KNOXVILLE – Motorists traveling on Alcoa Highway (US 129/State Route 115) in Knox County should be aware of upcoming road construction activities that will have a significant impact on traffic.
Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, October 4, all lanes on northbound Alcoa Highway (US 129/State Route 115) will be closed between John Sevier Highway (State Route 168) and the UT Medical Center. This closure is necessary to allow the contractor to blast, scale, and remove rock outcroppings on the roadway’s adjacent slope.
This closure will effectively mitigate the risk of future rockfall and is necessary for the safety of both the motoring public and workers in this area.
Motorists traveling from Blount County and McGhee-Tyson Airport are encouraged to detour utilizing I-140 (Pellissippi Parkway) to bypass the work zone. Local traffic may utilize the alternate route onto State Route 168 (John Sevier Highway) to US 441 (Chapman Highway). The Maloney Road Interchange will remain open for local traffic access only.
Southbound traffic on Alcoa Highway is anticipated to remain largely unaffected. Rolling roadblocks in the southbound direction will be utilized during the blast and used intermittently throughout the remainder of the weekend to escort emergency services to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
All roadwork is anticipated to be complete by 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 7.
This schedule is contingent on favorable weather conditions. If inclement weather occurs, this work will be rescheduled to the weekend of October 18. Motorists are advised to expect delays and use extreme caution in this area as workers will be present.
