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 17^th 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 17^th 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 19^th Street and White Avenue and in the UT Federal Credit Union lot at 22^nd Street and White Avenue.

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

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

May 29th Update - Cumberland is Open for Business and Brooks!

That's right, Cumberland Avenue is open for business and welcomes Garth Brooks fans and concert goers to visit to Cumberland!

Cumberland Merchants have coordinated a special scavenger hunt via social media.
Clues will be posted on Twitter, Facebook and on www.CumberlandConnect.com.

The clues will help you find where to locate a photo of Garth (hint: somewhere on Cumberland Avenue).

When you find Garth, take a selfie with Garth and post to Twitter @VisitCumberland or on Facebook.com/cumberlandconnect

On Monday, all of the tweets and posts of Selfies With Garth  will be pooled and three winners will be drawn.

Winners will receive an item or items donated by Cumberland Avenue Merchants.

So, have fun, visit Cumberland and take your Selfie With Garth!

#selfiewithgarth
#OpenForBusinessandBrooks

Check out WBIR's coverage of the event here.


Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) Update

Date: Wednesday, June 3
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.

KAT offers Fare-Free Rides! 

KAT to Offer Fare-Free Boardings along Cumberland Avenue

“Cumberland Avenue is open for business, and KAT is the best way to get to it and through it.”  This is the message that the City of Knoxville and KAT want to send with the new Cumberland Connect Free Fare Zone program, to begin June 1.

Anyone catching a bus along Cumberland – From Gay Street to West Volunteer – can board fare-free starting June 1st.  All stops in the zone are designated with a bright round sign, indicating a fare-free boarding location.
“This is great for the many people who work in the UT and downtown areas,” says Dawn Distler, Director of Transit. “Instead of worrying about any construction-related congestion, they can just relax, check e-mails or plan the day, and enjoy the ride on the way to work, then get a free ride home.  It’s also great for anyone coming to businesses along Cumberland.  KAT can get you there and back easily and inexpensively.”

The promotion is intended to attract more people to transit, and thus relieve congestion through Cumberland, as well as provide easy access to businesses along the corridor during the City's ongoing construction and redesign project.

"The Free Fare Zone will help people get to and from Cumberland Avenue during the construction, it will support the merchants there, and it will help reduce traffic," Mayor Madeline Rogero said. "It's also a reminder that public transit is a great resource for our city."

The Cumberland Free Fare Zone will be in effect during the length of the construction project. For more information, visit www.cumberlandconnect.com


For more information on this news release, contact Belinda Brill at (865) 215-7828.

As always, thanks for your interest in Cumberland Avenue and have a safe and fun filled weekend! 

May 22nd Update - Cumberland Avenue Closure Reminder

REMINDER - Cumberland Ave. Closed this Weekend at 22nd Street

As part of ongoing construction on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project, all lanes of Cumberland Avenue will be closed to traffic this weekend at its intersection with 22nd Street. In order to allow the installation of a water line from north to south across Cumberland, the 22nd Street intersection will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, May 22, until 6 a.m. Monday, May 25. Both eastbound and westbound traffic should detour along West Volunteer Boulevard and Lake Avenue. The detour will be clearly marked with road signs. Businesses along Cumberland Avenue will remain accessible either from Cumberland or from side streets. Remember, there is free public parking on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays 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. The Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project is a 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 will proceed 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. For more information, regular updates and special offers from area merchants, see www.cumberlandconnect.com. As always, thanks for your interest in everything to do with Cumberland Avenue. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend. Thanks to all the service men and women past, present and future who have or will serve our country. Thanks also to their families. The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

May 4th Update

KUB Update

Cumberland Avenue Rolling Lane Closure [May 5]

KUB crews will implement a rolling lane closure on Cumberland Avenue between S. Twenty First Street and Eighteenth Street from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5, as prep work is performed as part of the Cumberland Avenue Streetscapes Project. Crews will be working in the curbside, westbound lane. The inside westbound lane and both eastbound lanes in this area will not be impacted.

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.


Public Meeting on Proposed Updates to the City's Form Based Code
What: Public meeting on proposed updates to the City’s Form-Based Code
When: 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7

Where: Small Assembly Room, City County Building, 400 Main Street
Who: Office of Plans Review and Inspections and Office of Redevelopment staff
The public is invited to a May 7 public meeting to discuss updates to the general provisions of the Form-Based Code (Article 4, Section 4.0 of the City of Knoxville’s Zoning Ordinance).
The existing code – which shapes urban forms of development on the South Knoxville Waterfront and in the Cumberland Avenue Corridor – addresses new construction. The proposed changes will provide a clear pathway for property owners to modify, renovate or add onto their existing structures.
Property owners within the South Waterfront and Cumberland Avenue Form-Based Development Code Districts are encouraged to attend.
A copy of the code with proposed changes in italics is available for review here.Anyone attending the May 7 meeting and needing a disability accommodation should contact the City's ADA Coordinator, Stephanie Cook, at scook@cityofknoxville.org or 865-215-2034 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. 

May1st Update

KUB Traffic Advisory

Cumberland Avenue Rolling Lane Closure Monday, May 4

KUB crews will implement a rolling lane closure on Cumberland Avenue between S. Twenty First Street and Eighteenth Street from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Monday, May 4, as prep work is performed as part of the Cumberland Avenue Streetscapes Project. Crews will be working in the curbside, westbound lane. The inside westbound lane and both eastbound lanes in this area will not be impacted.

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. 

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) 

Date: Wednesday, May 6
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.

Public Meeting on Proposed Updates to the City's Form Based Code
What: Public meeting on proposed updates to the City’s Form-Based Code

When: 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7

Where: Small Assembly Room, City County Building, 400 Main Street

Who: Office of Plans Review and Inspections and Office of Redevelopment staff

The public is invited to a May 7 public meeting to discuss updates to the general provisions of the Form-Based Code (Article 4, Section 4.0 of the City of Knoxville’s Zoning Ordinance).

The existing code – which shapes urban forms of development on the South Knoxville Waterfront and in the Cumberland Avenue Corridor – addresses new construction. The proposed changes will provide a clear pathway for property owners to modify, renovate or add onto their existing structures.

Property owners within the South Waterfront and Cumberland Avenue Form-Based Development Code Districts are encouraged to attend.

A copy of the code with proposed changes in italics is available for review here.
Anyone attending the May 7 meeting and needing a disability accommodation should contact the City's ADA Coordinator, Stephanie Cook, at scook@cityofknoxville.org or 865-215-2034 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. 

Launch of the Cumberland Connect App

A new website, www.cumberlandconnect.com has been launched by the City's construction engineering inspections contractor, Vaughn & Melton. Additionally, a Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, highlights the businesses on the Cumberland Avenue Corridor and offers coupons and promotions, as well as project details and traffic updates. 

Also available is a downloadable App for Android and Apple devices - that will send push alerts with promotions if requested to people's smartphones. Download the app and use the coupons to save at various businesses along Cumberland Avenue! 

Cumberland Avenue Construction Update

The utility work on Cumberland Avenue has been underway since April 6. The contractor, Southern Constructors Inc., is making good progress and is working to complete this phase of work by June 6 so that the Streetscape Phase I work can start on June 8.

In order to accomplish this goal and to make the appropriate connections (water and sewer) north and south of 22^nd Street the contractor will need to close north bound 22^nd Street between Cumberland and the driveway access points for the Cook Out and Exxon properties. This work is scheduled to take place starting Monday, May 11^th (post end of UT’s semester and graduation) and the road closure is expected to last approximately 4 weeks.

For more information and traffic updates, please visit www.cumberlandconnect.com. 

 

April 5th Update

City of Knoxville Update - CONSTRUCTION STARTS APRIL 6

Just a reminder: Monday morning, April 6, motorists should anticipate two lanes closed on Cumberland Avenue between West Volunteer Boulevard and 21st Street, as utility work kicks off a 2-year reconstruction of the Cumberland Avenue Corridor.

There was a big turnout Thursday evening at a public meeting where traffic plans and the project's timeline and objectives were discussed.

Lots of media coverage as well.

Here's some of the coverage:
WATE
WBIR
WVLT

For more details, including detour maps, please visit the City of Knoxville's website:
www.cityofknoxville.org or www.cumberlandconnect.com

Happy Easter and have a great start to the week!

March 26th Update

City of Knoxville - Cumberland Avenue Streetscape Update and Press Release 

CUMBERLAND AVENUE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
TOPIC OF APRIL 2 PUBLIC MEETING

           

With construction of the City of Knoxville's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project getting underway, utility-related construction will begin on April 6. A public meeting next week will provide an overview of the entire Cumberland Avenue Corridor construction schedule during the next two years.

The public meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, at the University of Tennessee Visitors Center, 2712 Neyland Drive. City staff will be there, along with representatives from the contractors, KUB and engineering consultants Vaughn & Melton, to discuss the construction timeline and traffic control plans.

The Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project is a City of Knoxville initiative to redesign Cumberland Avenue from Alcoa Highway east to 17^th 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 to create a more attractive, pedestrian-friendly corridor.

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

Construction will proceed in two phases, with Phase I to be completed by the end of 2015 and Phase II scheduled for completion in August 2017. See the detailed timeline for Phase I below.

One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained during construction, with the exception of a single weekend closure at the railroad crossing and a six-week period when eastbound traffic will be blocked between University Commons and West Volunteer Boulevard. Turns onto side streets will be blocked on a rolling basis, and mid-block left turns will not be possible on blocks under construction. To avoid delays, drivers are encouraged to use alternative routes.

“We know this construction will be disruptive to traffic and local businesses and residents,” said Anne Wallace, Project Manager for the City of Knoxville’s Office of Redevelopment. “We promise to work diligently throughout the process to provide updated information, answer questions and mitigate the effects as much as possible. The result will be a Cumberland Avenue Corridor that looks better and works better for everybody.”

Signed detours will direct through traffic around the corridor during construction. Specific detours for local traffic will change as construction moves from west to east, but in general:

n  For access to the UT campus and other areas south of Cumberland Avenue, the best route will be to take Neyland Drive to Joe Johnson Drive and proceed east from there;

n  For access to the Fort Sanders neighborhood, including Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, the best route will be Alcoa Highway north to I-40 and the 17^th Street exit.

PHASE I CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE

n  April 6 - June 6, 2015: KUB utility work in westbound lanes of Cumberland Avenue and portions of side streets between West Volunteer Boulevard and 22^nd Street. Lane closures will run from West Volunteer Boulevard to 21^st Street to allow for a one-block tapering of traffic. One lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction, shifted into the existing eastbound lanes.

June 8, 2015: Construction begins on section of Cumberland Avenue from Alcoa Highway to West Volunteer Boulevard. This includes the installation of a new 42-inch storm sewer pipe, which will require a six-week closure of eastbound lanes from University Commons to West Volunteer Boulevard. That closure will begin no earlier than June 8, with work completed no later than July 31. KUB will be moving to this location for utility upgrades while the City has this area closed. Utility work will continue heading eastward to 17^th Street, with street, sidewalk and median construction following behind it for the remainder of the project.

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

n  August-December 2015: Street and sidewalk construction continue between Alcoa Highway and 22^nd Street, starting with the westbound lanes and then shifting to the eastbound lanes. One lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction, but the lanes will shift as needed to accommodate construction.

Once Phase I work is complete, full traffic access will be restored from 22^nd Street west. Phase II work, moving eastward from 22^nd Street to 17^th Street, is scheduled to begin by Dec. 1, 2015. The full project is scheduled for completion by Aug. 31, 2017.

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - REGULAR MEETING

Date: Wednesday, April 1

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue*

*Please note this is a new location for the meeting!

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. 

Traffic Control Permit Request (The Standard at White Ave and 17th Streets)
When: Monday, March 30 through Friday, May 1 from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily
What: Closure of northbound lanes on 18th Street for crane construction.