separate crew will patrol from Exit 27 to the North Carolina state line.