Monday, June 29, 2015

June 29th Update


UNDERGROUND UTILITY WORK TO CLOSE LANES
ON TWO-BLOCK SECTION OF 17th STREET

Starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, June 30, two of the four lanes on 17th Street between Clinch Avenue and Cumberland Avenue will be closed.

The closures on the two-block section of 17th Street will allow utility work that is part of the construction of The Standard, a 240-plus-unit apartment complex being built on the southwest corner of 17th Street and White Avenue.

The work – underground electrical and communication duct bank construction – will continue into August. One northbound lane and one southbound lane on 17th Street will remain open through the two-block section. The sidewalk on the west side of 17th Street also will be closed.

The 17th Street closures are not directly part of the City of Knoxville’s Cumberland Avenue redesign project. However, Bob Whetsel, the City’s Director of Redevelopment, believes the City’s investment in infrastructure in the Cumberland Avenue Corridor is helping to successfully leverage major private reinvestment in the area.

“The City is committing $17 million in local and federal funds into the Cumberland project,” Whetsel said. “When the redesign is completed in 2017, traffic will flow better, utility lines will have been relocated, and sidewalks will be wider and landscaped. Cumberland visitors and residents will enjoy a more attractive, safer, pedestrian-friendly corridor.

“The public investment is helping to stimulate dramatic redevelopment – more than $130 million in private investments – along the Cumberland Avenue Corridor, including The Standard.”

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) Update

Date: Wednesday, July 1
Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue


What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project. 

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue. Bring a neighbor or a fellow co-worker.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

June 25 Update - Closure and Detour Information

TWO-BLOCK SECTION OF CUMBERLAND AVENUE
TO COMPLETELY CLOSE FRIDAY THROUGH MIDDAY MONDAY

Starting Friday morning, all lanes of Cumberland Avenue, in both directions, will be closed between 22nd Street and the ramps east of Alcoa Highway. Crews will be continuing to install a new 42-inch stormwater line 12 feet below Cumberland Avenue and rebuilding the at-grade railroad crossing in that section of Cumberland.

                The closure of the two-block section of Cumberland Avenue will start at 10 a.m. Friday, June 26, and will continue through noon Monday, June 29.

                The work will close University Commons Way at Cumberland Avenue. Shoppers or diners wishing to access the University Commons retail complex may do so via Joe Johnson Drive and Neyland Drive.

The road closure is part of the City of Knoxville’s $17 million initiative to redesign Cumberland Avenue from Alcoa Highway east to 17th Street, changing the existing four-lane street to a three-lane cross section with a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections. Sidewalks will be widened and landscaped, and utility lines relocated, to create a more attractive, safer, pedestrian-friendly corridor.

Construction is proceeding in two phases, with Phase I (from Alcoa Highway to 22nd Street) to be completed by the end of 2015, and Phase II (from 22nd Street to just east of 17th Street) scheduled for completion in August 2017.

The complete closure that starts Friday is part of a summer construction phase in which all eastbound lanes of Cumberland Avenue already are closed between University Commons and West Volunteer Boulevard. One westbound lane currently is open.

After this weekend’s full closure for the stormwater line installation and railroad crossing rebuild, one westbound lane on Cumberland Avenue will reopen at noon Monday.

The closure of the eastbound lanes and the stormwater line installation is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 1. At that point, there will be one lane of traffic in each direction – eastbound and westbound – through the end of the year as Phase I work is completed.

Businesses and other destinations in the Cumberland Avenue Corridor remain accessible, and the best way to reach them is to follow the City’s recommended detour routes:

n  From Kingston Pike and northbound and southbound Alcoa Highway, take Neyland Drive to Joe Johnson Drive to Volunteer Boulevard.

n  Those wishing to reach Cumberland Avenue from the north or coming off Interstate 40/75 can do so via 17th Street.

n  To most quickly access Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, take 17th Street to Clinch Avenue.


In addition, Cumberland Avenue Corridor visitors can ride KAT buses for free. Routes 10, 11 and 17 are all free from Gay Street to Cumberland, and bus riders can board along Cumberland Avenue fare-free.

Also, free public parking on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays is available in the Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center lot at 19th Street and White Avenue and in the UT Federal Credit Union lot at 22nd Street and White Avenue.

For more information about the Cumberland Avenue reconstruction, regular updates and special offers from area merchants, see www.cumberlandconnect.com/.


Friday, June 19, 2015

June 19th Update

SECTION OF CUMBERLAND AVENUE,
UNIVERSITY COMMONS WAY TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE

                Two major street closures are scheduled next week as milestones are met and work progresses on the City of Knoxville’s Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project:

n  The entrance to the University Commons shopping center from Cumberland Avenue will be closed Monday, June 22, through Thursday, June 25, while construction crews connect stormwater quality devices with the Cumberland Avenue stormwater line. University Commons will remain accessible from Joe Johnson Drive, via Neyland Drive.

n  From 10 a.m. Friday, June 26, through noon Monday, June 29, all lanes of Cumberland Avenue, in both directions, will be closed between 22nd Street and the ramps east of Alcoa Highway. Crews will be installing a stormwater line and rebuilding the railroad crossing in that section of Cumberland Avenue.

“The rebuilding of the at-grade railroad crossing is a milestone in the Phase I work, as it required significant coordination with multiple stakeholders,” said Project Manager Anne Wallace.

“We know it’ll be a challenging weekend for merchants and motorists, but we ask for patience as these strategic upgrades are put in place. The end result will be better traffic flow and a rejuvenated Cumberland Avenue Corridor.”

The work is part of the City of Knoxville’s $17 million initiative to redesign Cumberland Avenue from Alcoa Highway east to 17th Street, changing the existing four-lane street to a three-lane cross section with a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections. Sidewalks will be widened and landscaped, and utility lines relocated, to create a more attractive, safer, pedestrian-friendly corridor.

Construction is proceeding in two phases, with Phase I (from Alcoa Highway to 22nd Street) to be completed by the end of 2015, and Phase II (from 22nd Street to just east of 17th Street) scheduled for completion in August 2017.

Next week’s work comes during a period of construction in which all eastbound lanes of Cumberland Avenue are currently closed between University Commons and West Volunteer Boulevard. One westbound lane is open. This closure is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 1, allowing for the installation of a new 42-inch stormwater line approximately 12 feet below the roadway. After the closure, there will be one lane of traffic in each direction – eastbound and westbound – through the completion of Phase I work.

For more information about the Cumberland Avenue reconstruction, regular updates and special offers from area merchants, see www.cumberlandconnect.com/.

Friday, June 12, 2015

June 11th Update

City of Knoxville Update

FEWER ONE-WAY STREETS IN CUMBERLAND AVENUE CORRIDOR
SOON WILL GIVE MOTORISTS MORE OPTIONS

                Starting Monday, motorists will be seeing more orange barrels around the Cumberland Avenue Corridor. But for those eager for a quicker commute through the City’s reconstruction zone, these barrels signal an improvement that’s coming soon.

                Crews with the City’s contractor, Southern Constructors, will be reworking the traffic flow on streets feeding into the eastern end of Cumberland Avenue. Four streets will be converted from one-way to two-way traffic – 18th, 19th, Mountcastle and 21st Street – between Lake and White avenues. (There is already two-way traffic on 20th Street.)

Orange barrels will go up over the next two weeks as a safety measure to allow drivers to become accustomed to the new traffic patterns while lanes are restriped and other steps are taken to assure a safe change-over from one-way to two-way traffic.

“Changing the traffic pattern will make it easier for motorists to get to a particular business,” said Anne Wallace, Project Manager for the City of Knoxville’s Office of Redevelopment. “Merchants in the corridor are accessible, and eliminating these one-way streets gives drivers new options to more quickly reach their destinations.

“The two-way streets will remain in place even after the reconstruction is finished. In fact, the new traffic pattern was planned for in the reconstruction. Once this two-year project is completed, the result will be a Cumberland Avenue Corridor that is safer, looks better and works better for everybody.”

The Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project is a $17 million City of Knoxville initiative to redesign Cumberland Avenue from Alcoa Highway east to 17th Street, changing the existing four-lane street to a three-lane cross section with a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections. Sidewalks will be widened and landscaped, and utility lines relocated, to create a more attractive, pedestrian-friendly corridor.

Construction is proceeding in two phases, with Phase I (from Alcoa Highway to 22nd Street) to be completed by the end of 2015, and Phase II (from 22nd Street to just east of 17th Street) to follow, with completion in August 2017.

                The upcoming changes in the traffic flow on the eastern end of Cumberland Avenue coincide with work already underway for the Phase II utility reconstruction. Currently, Cumberland Avenue has one lane open in each direction between 19th and 22nd streets as KUB performs Phase II utility upgrades.

                Phase I work on the western end continues, with all eastbound lanes of Cumberland Avenue between University Commons and West Volunteer Boulevard closed due to storm water line installation.

                “Even with the lanes closures, Cumberland Avenue merchants remain accessible,” Wallace emphasizes. “Visitors to shops and restaurants can also access Cumberland businesses using Free Fare KAT bus service. Routes 10, 11 and 17 are all free from Gay Street to Cumberland.”

Free public parking on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays is available in the Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center lot at 19th Street and White Avenue and in the UT Federal Credit Union lot at 22nd Street and White Avenue.


Throughout the project, road closures and construction updates will be available on CumberlandConnect.com, along with the Cumberland Connection blog (cumberlandconnections.blogspot.com) and a Facebook page at facebook.com/CumberlandConnect.

Monday, June 8, 2015

June 8th Update - Reminder Traffic Patterns Changing

REMINDER: TRAFFIC PATTERNS CHANGING ON CUMBERLAND


For six weeks beginning Tuesday, June 9, all eastbound lanes of Cumberland Avenue between University Commons and West Volunteer Boulevard will be closed – the next step in a $17 million reconstruction.

During this period, one westbound lane of traffic will remain open (except for one complete weekend closure to rebuild the railroad crossing). There will be no westbound left turns onto Cumberland from West Volunteer Boulevard.

Crews will be installing a new 42-inch storm sewer pipe approximately 12 feet below the roadway, which will trigger the lane closures.

The Phase I reconstruction of the section of Cumberland Avenue from Alcoa Highway to West Volunteer Boulevard will continue through late fall 2015, though two-way traffic will resume before the University of Tennessee resumes classes in August. (Throughout most of Phase I, contractors are keeping one lane open in each direction.)

Throughout the project, road closures and construction updates will be available on CumberlandConnect.com, along with the Cumberland Connection blog (cumberlandconnections.blogspot.com) and a Facebook page at facebook.com/CumberlandConnect.

Phase I A Streetscape Work (University Commons Way to W. Volunteer Blvd) and Phase II Utilities Work (22nd Street to 21st Street)

As always, thanks for your interest in Cumberland Avenue and for more information please visit www.cumberlandconnect.com!

Friday, June 5, 2015

June 5th Update - Traffic Changes start June 9

City of Knoxville - Media Advisory

CUMBERLAND AVENUE LANES TO CLOSE
AS NEXT STEP IN RECONSTRUCTION STARTS JUNE 9

For six weeks beginning Tuesday, June 9, all eastbound lanes of Cumberland Avenue between University Commons and West Volunteer Boulevard will be closed – the next step in a $17 million reconstruction.

During this period, one westbound lane of traffic will remain open (except for one complete weekend closure to rebuild the railroad crossing). There will be no westbound left turns onto Cumberland from West Volunteer Boulevard.

Crews will be installing a new 42-inch storm sewer pipe approximately 12 feet below the roadway, which will trigger the lane closures.

The Phase I reconstruction of the section of Cumberland Avenue from Alcoa Highway to West Volunteer Boulevard will continue through late fall 2015, though two-way traffic will resume before the University of Tennessee resumes classes in August. (Throughout most of Phase I, contractors are keeping one lane open in each direction.)

Throughout the project, road closures and construction updates will be available on CumberlandConnect.com, along with the Cumberland Connection blog (cumberlandconnections.blogspot.com) and a Facebook page at facebook.com/CumberlandConnect.

“We know with this next phase closing two-way traffic, through mid-summer, it will take a little additional time for eastbound motorists to navigate the Cumberland Avenue Corridor,” said Anne Wallace, Project Manager for the City of Knoxville’s Office of Redevelopment.

Motorists wishing to access Cumberland Avenue from the south can do so by taking Neyland Drive to Joe Johnson Drive to Volunteer Boulevard. Those wishing to reach Cumberland Avenue from the north or coming off Interstate 40/75 can do so by taking 17th Street onto Cumberland or Fort Sanders side streets.

Meanwhile, motorists who aren’t shopping or dining or trying to reach a Cumberland Avenue business can avoid the construction zone altogether by taking either Neyland Drive or 17th Street to or from I-40/75.

“Merchants remain accessible, so we encourage shoppers and diners to please continue to patronize them,” Wallace said. “In fact, the Free Fare KAT bus is a great way to visit. Routes 10, 11 and 17 are all free from Gay Street to Cumberland.

“Once this reconstruction is completed, the result will be a Cumberland Avenue Corridor that looks better and works better for everybody.”

Free public parking on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays is available in the Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center lot at 19th Street and White Avenue and in the UT Federal Credit Union lot at 22nd Street and White Avenue.

Once Phase I work is completed, full traffic access will be restored from 22nd Street west.


Phase II work, moving eastward from 22nd Street to 17th Street, is scheduled to begin by Dec. 1, 2015. The full project is scheduled for completion by Aug. 31, 2017.