If you're driving through Knoxville anytime soon, you may want to know about the wildest thing that happened on I-40 this week.
A truck carrying roughly one million bees crashed near downtown Knoxville, and yes, the bees got out.
What Happened
The crash sent the bees swarming near the ramp from I-40 East to Henley Street, forcing TDOT to shut it down temporarily on Friday.
TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi confirmed the situation to WVLT, saying, “A truck carrying a load of bees crashed, and now the bees have escaped and are swarming the area.”
Officials moved the truck away from traffic to help keep the bees from spreading further, and crews worked to corral the swarm.
The ramp has since reopened and the bees were gathered. So the good news? You can breathe easy if you're heading through Knoxville now.
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Read more →Should You Still Expect Delays?
When this story broke Friday morning, TDOT was warning drivers to expect backups around downtown Knoxville.
If you're road-tripping from Nashville to the Smoky Mountains, I-40 is the route most people take. It's worth keeping an eye on traffic apps before you head out, just in case cleanup created any lingering slowdowns.
Why Was a Truck Carrying a Million Bees?
Fair question. Commercial bee transport is actually pretty common in the U.S. Beekeepers move large colonies to farms and orchards across the country to pollinate crops. A single truck can carry dozens of hives at a time, which adds up fast.
One million bees sounds like a lot, but for commercial pollination operations, it's a pretty standard load.
Source: WVLT
