I-640 reconstruction pushed into 2024 due to bridge repairs and weather, TDOT says

Reconstruction work on I-640 has been extended nine months in a project that has snowballed with bridge repairs, lane closures and weather limitations.

Phase 2 of the reconstruction, between I-275 and I-40 in northeast Knoxville, is now set to be completed by Aug. 31, 2024, according to TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi. It was originally scheduled to finish on Nov. 30 of this year.

"The Department added repair work to the bridges within the corridor and the contractor has been coordinating with the railroad to gain proper access and approvals that will allow them to proceed," Nagi said in a statement. "Due to the added scope of work and weather limitations for both paving and striping, the contract completion date has been extended to August 31, 2024."

When will I-640 traffic in Knoxville be back to normal?

The bulk of the project is repaving through an intense process called rubblization, where hydraulic machines smash the concrete below the road's asphalt layer. That process ended in September 2022, clearing the way to repave the road.

For Knoxville drivers weary of lane closures and shifts, there will be a break in traffic reconfigurations between the end of this year and Spring 2024, when the contractor, Rogers Group, will return to finish repaving and permanent striping. Winter temperatures are too cold for paving work, and paving season can run into December, depending on weather conditions, Nagi told Knox News.

For the next six weeks, contractors will finish up the first phase of bridge repairs and traffic will remain in its current configuration. A traffic shift will then allow contractors to access the second phase of bridge repairs.

Lane closures will allow contractors to work on bridges over Rutledge Pike and are tentatively scheduled for the weekends of Oct. 20-22 and Oct. 27-29. Nagi said the department would provide further information on traffic impacts in the coming days.

Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Interstate 640 reconstruction in Knoxville delayed to 2024