State Route 115 (US 129) Alcoa Highway Hall Road to Tyson Boulevard Interchange

Overview

The project along State Route 115 (US 129/Alcoa Highway), from State Route 35 (Hall Road) to the proposed interchange at Tyson Boulevard in Blount County, includes realignment and reconstruction for approximately 1.5 miles. A new interchange will provide access to McGhee Tyson West Aviation area, Hunt Road, and the City of Alcoa’s planned development, Springbrook Farm.

This project is part of a larger effort to reconstruct and widen Alcoa Highway from Hall Road to Cherokee Trail in Blount and Knox Counties. Due to the significant size of the overall project, the proposed improvements have been separated into seven smaller sections or phases. To read more about all improvements for the corridor, visit the Alcoa Highway project website.

Purpose and Need

Alcoa Highway is a major connection between the City of Knoxville and the Cities of Alcoa and Maryville, as well as providing a route to McGhee Tyson Airport and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The proposed improvements for the heavily-traveled corridor are intended to increase capacity, correct roadway deficiencies, and reduce crashes in order to address transportation needs by improving the safety, efficiency, and operation of the roadway.

Additionally, the section between Hall Road and the proposed interchange at Tyson Boulevard includes an overpass at the Hunt Road junction. The existing Hunt Road bridge is a critical connection, between East Hunt Road and West Hunt Road, for roughly 9,920 vehicles daily. The bridge is showing signs of deterioration, and the new alignment of Alcoa Highway is not possible with the existing structure. A new bridge is necessary to accommodate current and future traffic demands, as well as the planned Alcoa Highway improvements.   

Design

Alcoa Highway from SR 35 (Hall Road) to SR 335 (Hunt Road) is one of three sections that will realign the corridor, referred to as Relocated Alcoa Highway, and one of seven sections that will improve the corridor in Blount and Knox Counties. (See Alcoa Highway project website)

The section between Hall Road and Hunt Road will be reconstructed, shifting the alignment to the east of the existing roadway. The new alignment will be a four-lane, controlled-access facility, allowing for two lanes in each direction with no signals or intersections.

A new interchange will provide access to McGhee Tyson West Aviation area, Hunt Road, and the City of Alcoa’s planned development, Springbrook Farm. Traffic traveling from these areas, including Hunt Road, will access both the Relocated Alcoa Highway and the existing Alcoa Highway by way of the newly constructed Tyson Boulevard interchange.

The Hunt Road overpass bridge will be demolished and reconstructed in the same location as the existing structure. The old bridge is a 280-foot-long concrete and steel structure spanning over four lanes of Alcoa Highway. The new bridge will be a pre-cast, prestressed bulb-tee concrete superstructure with a concrete deck that is 493’6” in length and nearly 74’ in width.

A new pedestrian greenway will be constructed along the new Hunt Road bridge, protected by a concrete median barrier wall and connecting Mills Street, Hunt Road, and Ambrose Street.

The reconstructed section of Alcoa Highway, between Hall Road and Hunt Road, will connect with the existing Alcoa Highway, north of Hunt Road. Once all Relocated Alcoa Highway sections are complete, the new facility will separate local traffic from commuter through-traffic, while the existing facility, referred to as the Motor Mile, will continue to provide access to local businesses.

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