A short segment of I-40 in downtown Knoxville, Tenn., will be closed for at last 14 months while the interstate is totally reconstructed as part of the final phase of the SmartFIX40 project.
The SmartFIX40 project, which began in 2005, will be completed on or before June 30, 2009.

At midnight this morning, a short segment of I-40, located between James White Parkway (Exit 388) and Hall of Fame Drive (Exit 389), was scheduled to close.

I-40 travelers will be rerouted onto I-640. Access to and from downtown Knoxville will be maintained throughout construction. Eastbound traffic can use James White Parkway, Henley Street or Alcoa Highway. Westbound traffic can use the new Hall of Fame Drive to get to Neyland Drive and the South Knoxville Bridge.

During the closure, the segment of I-40 will be widened to six through lanes and four auxiliary lanes will be added. In addition to interstate improvements, work will include the construction of nine bridges, 14 retaining walls and three noise walls. Two existing bridges will be demolished, 12 side roads will be completed and seven new ramps will be constructed.

"This particular section of I-40 has been a nuisance to traffic for some time," said Paul Degges, TDOT's Chief Engineer. "Following this phase of reconstruction, we will have corrected long-standing deficiencies and dramatically improved the traffic flow through downtown Knoxville."

Broken into two separate contracts, SmartFIX40 has a price tag of $190 million. SmartFIX40 is an accelerated construction process that involves closing a primary roadway to allow around-the-clock work that is uninterrupted by traffic. This will dramatically shorten the time required to complete the project.