Work is progressing on the realignment of Island Home Avenue, and a contractor has been given an extension until Friday, Nov. 13, to reopen the avenue.

About half of the roadbed is at its new subgrade elevation. Unsuitable soils are being removed and replaced with appropriate fill material as the rest of the roadbed is being built. The contractor, Empire Construction, also is installing underground gas, water and sewer lines.

The work is associated with the building of the River’s Edge 134-unit apartment complex, a $14 million private investment on the South Waterfront, as well as an 800-foot-long public riverwalk and a new public road, Splendid View Circle.

Base stone has been laid for Splendid View Circle, with curb and gutter installation to begin next.

In addition, existing overhead utility lines and poles along Island Home Avenue are being removed to make room for bike lanes and on-street parking. Knoxville Area Transit also will position two bus shelters as part of the project.

Empire Construction had been scheduled to have Island Home Avenue between Sevier Avenue and Maplewood Drive reopened by Oct. 31. The City of Knoxville has extended the traffic-control permit for the road closure an additional two weeks.

Since late spring, utility work and construction associated with the project have closed the section of Island Home Avenue, and motorists and bicyclists have been following detour routes. The eastbound detour route for vehicles follows Sevier Avenue to McClung Avenue. It turns left at South Haven Road and continues to Island Home Avenue. The westbound detour uses the same streets in reverse.

The new riverwalk, meanwhile, will eventually be part of a three-mile-long network of connected walking, bicycling and jogging paths along the entire South Waterfront. The River’s Edge section, combined with an existing section of riverwalk and new sections soon to be built at the former Baptist Hospital site and at Suttree Landing Park, will total more than one mile of riverwalk.