The Gay Street viaduct, which spans the Norfolk Southern railroad yard and connects Jackson Avenue to Depot Avenue, will be closed beginning Tuesday, Nov. 1 for construction.
The 86-year-old viaduct will be dismantled and a new concrete viaduct built at the same location. The new viaduct will also include about 50 parking places and sidewalks. Construction is expected to be completed by Dec. 1, 2006.
During the closure, detour signs will direct traffic traveling northbound on Gay Street to turn left onto Jackson, right onto Broadway and then right onto Depot Avenue to return to Gay Street. Southbound traffic on Gay Street will be directed to turn right onto Depot Avenue, left onto Broadway, and left onto Summit Hill Drive to return to Gay Street.
The Jackson Avenue ramps will be one-way, each away from Gay Street.
Parking is not allowed on the viaduct beginning Friday, October 28. A surface parking lot on Jackson Street is available for monthly parkers. To make a reservation, fax Steve Cheatham, at the Public Building Authority, 215-2698 or email him at
[email protected].
KAT bus routes that will detour include, Route 13 - Beaumont; Route 14 - College Street; Route 20 A/B/C - Central Avenue; Route 21 - Lincoln Park; Route 23 - Fairmont Boulevard; and Route 31 - Magnolia Avenue. The downtown detour for these outbound Gay Street buses will be a left turn on Summit Hill to Broadway.
KAT passengers who normally use the Music Park stop on Gay Street or the corner of Gay Street and Magnolia Avenue should pick up the bus on Gay Street south of Summit Hill Drive or at Broadway and Depot Street.
The Late Line Trolley, operating through the Old City on Friday and Saturday evenings, will reverse the Old City routing due to the Jackson Avenue ramp closings, and will pick up passengers on the southwest corner of Central and Jackson.
Replacement of the Gay Street viaduct is necessary because inspectors have rated the structure in poor condition. The City of Knoxville is paying 20 percent of the $4.7 million project, with federal funds administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation paying the remainder. TDOT is serving as project manager.