In a move that paves the way for smoother traffic and hopefully less pooling water during Knoxville's sudden downpours, TDOT has laid its cards on the table: $1 billion in additional transport funding, setting the gears in motion for two significant interchange projects in Knox County. The upgrades for I-40's interchanges at Campbell Station Road and Watt Road are now ramping up to be tackled within the next decade.
As detailed in a recent announcement, the freshly infused cash was secured by redirecting a slice of Tennessee's Tire Sales Tax revenue to TDOT, bolstering the agency's 10-Year Plan. Town of Farragut Mayor Ron Williams championed the effort, stating, "It was one of my goals to get this funded." The pressing issue of reoccurring flooding along I-40 due to outdated stormwater systems is also on the hit list of these upgrades.
Each project has its champions, with State Representative Jason Zachary highlighting the long road to obtaining approval and funding for the projects declaring his satisfaction: "After 10 years, working with two governors and multiple TDOT commissioners, we finally have approval and funding to move forward with both projects. I’m thrilled for our community and the thousands of people that live, work and shop in deep west Knoxville," he told town officials.
State Senator Becky Massey, who chairs the Safety and Transportation Committee, also voiced her contentment with the additional funding covering the last two Knox County interchanges awaiting an upgrade. "I’m pleased to get this first step taken," she says on the town's official website, admitting to a certain local partiality: “We have five of the seven busiest stretches of interstate in Tennessee.”
While the Tennessean motorist's horizon seems hopeful, patience remains a virtue. Construction on the Watt Road interchange is slated for a 2029 start, and those awaiting the Campbell Station Road improvements will have to bide their time until 2032. Residents long-time weary of the congestion snarls on the 17-mile stretch between the I-75 split in Loudon County and the I-640 split in Knox County should find solace in TDOT's strategic move—a sentiment shared by State Senator Richard Briggs, who eagerly worked alongside Williams and Massey to expedite these projects. Yet, he prudently adds, "The good news is that it will be done. The cautionary note is that it will be a while," as cited by the announcement.
