What will happen in a few years? (Knoxville, Oak Ridge: homes, construction)

[JMT]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Okay. I see what you are saying JMT. You have laid your facts out very nicely. However, don't you think that the sprawl in Knoxville is horrible and incredibly ugly? Let's not even talk about the traffic. In the past two years it has become unbearable.

I think this city, rather than getting better, is getting so much worse. I think it's ugly.

I'm not too wild about all the subdivisions springing up in the countryside, either. But Knoxville is growing by several thousand per year, and all those people have to live somewhere. They want to enjoy the same lifestyle we have, and I can't fault them for that.

Anyway, there are a couple of reasons why the traffic in Knoxville is notorious (although it's not nearly as bad as traffic in sprawl cities like Atlanta, Nashville, or Charlotte).

One is, the city is very linear in nature. By that I mean that most of the city is built on an east-west axis. The bulk of the area's population lies within a couple of miles of I-40. There are only three roads that connect downtown to West Knoxville: Kingston Pike (Hwy 70), I-40, and Middlebrook Pike. That's it. The bulk of the traffic is then funneled onto a mere three roads, only one of which is actually designed to carry large amounts of traffic (I-40) but must, unfortunately, share the road with semi-trucks and snow birds who are merely passing through.

(As proof of that, look at how much traffic there is going west out of downtown compared to going north. I-275 north of downtown has almost no traffic whatsoever.)

Secondly, I-75 was never finished. Rather, all of I-75's traffic (and I-75 is the most heavily travelled interstate in the country) is routed onto I-40 through most of Knoxville. If you look at a map, you can see that it would've been more logical to have I-75 avoid Knoxville altogether and instead go up by Oak Ridge and connect with I-275 somewhere around Clinton. Next time you drive on I-40 in West Knox, look at how many Ohio and Canadian license plates there are; those cars would all be absent from Knoxville if I-75 had been completed.

As goodbyehollywood mentioned, the sprawl in Knoxville is NOTHING compared to other fast-growing cities in the country. Believe me, I hate traffic, too, but Knoxville's traffic really isn't that bad compared to most other big cities. Heaven help us if we ever get as bad as Orlando!

[hiknapster]

Tell me about it. I live very close to I-75 and drive south to I-640 everyday, and then back, again. JMT, you wouldn't believe the traffic back-ups going from I-640 to I-75. I can't even imagine what it will be like when they close down I-40. Hopefully, I'll have moved closer to work by then.

Fred doesn't have it any better. He travels to I-640 WEST everyday. He gets stuck in traffic going home every night.

Funny story. The other day Fred was traveling near a Florida RV with a "Lee County" tag. He drove alongside the vehicle and looked at the driver. It was one of his old automotive customers! The guy recognized him! He was waving his arm off.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Tell me about it. I live very close to I-75 and drive south to I-640 everyday, and then back, again. JMT, you wouldn't believe the traffic back-ups going from I-640 to I-75. I can't even imagine what it will be like when they close down I-40. Hopefully, I'll have moved closer to work by then.

Fred doesn't have it any better. He travels to I-640 WEST everyday. He gets stuck in traffic going home every night.

Funny story. The other day Fred was traveling near a Florida RV with a "Lee County" tag. He drove alongside the vehicle and looked at the driver. It was one of his old automotive customers! The guy recognized him! He was waving his arm off.

That is so cool! I mean seriously, what are the odds of that happening?!

And you're right, 640 is going to be insane when 40 is closed through downtown Knoxville next year. Another reason I'm glad I live only 5 minutes from work!

[gemkeeper]

What are they closing I-40 down for and for how long? It is a nightmare to drive through Knoxville on any of the major roads during rush hour. I can't imagine what it would be like without I-40 to handle some of it.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by gemthornton

What are they closing I-40 down for and for how long? It is a nightmare to drive through Knoxville on any of the major roads during rush hour. I can't imagine what it would be like without I-40 to handle some of it.

I-40 was poorly built through downtown Knoxville, so they're completely rebuilding it. The quickest way to finish it is to close I-40 completely through downtown Knoxville and start from scratch. From what I recall, if they don't close I-40, it would take an additional 2-3 years to rebuild I-40.

You'll still be able to go to U.T. and downtown Knoxville on I-40, but through traffic will have to be diverted onto I-640.

Here's what it says on TDOT's web site:

"Interstate 40 is scheduled to be closed (to through traffic) for 14 months beginning May 2008. Motorist will have access to Downtown and the University of Tennessee area via Hall of Fame Drive for motorist coming from the east and James White Parkway for motorist coming from the west. Through traffic will be detoured to I-640. The limits of the I-40 closure is from just east of the ramp to James White Parkway (Exit 388) to just west of the ramp from I-40 westbound to Hall of Fame Drive/Broadway (Exit 389)."

[gemkeeper]

Thanks for all of the info, JMT. I guess you can put up with any inconvenience for awhile. It does seem wiser to do it all at one time and shorten that inconvenience time by half. You always come through with anwers to our questions. Thanks.

[hiknapster]

It will be more than an inconvenience. Almost everyday, I am stuck in backed up traffic going from I-640 to I-75. When they close I-40? I don't even want to think about it.

[mjb62676]

What is the deal with the backup trying to get onto I-75 every day? Makes me VERY glad we weren't able to find a home in Halls. My wife is going to be driving on 640 every day to get to work...and just heard about this closure of I-40 last week. That should be interesting. Doesn't sound like they are closing much of it at all.

[john t]

Good luck on trying to get through Knoxville after the close... It won't just be east/west I40 traffic that has the problem, the extra traffic onto 640 will also delay I75 south/north thru routes. It's starting in May, hmmmm? Right at the beginning of travel season... What does gridlock smell like?

[roanoker 4]

What a scary thought of closing I-40 thru Knoxville!! I drove through Knoxville
once and it was a parking lot through the city. It seemed like it took us all day just to drive through this City. To anyone even contemplating making travel plans to drive this way, AVOID Knoxville at all costs if they close I-40.
I think the thread explains it, Knoxville is built around ridges and all of the traffic seems to filter down to I-40. I don't know what improving I-40 will do but just create more traffic. On you travels, stop at a truck stop and ask a truck driver what they think of driving through Knoxville!!