I-75, I-275 and I-640 in Knoxville

[hbelkins]

I remember when I-75 ran straight into downtown Knoxville to intersect with I-640. Was the plan always to route I-75 onto I-640 and renumber old 75 as 275 inside the loop, or was that decided later? If so, why? Anyone know?

This is not something I've seen discussed before, unlike the I-95/I-495 concurrency on the Beltway or the way the I-95 gap will be completed -- or even, in the same state as this question, Sam Cooper/I-40 in Memphis.

[ATLRedSoxFan]

Hey HB-
What happened was, I-75 used to be what is now present date I-275. TDOT rerouted it when the western part of I-640 was completed to take traffic off of I-75 during the 1982 World's Fair, to take traffic off of that stretch of highway since it's design was to say the very least was antiquaited at the time. I personally, would like to see it put back the way it originally  was. They have done upgrades, but not enough.

[ATLRedSoxFan]

After thought: Even though they upgraded I-275 to three lanes, the interchanges couldn't take the traffic flow. I used to live in Knoxville, and even the locals could say the same.

[OracleUsr]

Wait...the WESTERN half??  Um, the eastern half was finished in 1982, from Broadway to I-40 just west of Asheville Hwy.  I remember travelling the western part from I-40 near West Hills to Broadway just before Christmas, 1981.

[Alex]

From the Knoxville News-Sentinel news article "Work begins today on $20M update for Interstate 275" dated November 28, 2006:

Brickey said I-275 was built in 1958 and at that time was designated as Interstate 75. After I-640 was built for the 1982 World's Fair, the new I-275 moniker was bestowed on the road, he said.

[hbelkins]

When I was young, our family went to Gatlinburg often. The preferred route then was I-75 south to downtown, then US 441 south, as I-640 east and TN 66 from I-40 to Sevierville did not exist at that time. Then, I-75 got routed onto I-640 and I-275 was designated. I didn't know if that was the original plan or not, or if I-75 being routed onto the bypass was an afterthought.