Evacuation Route Sign Points to a Dead End

SPRING CITY, Tenn. (WTVC-TV) -  An inside joke is unfolding north of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Rhea County, Tenn., but it could have a serious punch line. The Watts Bar Evacuation route in north Rhea County includes one side that points the wrong way... to a dead end road.

At the intersection of Toestring Valley and Rocky Springs Road, two evacuation signs are posted directly across the road from each other, one pointing the correct direction back to Hwy. 27... the other pointing the opposite direction down the dead end road.

Locals know about the mistake and have chuckled about it. They also know it needs to be corrected. We made one telephone call to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to point out the problem and a spokesperson told us it would be fixed.

Tom Spicknall recalled his reaction when the signs first went in the ground.

"Somebody goofed," said Spicknall. "I noticed it right after they put 'em up."

The back of the incorrect sign had TDOT sticker with a March '09 stamp on it.

But if a real nuclear emergency happened, and you weren't from around here Spicknall says you'd be lost.

"Especially if they run back Stump Hollow or Euchee Chapel or somewhere back in here, they'd be messed up for sure, " he said. "There's no way of getting out of here."

Gary Simpson owns the 50 acres behind the sign pointing the wrong direction.

"I know there's nowhere to go up except the river," he said. "It just leads you to the river if you kept going that way which you can't do, there's no road there."

Simpson was right. We followed the arrow and it leads you on a scenic drive through the country, that dead ends at the Tennessee River. A lovely drive indeed, but not evacuation effective.

Our call to the TDOT was quickly answered. The spokesperson said Rhea County's Emergency Management will look at the sign and move it as quickly as possible. The sign will be placed where the exit arrow is pointing in the correct direction. And that is a good sign.