WARNING-I-40 Detour (Knoxville, Johnson City, Savannah: travel, construction, traffic)

[JMT]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Yes, 14 months.

Work announced today that, starting tomorrow, if you are traveling I-40 from downtown, you will not be able to get off at Asheville Highway exit 384. It will be blocked. They said I-640 will have access to it.

14 months does seem like a long time, but the alternative was to keep I-40 open and have construction last 3 years. That would be absolute torture. It infuriates me that the state didn't build I-40 through Knoxville correctly in the first place so that we have to go through this trauma now. grrrrrrrr

It actually won't have much of an impact on me personally since I live close to downtown and almost never have to drive I-40 THROUGH downtown. I almost always get on/off I-40 downtown, and that won't change. But it just irritates the bejeebers out of me that TDOT has spent fortunes making sure Nashville has beautiful, wide freeways through its downtown while Knoxville got stuck with only a narrow, curvy, 4-lane interstate.

[Eat]

Originally Posted by JMT

14 months does seem like a long time, but the alternative was to keep I-40 open and have construction last 3 years. That would be absolute torture. It infuriates me that the state didn't build I-40 through Knoxville correctly in the first place so that we have to go through this trauma now. grrrrrrrr

It actually won't have much of an impact on me personally since I live close to downtown and almost never have to drive I-40 THROUGH downtown. I almost always get on/off I-40 downtown, and that won't change. But it just irritates the bejeebers out of me that TDOT has spent fortunes making sure Nashville has beautiful, wide freeways through its downtown while Knoxville got stuck with only a narrow, curvy, 4-lane interstate.

That's where the money comes from.

[tntim]

If it wasn’t for the 82 Worlds Fair, we would probably still be dealing with “Malfunction Junction”

[jabogitlu]

I can't believe the new interstate will still only be 3 lanes, at least from what I've read. Even with upgraded facilities/layout, will 3 lanes suffice - into the future, especially? There are 5-6 around West Hills, and at times of the day even that seems like not enough!

[Bones]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

I can't believe the new interstate will still only be 3 lanes, at least from what I've read. Even with upgraded facilities/layout, will 3 lanes suffice - into the future, especially? There are 5-6 around West Hills, and at times of the day even that seems like not enough!

Probably not. From what I've been hearing, Knox is going to be the new Atlanta !!!!!!!....

[gemkeeper]

Originally Posted by Bones

Probably not. From what I've been hearing, Knox is going to be the new Atlanta !!!!!!!....

That isn't even close to being funny, Bones!!! I know you are just kidding, right?

[Bones]

Originally Posted by gemkeeper

That isn't even close to being funny, Bones!!! I know you are just kidding, right?

You're right it's not funny... I'm just repeating what I'm seeing and getting little tidbits of information....

[Tinman313]

So from what I understand you will need to go on 640 to go around Knoxville if your coming in from the North East?

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Tinman313

So from what I understand you will need to go on 640 to go around Knoxville if your coming in from the North East?

That is correct. All through traffic will have to take I-640. Unless you just happen to like maneuvering through city streets in downtown Knoxville.

And I'm with jabogitlu, I think it's appalling that after years of construction, after tearing down the interstate and building it from scratch all over again, it's going to add a grand total of ONE LANE in each direction. I can guarantee you that this won't be enough and that ten years from now there's going to be another campaign to widen I-40 through downtown Knoxville.

It's enough to make me campaign for trains (a good topic for another discussion, by the way).

[Tinman313]

Is this project part of the I-3. I could have the number wrong. I read some where here in time their building a interstate from I-40/I-75-81. Across the lower tip of the Appalachian Mountains-Smokies heading dew East toward Charlotte N.C.-East Coast to connect to I-95......
Sounds like another "Big Dig".....

Trains or Vacuum Tube