I-475 in TN. Build it already.

[lamsalfl]

Why was this route never part of the original system?  It's logical, and significantly reduces traffic on a duplex that carries not one, but two major interstates (ending in a 0 and 5).  What is I-40/75 like in this area?  Is it congested?   Not only would traffic be reduced on I-40, but it significantly reduces mileage for I-75 travellers.  This will in turn save millions of gallons of gas over time, take unnecessary traffic out of Knoxville, and reduce travel time by (half hour??) for I-75 traffic.  Look at a map of Tennessee (and north Georgia).  I-75 literally zig-zags repeatedly.

Is there any movement for a road like this?  

[froggie]

When the system was first developed, Knoxville was a hole in the wall, so there was no need for 475.  Today, there's a need, but unless you got about $1 billion lying around for it, it's not going to get built anytime soon.

[Alex]

Knoxville's sprawl has overtaken pretty much the entire Interstate 40 & 75 overlap. Through traffic is vastly increased between Knoxville and Chattanooga in general as well. Like Froggie said, there's no money for the new route, which pretty much is the case everywhere these days...

Some photos from November 8:

[leifvanderwall]

The thing also to consider is the terrain the road is going to be built on . There are quite a few mountains that would be torn apart for the new road. I have been on the I-75 corridor from Michigan to the Fla. Turnpike many times and even if the new I-475 is not built I don't think it would make any difference on travel time. I mean the I-40/I-75 multiplex is busy but it is not quite I-95 in Connecticut.

[hbelkins]

The thing also to consider is the terrain the road is going to be built on . There are quite a few mountains that would be torn apart for the new road. I have been on the I-75 corridor from Michigan to the Fla. Turnpike many times and even if the new I-475 is not built I don't think it would make any difference on travel time. I mean the I-40/I-75 multiplex is busy but it is not quite I-95 in Connecticut.

There's a bad bottleneck on I-75 southbound where it joins I-640 westbound. The ramp is only one lane and traffic often backs up to the next exit (Merchants Drive) and sometimes beyond. I find it faster and less stressful to take I-275 (which is the old route of I-75 anyway) and then I-40 east if I'm going in that direction.

[mightyace]

I've been fortunate in that the times I've been on the I-40/75 stretch it has not been peak travel times, but it is always busy to some degree.

Given the current financial climate, it is unlikely that TDOT will consider building this road unless it is tolled.

This project was studied by the fledgling Tennessee Turnpike Authority as a possible toll road (as TN 475!) but none of the projects studied have come to pass as all the projects studied would not be self-sufficient from toll revenues alone.

[froggie]

Not even the proposed bridge over the Cumberland near Hendersonville (the one connecting 386 to Old Hickory)?

[mightyace]

Not even the proposed bridge over the Cumberland near Hendersonville (the one connecting 386 to Old Hickory)?

I just looked up the study from a link I posted earlier this year (http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/tollway/default.shtml).

The full connector to Briley Parkway (TN 155) would be 66.2% toll funded, while the alternative to just get to Old Hickory Blvd. would be 46.3% toll funded.

The tolled version of I-475 (TN 475, a.k.a. Knoxville Parkway) would be 86.4% toll funded.  This is the closest any project studied under the Tennessee Tollway Act comes to self-sufficiency.

[Revive 755]

Tolling is no longer under consideration for SR 475:
http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/documents/KnoxPkwyToll.pdf

Feasibility report for SR 475 tolling:
http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/documents/tollstudy/SR475Conceptual.pdf

[mightyace]

Tolling is no longer under consideration for SR 475:

Thanks for the legwork, I didn't have time to look that up.

[froggie]

Bottom line...it's not going to get built anytime soon, if at all.