WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) -- The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) could change the speed limit on a notoriously dangerous stretch of road in Wilson County.
This is part of a traffic speed study on State Route 109 from Interstate 40 to the 109 bridge.
"You have to be very careful on it or it could be a death trap," said Brittany Hughes.
For years, those who live, work, and drive on SR 109 have brought these concerns forward.
Just over a month ago, residents met with Wilson County and state leaders, along with THP and TDOT.
"We have people out in the field collecting data," Zane Pannell, TDOT Region 3 Traffic Operations Manager said.
Pannell said this is one way TDOT is conducting its traffic speed study. "The goal of the traffic study is to identify what people are driving at, the 85 percentile, the average speed."
He said, based on those results, a new speed change may be warranted based on criteria established by state and federal guidelines.
Drivers have told News 2 that speed is the number one issue.
Two months ago, a couple lost their lives on SR 109 after a speeding driver passed traffic in the center lane and then hit them head-on.
From 2019 to October of this year, THP reported over 1,600 accidents from I-40 in Wilson County to the Sumner County line.
"You see a lot of truck traffic therefore you see a lot of congestion and a lot more serious incidents," Pannell said.
He said once this data is collected, changes could be coming soon. "We started about a month ago, and we hope to be wrapped up around Thanksgiving."