Travis Brickey
TDOT, Community Relations Officer
 Office: 865.594.0161
Mobile: 865.755.9960

TDOT Media Advisory
James White Parkway Ramp To Close Temporarily

Knoxville, Tenn. --- The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced today that, weather permitting, the ramp from I-40 to southbound James White Parkway will close on Saturday, March 15, 2008 from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. for construction crews to pour a large concrete bridge support beam. If there is inclement weather on Saturday, the pour will occur on Sunday, March 16 at the same times. The ramp is being closed as a safety precaution to motorists while workers pour over one million pounds of concrete above the roadway. Westbound I-40 motorists should use Hall of Fame Drive (Exit 389) or Henley Street (Exit 388) as alternative routes during this closure to get to downtown Knoxville.

SmartFIX40 is TDOT’s single most expensive construction project in its 90-year history. Broken into two separate construction contracts, SmartFIX40 has a price tag of approximately $190 million. SmartFIX40 is an accelerated construction process used by the department to speed up highway construction. The process involves closing the primary roadway to allow around-the-clock work that is uninterrupted by traffic in order to dramatically reduce the time it takes to complete the project, thereby reducing the long-term inconvenience to motorists. The SmartFIX40 project will save over two years of construction time.