KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. (Story courtesy of WVLT) – The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is conducting a study on congestion along I-40 West and wants public input on potential solutions for the heavily traveled corridor.
I-40 sees more than 200,000 cars daily travel through Knox County.
TDOT continues to find ways to address traffic problems and improve safety.
Samuel Akins lives in downtown Knoxville and drives on I-40 often. His normally short commute can turn into an hour on busy days.
However, he said congestion is the biggest issue he faces.
“When you’re trying to you know make a normal 15 – 20 minute commute and it turns into an hour, it’s a little disheartening,” Akins said.
TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi said the department is looking into all the problems of I-40, including backups.
“Nine of the worst 20 bottlenecks in our area are in this 17-mile stretch,” Nagi said.
TDOT is studying I-40 West from the Loudon County area to West Knox County. Nagi said this will help understand different options to make the corridor safer.
“Certainly, there are the two weigh stations that have to be looked at in the Farragut area near the Campbell Station Road exit. We need to look at the interchanges on Watt Road, that’s exit 369, as well as the interchange at Campbell Station Road at 373,” Nagi said.
Akins said he wants to see solutions.
“It really needs to be more lanes added, at least one or two more lanes added, especially coming out of downtown. That would really relieve a lot of the bottleneck effect that’s created there,” Akins said.
Nagi said TDOT needs to hear public concerns as they finalize plans.
Two more meetings are scheduled in Knoxville on Nov. 12 at Pellissippi State Community College J.L. Goins Administration Building Student Center and Nov. 13 at City of Knoxville Public Works Service Center.
Nagi said TDOT will draft plans after getting public input. The department will present those plans at public meetings again sometime next year.
You can view the project details https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/west-knoxville-corridor.html .
If you can’t attend the public meetings, there’s a survey https://publicinput.com/westknoxstudy .
