Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association and Project Archive

Since Monday, June 5, contractor crews have shifted the eastbound lane of Cumberland Avenue between 19th and 16th streets and set the stage for the installation of the new concrete median.

 

The next step in the process, starting Monday, June 12, is laying the new concrete curb with an extruded curb machine. This will require temporary, intermittent lane closures of Cumberland while the machine lays down the new median curbs.

 

The concrete pours will be scheduled each day to avoid peak traffic hours and will be fully complete by 6 p.m. on Friday, June 16. Flaggers and police officers will be on site to direct traffic around the work zone. If traffic is heavier than expected, an alternate route will be designated and a detour will be implemented.

 

Additionally, through traffic to points east or west of the area may want to consider using Neyland Drive as an alternate route.

 

Mid-block left turns have been prevented so far by temporary barriers. The new medians will be between 3 feet and 13 feet wide, depending on turn lanes and Knoxville Area Transit bus infrastructure. Even though the number of traffic lanes on Cumberland has been reduced, the design is expected to reduce fender benders and improve traffic flow by eliminating blockages created by vehicles turning left across incoming traffic in the middle of the block.