KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — A plan 20 years in the making is finally under construction.
Currently, crews are working on Ball Camp Pike, from Middlebrook Pike to Oak Ridge Highway.
The last phase of the project will be the widening of Schaad Road.
This project will improve Schaad Road from the completed widened section near Oak Ridge Highway to Pleasant Ridge Road.
Improvements will include: four lanes separated by a median, bike lanes, turn lanes and sidewalks.
The intersection improvements are proposed at Tecoy Lane, LaChrista and Pleasant Ridge Road.
However, it'll be a while until we see construction in this area. Construction on this phase could begin in Fall of 2021.
Knox County Engineering and Public Works Senior Director Jim Snowden said acquiring the right-of-way is a complicated process.
The Right-of-Way phase is anticipated to take a year and a half to complete, and during that time final construction plans will be completed and permits acquired.
Back in the Spring, the county received three bids from contactors. Charles Blalock and Sons was selected for the project.
Knox County is funding the project through the Capital Improvement Plan.
Crews will work to make sure that at least one lane of traffic in each direction will remain open during construction.
The completion date for phases 2 and 3 is December 22, 2023.
Snowden said if the project is not complete by then, the county will will assess a penalty of $1,800 per day until it's done.