(WMC-TV) – MATA riders will get discounted fares Thursday, but unfortunately it’s because the air is expected to be unhealthy for some Mid-Southerners.

Forecasters have declared a code orange alert because they predict that the air quality will be especially poor Thursday. MATA is offering 25 cent fares to help improve air quality.

“A code orange alert means the amount of ground-level ozone in our air has reached unhealthy levels,” said a MATA official in a written release. “Any active children or adults, and people with respiratory disease such as asthma should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.”

While fares will be discounted for everyone Thursday, people with disabilities and those 65 and older will be able to ride busses and trolley for free with a valid MATA ID.

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Road construction won’t slow motorists down as they travel Tennessee’s highways this Memorial Day weekend.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation will suspend all construction-related lane closures on interstates and state routes beginning at noon on Friday, May 25 through 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 29. This will provide maximum roadway capacity for motorists expected to travel in the state this Memorial Day weekend.