(WBIR - SEVIERVILLE) - Overnight rain pushed back progress on the much-discussed diverging diamond intersection at Interstate 40 in Sevierville, causing some traffic jams Tuesday.
By late afternoon though, it was open – after years of construction.
Still, for many in Sevier County, it was an afternoon spent staring at brake lights.
"It's horrible," said Thomas Marshall of Newport. "We have to go through it every day."
Heavy rain late Monday and early Tuesday meant crews spent the morning painting lane markings and drying the pavement with leaf blowers.
"There's never a good time to do this work," said John Schroer, TDOT commissioner. "We try to get it done in the middle of the night when there wasn't much traffic, but we also didn't want to not continue."
At a press conference a few hundred feet from the intersection, state and local officials championed the efficiency and economic benefits of the improved intersection, even if drivers Tuesday didn't see much of that improvement. Some on Highway 66 waited 45 minutes to get through the limited lanes.
"We just now got in it but I don't like it," said Crystal Cardona of Sevierville. " We're locals so it makes it really, really hard to get in and out."
Schroer said the new intersection is only the second of its kind in Tennessee. He also called it a cost-saving measure – at $17 million -- to build a diverging diamond, versus somewhere in the ballpark of $50 million for a more traditional flyover.
Drivers passing over Interstate 40 cross onto the left side of the overpass at a stoplight, so that the left turn onto the freeway is not into oncoming traffic. Schroer said this will help handle increased tourism traffic.
"We really think it's going to help and make this intersection a whole lot safer," the commissioner said.
County leaders called the cost savings and increased flow a huge economic benefit for the area.
"It's a win-win for everyone," said Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters.
Still, he said this isn't the end of the road for congestion issues.
"We're continuing to look for other ways to improve traffic flow in the county, so this is not a cure-all for all of the traffic issues," Waters said.
Even if that takes a little time, and a lot of patience.
"Oh, yeah," laughed Cardona. "We've been stuck in a lot of traffic jams!"
Schroer said TDOT plans to keep making more minor improvements on the interchange into mid-September. They also plan to complete work on Highway 66 by December.
