Beginning in May 2008, a short section of Interstate 40 between James White Parkway (exit 388A) and Hall of Fame Drive (exit 389) will be closed for reconstruction.

Local traffic will continue to use James White Parkway (exit 388A) and Hall of Fame Drive (exit 389) to access the downtown area, the South Knoxville Bridge and Neyland Drive. Traffic that normally passes through downtown on I-40 should use I-640 or I-275 to bypass the closure. The closure will last for approximately 14 months. 
 
Northbound I-75 motorists traveling into Knoxville from Chattanooga are encouraged to continue on I-40 toward downtown, then use the newly improved I-275 northbound. By using I-275, northbound I-75 motorists will avoid potential long delays on I-640.

A lot of planning and coordination goes into closing a major section of interstate. Installing more than 100 signs, constructing a temporary ramp from James White Parkway to I-40 westbound and modifying the I-640 interchanges with I-40 will take time to complete. There will be a 17-day period in May when the bulk of this work will take place. Some of the signs on the interstate system and local arterial routes will be installed before May.