New I 40 Hall of Fame Drive Broadway Exit Ramp Opens

Knoxville, Tenn. — Weather permitting, the new I-40 eastbound exit ramp to Hall of Fame Drive will be opened by 8:00 p.m. on November 2 according to Tennessee Department of Transportation officials. Motorists will be able to access the new Knoxville “Signature” bridge from this new ramp to northbound Broadway (SR33/US441). I-40 westbound traffic headed for Broadway will use the old 5th Avenue loop ramp, which will be reopened to provide access to Hall of Fame Drive and northbound Broadway. TDOT officials urge motorists to be alert for these changes.

“Opening the new ramp will allow us to demolish the old ramp and bridge over Hall of Fame Drive (North 5th Avenue) and complete the widening of the roadway between Glenwood Avenue and 6th Avenue,” said Jeff Walker, spokesperson for Ray Bell Construction. “We plan to work non-stop to remove the old ramp and bridge to make room for Hall of Fame Drive.”

Due to ongoing construction, traffic will be restricted from turning south on Hall of Fame Drive towards downtown until the roadway is completed. When complete, Hall of Fame Drive will be a five-lane boulevard stretching from Summit Hill Drive to Broadway with bicycle lanes and sidewalks.

This construction is part of the SmartFix40 project currently underway in downtown Knoxville. This accelerated construction process involves completely closing a roadway to allow around-the-clock work uninterrupted by traffic in order to dramatically reduce the time it takes to complete the project, thereby reducing the long-term inconvenience to motorists.

During the SmartFix40 project, James White Parkway will be closed for nine months beginning in December 2006, 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. More than 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. An average of 103,000 vehicles travel I-40 through downtown on a daily basis.