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Commissioners Propose Knoxville Highway Bypass
afguy:
I know a similar bypass was proposed in the 90s. Maybe the same proposal will be revived.
Commissioners Propose Knoxville Highway Bypass
--- Quote ---Knox County commissioners are proposing a new highway bypass around Knoxville. Knox County Commissioner Larsen Jay stated that the highway would help alleviate the continually increasing traffic in the area.
The Commission of Knox County created a resolution encouraging the Tennessee Department of Transportation and state legislators to consider a new highway bypass around Knoxville. The document says traffic congestion in the area requires long-term solutions.
The commission said Knox County’s population has more than doubled in the last 40 years. Approximately 182,000 vehicles travel through the I-40/I-75 corridor every day, the document said.
Additionally, the commissioners argue that as Tennessee traffic increases, citizen commute times could also significantly increase if highway improvements are not done.
--- End quote ---
https://www.wdef.com/commissioners-propose-knoxville-highway-bypass/
sprjus4:
^ How about a Chattanooga bypass?
hbelkins:
The biggest problem in Knoxville is the single-lane ramp you have to use to stay on I-75 south at the I-640 interchange. Many times, it's faster to continue on I-275 (old I-75) to I-40 downtown.
wdcrft63:
--- Quote from: afguy on January 17, 2023, 07:12:23 PM ---I know a similar bypass was proposed in the 90s. Maybe the same proposal will be revived.
Commissioners Propose Knoxville Highway Bypass
--- Quote ---Knox County commissioners are proposing a new highway bypass around Knoxville. Knox County Commissioner Larsen Jay stated that the highway would help alleviate the continually increasing traffic in the area.
The Commission of Knox County created a resolution encouraging the Tennessee Department of Transportation and state legislators to consider a new highway bypass around Knoxville. The document says traffic congestion in the area requires long-term solutions.
The commission said Knox County’s population has more than doubled in the last 40 years. Approximately 182,000 vehicles travel through the I-40/I-75 corridor every day, the document said.
Additionally, the commissioners argue that as Tennessee traffic increases, citizen commute times could also significantly increase if highway improvements are not done.
--- End quote ---
https://www.wdef.com/commissioners-propose-knoxville-highway-bypass/
--- End quote ---
The proposed bypass, to be called TN 475 or I-475, was cancelled in 2010 because projections showed it would not divert enough traffic from Knoxville to justify its high cost. Since a lot of northbound I-75 traffic is headed to I-40 east or I-81 a bypass would need to go all the way around to I-40 east, doubling its cost at least.
wriddle082:
--- Quote from: hbelkins on January 17, 2023, 07:44:26 PM ---The biggest problem in Knoxville is the single-lane ramp you have to use to stay on I-75 south at the I-640 interchange. Many times, it's faster to continue on I-275 (old I-75) to I-40 downtown.
--- End quote ---
I often skip either of those ramps to 640 and stay straight on 275 to 40 in either direction. Especially due to the pavement reconstruction they’re doing (again!) along 640 in East Knoxville. And because the SmartFix 40 area in Downtown Knoxville always seems to be flowing pretty smoothly when I pass through.
Since I did some work in the area about three months ago, what I have definitely noticed is that the 40/75 duplex is often a slog during all daylight hours.
And also the Hardin Valley area where they had originally proposed the 475 bypass back in the 90’s has experienced quite a bit of new housing growth, and pretty nice houses to boot. So expect a lot more NIMBY pushback than before.
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