KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Friday night and early Saturday will be a bit of an adventure if you're driving in the area of Alcoa Highway and Gov. John Sevier Highway.
As part of the overhaul of Alcoa Highway, the state plans to close the intersection starting at 10 p.m. Friday. It's expected to be closed through the night until Saturday morning, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
"It isn't anything like you're going to have a massive explosion," said Mark Nagi, spokesperson for TDOT. "This is something that's going to just take place and crews are going to be able to demolish it."
The bridge where the two roads meet is being demolished to make way for a reconfigured meeting point.
Drivers on Gov. John Sevier Highway who want to go south on Alcoa Highway will be diverted. They'll have to detour onto northbound Alcoa Highway to Maloney Road.
From there they'll cross on the newly built bridge to get to southbound Alcoa Highway.
If you're on Alcoa Highway heading south and you want to get to Gov. John Sevier Highway, you'll have to drive down to Topside Road and head east to Maryville Pike. You'll head north on Maryville Pike until you reach John Sevier.
Nagi said this is part of the phase that stretches from Maloney Road to Little River.
"It's a 2.2 mile section and the due date for completion of this section is October of 2023," he said. "We still have a little bit of time until this section is complete, but we're very excited about the future for this project."
TDOT anticipates the Alcoa Highway/Gov. John Sevier Highway area will be closed until 8 a.m. Saturday for the overpass demolition.
While workers are present taking down the bridge, drivers are asked to use extra caution. Expect law enforcement to be on hand as well to help ensure safety.