Fort Sanders – the back yard to the University of Tennessee, immortalized by James Agee’s writings of his childhood there – is unique and beloved for many reasons.
It’s also Knoxville’s most densely populated neighborhood, and that mandates the City’s annual summertime Fort Sanders Summer Roundup.
Taking advantage of summer break, when most UT students are off campus, City crews will be thoroughly cleaning the streets of Fort Sanders on two July weekends: Saturday and Sunday, July 8-9, 2023 and Saturday and Sunday, July 22-23, 2023.
Crews will be refreshing street markings, replacing signs as needed, sweeping the streets, picking up trash and brush, and weeding the public rights-of-way.
In order to remove trash, grime and grit from hard-to-reach corners and crevices, it’s mandatory that all vehicles be moved on clean-up days from the streets being swept and cleaned.
Vehicles that are not moved prior to each day’s clean-up will be towed.
“With the very high demand for on-street parking, the Summer Roundup is the best way to refresh markings while also removing brush and litter,” City Parking Manager Mark Elliott said. “We want to be efficient and effective while minimizing the inconvenience due to this project.
“It’s imperative that owners move their vehicles to avoid being towed. The Fort looks its best after the Summer Roundup, and we thank and appreciate the help and patience of the Fort Sanders residents in making this possible.”
The Fort Sanders Summer Roundup will be conducted on streets running east and west on Saturday and Sunday, July 8-9, 2023.
Traffic is expected to continue to flow on the affected streets, although some temporary short-term closures may occur as needed due to safety protocols.
On the days of the street sweepings, parking will not be allowed on the affected streets, and towing of parked vehicles will be enforced.
On Saturday, July 8, 2023, residents and commuters should anticipate sweeping and cleaning on these 9 east-west avenues in the western end of Fort Sanders, west of 17th Street:
•
Grand
•
Forest
•
Highland
•
Laurel
•
Clinch
•
White
•
Lake
•
Terrace
•
Plus, the alley between 21st Street and the railroad tracks, near University Walk Apartments
On Sunday, July 9, mostly the same avenues will be cleaned in the eastern end of Fort Sanders, between 17th Street and 11th Street – Grand, Forest, Highland, Bridge, Laurel, Clinch and White avenues.
The hours of operation on both days will begin at 6 a.m. and will end at 6 p.m.
Then, on the weekend of July 22-23, crews will clean up 13 north-south streets bounded by Grand Avenue to the north, Terrace Avenue to the south, 12th Street to the east and South 23rd Street to the west.
To be cleaned on Saturday, July 22:
•
A portion of Melrose Place
•
18th Street
•
19th Street
•
20th Street
•
Mountcastle Street
•
21st Street
•
22nd Street
•
23rd Street
Finally, on Sunday, July 23, crews will work on these streets:
•
12th Street
•
13th Street
•
14th Street
•
James Agree Street
•
16th Street
Roughly 250 temporary no-parking signs will be posted in the days prior to the start of the street-cleaning work. In addition, flyers will be placed on hundreds of vehicle windshields and throughout the neighborhood prior to the start of the Fort Sanders Summer Roundup.