July 11th Update

KUB Update


Contact KUB at 524-2911 if you have questions about this or any other KUB construction activities.


Cumberland Avenue Lane Closure [July 13] – KUB crews will close a section of the eastbound, curbside lane of Cumberland Avenue between South Twenty First Street and Mountcastle Street from 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, as work is completed on the water distribution system in this area. One eastbound lane and both westbound lanes will remain open during this time.

Cumberland Avenue Lane Closures [July 14-July 18] – KUB and its contractor will close one eastbound and one westbound lane on Cumberland Avenue between Eleventh Street and James Agee Street daily from 7 a.m. –5 p.m. beginning on Monday, July 14, through Friday, July 18, as work is completed on the natural gas distribution system in this area. One eastbound and one westbound lane will remain open on this section of Cumberland Avenue while this work is completed. All lanes will remain open overnight.


Some listed closures may extend beyond the scheduled times depending on the conditions encountered during excavation and construction. Appropriate traffic control measures, including flagmen, will be in place at this location to assist motorists traveling in the area. Due to the ongoing presence of workers and equipment, motorists are advised to use extreme caution and expect temporary delays in this area. More information on other lane and road closures and KUB construction projects can be found at www.kub.org. 


Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) Update
The monthly meeting of the Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association was held on July 2, at 3:00 pm in the Goal Post Tavern. The meeting was attended by representatives of  UTPD, Center for Health Education Wellness - UTK, Walgreens, Graphic Creations, City of Knoxville, UT Federal Credit Union, Regions, Goal Post Tavern, KPD, University Liquors, Knoxville Homeless Coalition, and Councilman Finbarr Saunders. City staff provided an update on the Streetscape project, provided updates on private development projects on the corridor, and parking within the district. The merchants provided updates regarding business during the past month.

The next meeting is scheduled for August 6 at 3:00 pm in the Goal Post Tavern; please feel free to attend. 

Community Events 

July 12, 2014

Market Square Farmers Market

Market Square, Union Ave & Market Street
9:00am – 2:00pm
11th season of the downtown Farmers Market with locally grown produce, meat, eggs and plants, as well as locally made artisan foods & crafts.   www.marketsquarefarmersmarket.org

Knoxville Trade Day

Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park
8:00am-4:00pm
Premier Antiques Show featuring Mantiques, Vintage, Crafts & Trendy stuff                                 

For more information visit www.knoxvilletradeday.wix.com/knoxvilletradeday#

July 13, 2014

Soles of the City Patriots 5K

140 N Forest Park Blvd
8:30am
5K run from Bearden Earthfare on greenway

 

May 14th Update

University of Tennessee Construction

A major University of Tennessee utility upgrade is underway that soon will close two lanes of Cumberland Avenue for roughly two months.

UT's steam line, which crosses Cumberland Avenue, is being upgraded. The university's steam plant provides heating and hot water for more than 150 buildings using about 11 miles of underground steam pipes.

Starting this week, Sevierville-based Adams and Sons Inc. will be relocating water, gas and sewer lines before the steam line work begins. The first phase of work will likely close one lane of Cumberland Avenue between 11th and 13th streets, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Once that work is completed, then the bigger job, upgrading the steam line, will start. The second round of work will close two lanes of Cumberland Avenue between 11th and 13th streets.

According to the traffic control permit sought by Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon engineering and architectural firm of Knoxville, the project will be completed by Aug. 10, before the start of UT's football season.

Once the two lanes of Cumberland are closed, eastbound commuters will shift to the two westbound lanes. Westbound commuters will be detoured to 11th Street, then to Clinch Avenue and then to 16th Street.

The City's Civil Engineering Division recommends that westbound motorists take a different route, since the detour route will squeeze traffic from a normal two lanes to a single lane. One suggested alternative route: Go west on Western Avenue to Middlebrook Pike and on to Sutherland Avenue.

In addition, pedestrians should anticipate that the steam line project will close sidewalks on Cumberland Avenue between 11th and 13th streets, one side of the road at a time.

The steam line project is tied to UT eliminating coal use completely by transitioning to natural gas, which will lead to decreased emissions of pollutants, less-costly fuel oil delivery and a better water treatment system.

For more information on the project, click here.

May 9th Update

KUB Update
Contact KUB at 524-2911 if you have questions about this or any other KUB construction activities.

Traffic Advisory – Lane Closure for Utility Construction (weather permitting)

Cumberland Avenue Lane Closures [beginning May 12] – KUB and its contractor will close one eastbound and one westbound lane of traffic on Cumberland Avenue between Eleventh Street and James Agee Street weekdays from 7 a.m. –5 p.m. beginning on Monday, May 12, and lasting through early June, as work is completed on the natural gas and water distribution systems in this area. One eastbound and one westbound lane will remain open on this section of Cumberland Avenue while this work is completed. All lanes will remain open overnight. To facilitate timely completion, some weekend work may occur. Follow-up advisories will be issued as needed.

Some listed closures may extend beyond the scheduled times depending on the conditions encountered during excavation and construction. Appropriate traffic control measures, including flagmen, will be in place at this location to assist motorists traveling in the area. Due to the ongoing presence of workers and equipment, motorists are advised to use extreme caution and expect temporary delays in this area.

Fort Sanders PACE 10 Construction Notificaiton
924 addresses in the Fort Sanders Area have been sent a notification on May 7, 2014 about upcoming work. For more information about the improvements to wastewater systems for KUB users click here.

May 6th Update

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) Meeting

Date: Wednesday, May 7

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm

Location: Goal Post Tavern, 1824 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 Graphic Creations, 1809 Lake Avenue.


University of Tennessee Update

Congratulations to the class of 2014! Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors.
Spring Commencement will run from May 7 through May 10, for information on locations and times please visit here.

Please also keep in mind that there is a lot of construction and changes going on in and around campus for information on road closures, please visit here.

Community Events

May 6, 2014

Concerts on the Square, Jazz Tuesdays
Market Square
8pm-10pm
Marble City Five will perform free jazz concerts every Tuesday from May 6 – Aug 26 from 8pm-10pm. Bring your chairs, blankets and enjoy free jazz music on the Square

May 7, 2014

Knoxie Crits
Chilhowee Park
5:00pm-8:00pm
Criterium racing on an approximately 1 kilometer course.  For more information, please e-mail: scoclub@gmail.com

Market Square Farmers Market
Market Square
11am – 2pm
11th season of the downtown Farmers Market with locally grown produce, meat, eggs and plants, as well as locally made artisan foods & crafts.   www.marketsquarefarmersmarket.org

May 8, 2014

Concerts on the Square, Variety Thursdays
– The Coveralls
Market Square
7pm-9pm
The Coveralls will be performing a free concert on Market Square/ The Metro Pulse named them the best Cover Band in Knoxville for 2013 and have won that prestigious award for 5 years running!

May 9, 2014

Delta Sigma Theta Movies on the Square
Market Square
5pm-Choir will perform
8pm- Movie will begin

May 10, 2014

Framing Choice Photo Exhibition
Market Square Stage
9:00am-2:00pm

Market Square Farmers Market
Market Square, Union Ave & Market Street
9:00am – 2:00pm
11th season of the downtown Farmers Market with locally grown produce, meat, eggs and plants, as well as locally made artisan foods & crafts.   www.marketsquarefarmersmarket.org

Law Enforcement Memorial 5K

Neyland Drive at Vol Landing
8:00am
5K run/walk

Blank Fest
Market Square
5pm-10pm
Music oriented event benefiting TN Veterans and celebrating Blank Newspaper anniversary sharing good news around town.

Vestival

Candoro Marble Building
11am-7pm
Annual music and arts festival in the Vestal Community. Music, crafts, food, children's events

2014 March for Babies
Mary Costa Plaza at Civic Coliseum
Noon-4PM
Annual March for Babies event  

As always, thanks for your interest in Cumberland Avenue. Have a safe and wonderful week.

March 28th Update

Cumberland Utility Work
March 27, 2014 - Because of utility connection work, one eastbound lane of Cumberland Avenue will be closed at the intersection with Metron Center Way during non-peak traffic hours next week.

The closure will affect one eastbound lane at the intersection just west of the rail crossing, at the entrance to the University Commons project. It will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, March 31-Friday April 4.

All other lanes will remain open to traffic.

For a list of more road closures please visit www.cityofknoxville.org/closoures.

March 11th Update - Notice to Proceed to Construction for Phase I

Cumberland Avenue Phase I - Out for Bid
The city of Knoxville issued the following press release on March 6th, also available here.
 
Work could start as early as June 1 on Phase I of the Cumberland Avenue Corridor street redesign – an estimated $4 million six-month construction project that aims to ease traffic clogs on the western end of the corridor.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation has given the City the Notice to Proceed to Construction on Phase I, the stretch of Cumberland Avenue between 22nd Street and Alcoa Highway. The City will advertise to begin seeking bids starting this weekend.

Work will include putting in new underground stormwater and gas lines to support new commercial and residential developments in the area. (Some of the utility infrastructure predates World War II.) The project also will add and widen sidewalks, resurface the road and purchase new, higher-performing traffic signals.

“But the really big key will be the improvements at Alcoa Highway,” said Project Manager Anne Wallace with the City’s Office of Redevelopment.

Currently, motorists trying to access northbound Alcoa Highway from Cumberland Avenue are frequently getting snarled in backups.

One problem is that there’s currently no dedicated turn lane onto northbound Alcoa Highway, just a lane that’s shared by exiting vehicles and through traffic. Another problem is an antiquated signal at Metron Way and Cumberland that doesn’t function well and doesn’t always allow vehicles turning west from Volunteer Boulevard onto Cumberland to clear the nearby intersection.

Another reason for traffic hassles on this stretch of road: It carries approximately 35,000 vehicles a day, the highest traffic volume along the Cumberland Avenue Corridor.

Among the planned traffic-flow fixes: Phase I will modernize the traffic signalization plus add a specified turn lane onto northbound Alcoa Highway.

Almost as soon as the Phase I work is completed, the larger Phase II project is anticipated to get under way. But the Phase I improvements – especially the smoother-flowing intersections at Volunteer and at Alcoa Highway - will give motorists more options for avoiding the Phase II construction work, Wallace said.

Phase II calls for a $13 million redesign of Cumberland Avenue from 22nd Street to 16th Street. The work includes new underground utilities, new signals, new sidewalks, the addition of turn lanes and new medians, plus landscaping, benches and pedestrian-scaled lighting.

City officials say the total $17 million investment in the Cumberland Avenue Corridor so far has already leveraged more than $100 million in investment from private developers.

“I’m very excited to get Phase I under construction and see the project come to fruition,” Wallace said.

"Phase I is intended to help improve traffic flow in one of the most congested areas along the corridor. This work sets the stage nicely for Phase II by improving some alternative routes for getting around the second round of construction."

For more coverage, visit:
Knox News Sentinel
WATE
WBIR
 
Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) Update
The monthly meeting of the Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association was held on March 5th, at 3:00 pm in the Goal Post Tavern. The meeting was attended by representatives of Goal Post Tavern, Graphic Creations, University Liquors, Walgreens, Gyrene Burger, Regions Bank, UTFCU, UTPD and City staff. City staff provided an update on the Streetscape project, sharing the notice to proceed, provided updates on private development projects on the corridor, and parking within the district. The merchants provided updates regarding business during the past month.

The next meeting is scheduled for April 2 at 3:00 pm in the Goal Poast Tavern; please feel free to attend.

Community Events
 

March 13, 2014

Knoxville Ice Bears vs Fayetteville FireAntz
Civic Coliseum
7pm
Purchase tickets by calling (865) 656-4444

March 15, 2014

Be Great Run 8K
Tyson Park
9am-12pm
8K run & 2 mile walk

March 15, 2014

Rockabye Butterfly Bash
Volunteer Landing
8:00am
Rockabye Butterfly is an organization raising funds and awareness for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome at East Tennessee Children's Hospital. This event will donate 100% proceeds to ETCH