- The Tennessee Department of Transportation is studying long-term solutions for traffic on I-40 in West Knoxville.
- Potential solutions include widening the highway, adding “choice lanes” for a toll, or implementing a smart traffic system.
- The Knoxville stretch of I-40 accommodates over 200,000 cars daily and is one of the most congested in the state.
- TDOT is currently seeking public input on the project, with a final plan not expected until after 2026.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is considering several options for a long-term plan to help mitigate traffic on Interstate 40 through West Knoxville and Farragut.
Anyone who drives the 17-mile stretch from the I-640 interchange in Knoxville to the I-40/I-75 interchange in Loudon County understands the headache of rush hour traffic.
“It’s just a parking lot,” West Hills resident Candace Nehlsen said.
Eastbound and westbound traffic consistently slows or stops because of short on-ramps and interchanges crammed too close together. TDOT data shows that between 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, traffic in both directions is reduced to 31 miles per hour or less. Typically, the speed limit is 65 miles per hour.
“I think the past five years have proven ‒ to me, at least ‒ that we’re growing exponentially here and we need better infrastructure here to handle it. And it’s only projected to get worse in 2026,” Nehlsen said. “I think it’s a little overdue, but at least they’re doing it now. It needs to happen.”
Knoxville is expected to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. in 2026, according to a recent moveBuddha report. Its growth is forecast to outpace that of both New York and Nashville.
TDOT is exploring potential solutions to the traffic nightmare. The agency is in the beginning stages of a multiyear process to to combat traffic congestion and improve safety.
Here’s what drivers should know.
I-40 traffic study is underway
TDOT announced plans to improve I-40 in West Knoxville in April 2024 and is in the early stages of the project. TDOT engineers want drivers’ input on how to alleviate traffic problems, and will compile a planning and environmental linkages study, which is a necessary step in the process.
The top goal is safety first, then improving traffic flow, TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi told Knox News.
“We’re trying to find ways to alleviate congestion, to improve travel time, to accommodate current and future traffic volumes, to work to enhance the transport of freight,” Nagi said.
TDOT has already evaluated the existing road for faults. By early 2026, the agency will use drivers’ input to develop alternate solutions, which could include widening the highway or implementing “choice lanes” and more.
A bypass conversation has happened for decades, but that solution is many, many years down the road if it every becomes reality.
I-40 was named among the busiest and one of the deadliest roads in Tennessee due to the high number of fatal crashes. It won’t improve without intervention.
New toll lanes possible for Knoxville
Choice lanes could become a reality in Knoxville. They’re a new concept for Tennessee but are part of the wider conversation on traffic solutions.
A choice lane is the TSA PreCheck of highways. They’re a faster way to get from point A to point B, if you’re willing to pay the toll.
Even for those who don’t want to pay to use them, choice lanes would reduce regular traffic by around 30%, according to state Sen. Becky Massey.
Massey chairs the Tennessee Transportation and Safety Committee and has been a longtime advocate for improving the Knoxville I-40 corridor. The senator joked that Knoxville should call its choice lanes “volunteer lanes” in the spirit of the University of Tennessee.
“I personally like the choice lane idea because you have the guaranteed speed,” Massey said. “Plus, it saves lives because ambulances can go free and police can go free, so they get there quicker when there’s an emergency.”
The cost for using choice lanes in Tennessee would vary depending on the time of day and possibly depending on how many cars are on the highway.
What are the other options to fix I-40 traffic?
Beyond choice lanes, there are other options TDOT is exploring. No plan will be set until after a second round of public hearings in 2026, according to Nagi.
The study proposes these alternatives:
- Widening the 17-mile stretch of highway by adding more lanes
- Introducing a smart traffic management system, which could adjust traffic light timing at entrance points to optimize flow and reduce congestion.
- Choice lanes
How many people drive on I-40 in Knoxville?
Along the entire 531 miles of I-40 and I-81 across Tennessee from Bristol to Memphis, traffic peaks in Knox County. The Knoxville stretch accommodates more than 200,000 cars a day on average, according to a TDOT corridor study from 2020.
I-40 and I-75 converge in Knoxville and are major commercial byways, so trucks add to the traffic jams.
The American Transportation Research Institute named Knoxville home to two of the worst bottlenecks in the U.S. on its 2025 list of the top 100 worst bottlenecks for trucks, citing the I-40/I-75 exchange specifically, in addition to I-40 at I-275.
Do you have comments on I-40 in Knoxville? Tell TDOT
Now’s your time to share.
TDOT is accepting feedback about I-75 and I-40 in Knoxville. Drivers can submit their input at tn.gov/tdot. Feedback is accepted through Dec. 4.
For any submissions to be used, a name and address must be submitted with the form, according to TDOT.
Allison Kiehl covers trending and breaking news from Knoxville for the Tennessee Connect Team. Email: allison.kiehl@knoxnews.com
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