The landscape of Knox County could soon see a significant change as the Knox County Commission tackles the long-standing issue of 'double-poles'. Nearly 3,000 damaged or abandoned utility poles clutter the roadside, creating not only an eyesore but a potential safety hazard. According to a report by WATE, these poles are remnants of a time when old infrastructure was simply left in the wake of the new, with no clear plan for removal.
Driving around Knox County, the poles stand as silent markers of neglect on corners and beside roads, privately owned yet in public spaces, a riddle of responsibility that the county now seeks to solve. As Knox News reports, these structures can become especially dangerous in the case of road crashes, with their shattered remnants posing additional threats to errant drivers. "Once you start seeing them, you can't not see them," remarked a Knox County commissioner mulling over the unsightly poles.
Commissioner at Large Larsen Jay is at the forefront of this clean-up initiative, highlighting the safety and aesthetic concerns these poles present. "We’re asking them to make it safe. We’re asking them to clean up their garbage and we’re asking them to make a better system that is more appealing and really more safe for all of Knox County’s citizens," Jay said in a statement obtained by WATE. The resolution at hand will bring together the commission and utility companies on a quarterly basis to strategize the removal of these double-poles.
The poles, often installed by entities like the Knoxville Utilities Board or telecom giants like AT&T, become redundant once their replacements are up, yet they continue to loom over the streets as a reminder of a question unanswered: who will take them down? According to an article from Ground News, the commission's vote on Monday could clarify the removal responsibility, aiming to keep companies accountable and thus improve the county's curb appeal and safety. In the meantime, seeing the redundant poles, residents cannot help but notice the glaring problem as they traverse the county's thoroughfares, caught in the visual cacophony created by these wooden sentinels.
