This particular section of Kingston Pike is only about 1,400 feet long. But for decades, it was a daunting and dangerous pinch point in West Knoxville’s designated bicycle route.

At 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 27, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon will lead a ribbon-cutting at Messiah Lutheran Church, 6900 Kingston Pike, celebrating the completion of the $2.3 million Kingston Pike Complete Connections Project.

The City, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, funded the project, which creates a safer and more comfortable multimodal corridor along Kingston Pike between Wesley Road and the library at Golfclub Road, just west of Bearden Hill.

A wide, smooth ADA-compliant sidewalk was constructed on the south side of Kingston Pike, along with bike lanes on each side of the pike. At Papermill Drive, there’s infrastructure to support a new Knoxville Area Transit bus stop shelter and a crosswalk with pedestrian signals, and new detection equipment approaching the traffic signal will improve the signal’s timing and traffic flow. Drainage and lighting improvements were also made.

But for West Knoxville bicyclists who have for decades longed for a safer route between Cedar Bluff and downtown, the new bike lanes are of utmost importance.

“The West Knoxville Bicycle Route mostly follows greenways and neighborhood streets – but then there’s this section of Kingston Pike,” says Jon Livengood, the City’s Alternative Transportation Coordinator. 

“For years, it was a big barrier: A high volume of traffic, no shoulder, fast-moving vehicles. Many bicyclists didn’t feel comfortable riding there.

“These state and City investments improve this corridor for everyone – but especially for bicyclists. There’s still a lot of vehicular traffic, but now, bicyclists have designated lanes, so safety has been greatly improved.”

The City of Knoxville ensures meaningful access to City programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services.

To request language translation services, contact the City’s Human Resources Department at [email protected] or 865-215-3100. For disability accommodations, contact City ADA Coordinator Stephanie Brewer Cook at [email protected] or 865-215-2034.