Summer Vacation Plans? May want to avoid this!!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

Interstate 40 shut down for 14 months through Knoxville, TN. This also involves Interstate 75. The following is an excerpt:

A 0.9-mile stretch of I-40 is closed between Hall of Fame Drive and James White Parkway. It is the final and most dramatic phase of SmartFIX40, the 14-month, $190 million closure and reconstruction of the interstate downtown. Some out-of-town drivers didn't realize what they were in for.

snip

The I-40 closure will send the drivers of 103,000 vehicles that daily travel the roadway scrambling to find another route. Studies show that about 30,000 of those cars and trucks are part of through traffic that will follow detour signs to Interstate 640 and Interstate 275. The other 73,000 exit somewhere downtown.

snip

"That stretch of I-40 is simply too narrow. It is antiquated. It is dangerous," he said. "It averages more than 150 accidents per year. This simply must be done for the safety of everyone using this stretch of roadway." The first SmartFIX40 contract was for the $85 million renovation of James White Parkway and extension of Hall of Fame Drive to Broadway, a job finished by its September 2007 deadline.

The article can be found here http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/may/01/new-beginning-i-40-dawns-smooth-sailing/

Here is a link to the Tennessee DOT Web Site about the closure http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/smartfix/jwp/

For those of you making plans, I hope this helps.


David

[Staph]

1. Thanks for the info.

I was going to be heading down that way at the end of May -- business trip. I guess I'll have to find an alternate route.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

2. May not be that bad unless it's a holiday weekend.

You just may want to make sure you hit Knoxville outside of the rush hours, probably very late at night would be best. Have a good trip.

David