Summit Hill Drive Entrance Ramp to James White Parkway Closing Permanently

Knoxville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is announcing that the entrance ramp from Summit Hill Drive to James White Parkway will permanently close on Tuesday, November 29 at 9 a.m. The ramp, which is scheduled for demolition, is a part of the ongoing SmartFIX40 project.

Jeff Walker, spokesperson for Ray Bell Construction said, “once the existing ramp is gone, we will be able to complete the connection of the new Hall of Fame Bridge to Summit Hill Drive.”

This closure enhances the development of construction to the new Hall of Fame Drive, which will be a new Knoxville roadway. The new thoroughfare will stretch from Summit Hill Drive to Broadway and feature six foot bike lanes, sidewalks and access to both James White Parkway and Interstate 40.

Currently, the ramp carries an average of 10,000 vehicles per day, the majority of which are commuters who use this ramp to access I-40 after work.

“We understand that closures in heavily traveled areas such as this can be inconvenient and frustrating. That is why this project was designed to reduce construction time,” said TDOT chief engineer Paul Degges. “Our goal is to improve safety, correct roadway deficiencies and lessen the frustration construction can cause through awareness and community interaction.”

In effort to alert motorists and reduce the hassle caused by the closure, message boards will be placed in the vicinity of the ramp and communication has been established with many downtown businesses.

A signed detour will direct drivers southbound on Hall of Fame Drive to the James White Parkway entrance ramp near the coliseum. The attached map displays the signed detour.

SmartFIX40 is an accelerated construction process used by the department to speed up construction. It involves closing the primary roadway at a designated project 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 inconveniences to drivers.

In the SmartFIX40 project, James White Parkway will be closed for nine months in 2007, and I-40 through traffic will be rerouted onto I-640 for 14 months starting in the spring of 2008. Local traffic will have access to downtown at all times. Over two years of traffic delays, lane closures and motorist frustrations will be avoided by allowing construction crews the opportunity to work without restriction from moving traffic while traffic is rerouted from I-40. I-40 through downtown Knoxville carries an average of 103,000 vehicles a day.

Summit Hill Drive Ramp to James White Parkway Closure
Detour Map

The Summit Hill Drive Ramp will close permanently on Tuesday, Nov. 29.
“Ramp Closed” signs will be installed on Nov. 15
Detour (shown on map in red) will have signage.