Friday, March 11, 2016

TWO SHORT-TERM CLOSURES ON SECTIONS OF CUMBERLAND AVENUE SCHEDULED IN THE COMING WEEK

A contractor, Southern Constructors Inc., will be closing Cumberland Avenue twice next week, part of the City’s ongoing reconstruction of Cumberland.

The first closure, weather permitting, will occur at 17th Street this weekend to accommodate underground utility installation. Cumberland Avenue will be closed starting at 5 a.m. Saturday, March 12. The intersection is scheduled to reopen at 6 a.m. Monday, March 14.

Through traffic this weekend should use Volunteer Boulevard as an alternate route. Local traffic may detour onto White Avenue or Lake Avenue.



Southern Constructors Inc. will then close Cumberland Avenue between 20th and 22nd streets overnight, starting at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15, to install a natural gas main across Cumberland. The avenue will reopen at 6 a.m. Wednesday, March 16.

Eastbound commuters should detour using 22nd Street to Terrace Avenue to 19th Street back to Cumberland. Westbound commuters will detour onto 20th Street to Clinch Avenue to 22nd Street before returning to Cumberland.

                Anne Wallace, the City’s Deputy Director of Redevelopment, said the work represents a small milestone, because the utility work has rolled out to the eastern edge of the Cumberland Project.

Merchants are enthusiastic about the transformation taking place, she said. The City and its contractors, she added, are committed to working with stakeholders to minimize road-closure inconveniences by carefully scheduling them in a way that maintains access to the restaurants and retailers. For example, these Cumberland closures were intentionally scheduled during the University of Tennessee’s spring break to minimize the impact.

Meanwhile, three other closures are scheduled next week in the Cumberland Avenue Corridor:

  17th Street: One northbound lane of 17th Street between Cumberland and White avenues is scheduled to be closed next week. Southern Constructors Inc. will be installing a new water main.

  North 19th Street: Southern Constructors Inc. is installing a storm drain between Cumberland and White avenues. North 19th Street will be closed next week.

  Clinch Avenue: Ascend Wireless will be parking a crane and doing work between 17th and 18th streets. Clinch Avenue will be closed between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16.

To know before you go, visit our Google map with projects in the area, available here.

More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app. Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.


Friday, March 4, 2016

March 4th Update

CUMBERLAND AVENUE MINI-MILESTONE: UTILITY WORK
REACHES EASTERN EDGE OF RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Phase II work is progressing for the Cumberland Avenue reconstruction project, with six street closures scheduled through mid-March – including a complete closure of Cumberland Avenue at 17th Street the weekend of March 12-14.

Southern Constructors Inc. will be closing the Cumberland-17th Street intersection to accommodate underground utility installation starting at 5 a.m. Saturday, March 12. The intersection is scheduled to reopen at 6 a.m. Monday, March 14.

During the closures, through traffic should use Volunteer Boulevard as an alternate route. Local traffic may detour onto White Avenue or Lake Avenue.

            “This part of the project represents a small milestone, because the utility work has rolled out to the eastern edge of the Cumberland Project,” said Anne Wallace, the City’s Deputy Director of Redevelopment. “We are pleased that the underground utility work is on schedule and should be completed in the near future.

“The merchants are enthusiastic about the transformation taking place. We’re committed to working with them to minimize road-closure inconveniences by carefully scheduling them in a way that maintains access to the restaurants and retailers. For example, the Cumberland closure was intentionally scheduled during the University of Tennessee’s spring break to reduce traffic impacts.”

Other closures are scheduled for next week:

n  White Avenue, between 17th and 18th streets – 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, March 7, through Friday, March 11. A contractor will be pouring concrete for construction at The Standard, a 240-plus-unit apartment complex being built on the southwest corner of 17th Street and White Avenue.

n  The alley south of White Avenue, between 17th and 18th streets – 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday, March 7, through Wednesday, March 9. A contractor will be doing utility work associated with The Standard.

n  19th Street, between Cumberland Avenue and White Avenue – 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, March 7, through Friday, March 11. Southern Constructors Inc. will be adding stormwater infrastructure as part of the City’s Cumberland Project.

n  The alley south of White Avenue, between 18th and 19th streets – Closed at the western end due to utility work associated with the Cumberland Project.

n  17th Street, between Cumberland and White avenues – A right-hand northbound lane will be closed from Monday, March 14, through Monday morning, March 21. Southern Constructors Inc. will be installing a new water main.


Most infrastructure upgrades throughout the Cumberland Avenue Corridor are part of the City of Knoxville’s $17 million Cumberland reconstruction, to be completed by August 2017. (Improvements that are part of private construction projects are coordinated with the City project in order to minimize effects on commuters and pedestrians.)

The City’s reconstruction will change the existing four-lane Cumberland between 22nd and 17th streets to a three-lane cross section with a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections. An earlier phase of work on the western end of Cumberland focused on improving traffic flow between the Alcoa Highway ramps and 22nd Street; that phase finished at the end of 2015, on time and under budget.

More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app.

Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.

Community Events

Friday March 4, 2016
Knoxville Ice Bears vs Macon
Knoxville Civic Coliseum
7:00pm
For tickets call 865-656-4444. Call 865-215-8999 for event information. Get tickets and event information at www.KnoxvilleColiseum.com

Saturday March 5, 2016
Junior League Bag-a-Bargain
Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park
8:00am-1:00pm

Annual rummage sale at Chilhowee Park.  www.jlknoxville.org

Saturday March 5, 2016
L’Amour Du Vin
Knoxville Museum of Art
6:30pm
Gala, dinner and auction fundraiser

Saturday March 5, 2016
KTC Youth Winter Greenway Series
Tyson Park Greenway
8:00am
Encourages local youth 12 and under to participate in running events while showcasing Knoxville's Parks and Greenways

Saturday March 5, 2016
Be Great Run 8K
Tyson Park Greenway
9:00am


Saturday March 5, 2016
Mardi Growl
Willow Street/ Market Square
11:00am-2:00pm
9th annual Mardi Growl Parade to raise funds for homeless pets in need.


Saturday March 5, 2016
Neighborhood Awards & Networking Luncheon
Knoxville Convention Center
9:30am-2:00pm
This free event will bring together leaders and members of neighborhood organizations across Knoxville, along with elected officials, city department heads and individual citizens who just want to improve the quality of life and sense of community in their neighborhoods. For more information visit http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/cms/one.aspx?portalId=109562&pageId=2261014

As always, thanks for your interest in everything related to Cumberland Avenue - have a safe and fun-filled weekend.