KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The section of Jackson Avenue between Broadway and Central Street is closed to traffic so the city can replace two ramps leading up to Gay Street.
The work is expected to last until late 2020. The road will be closed to through traffic, but access will be maintained in the coming year to area businesses and to the city's parking lot on West Jackson Avenue via Broadway.
RELATED: City: Construction on Jackson Avenue ramps to Gay Street will begin soon, meeting to be held Aug. 5
The city of Knoxville said it needs to demolish and replace the ramps, which have become structurally deficient.
On Thursday, crews began removing the bricks on the surface of the two 100-year-old ramps onto Gay Street. These red cobblestone-like bricks will be reused in the new construction. The city said the new ramps will closely resemble the current historic ones and are expected to open in late 2020 with new light poles installed.
The city does not expect the work to affect traffic along Gay Street.
East-west pedestrian access will be maintained through the construction zone during the project. A brightly colored metal staircase at the southern of the Gay Street viaduct will all people access between Gay Street and Jackson.
When the ramps reopen, more than $19 million will have been invested in this section of downtown/the Old City. That includes major investments in the 100 block of Gay Street, Jackson Avenue streetscape upgrades, and the purchase of the McClung Warehouses site and the Jackson Avenue parking lot.
The cost of the ramp replacement is being split three ways. The federal government is the largest contributor – $8.1 million. The state’s investment is $1.75 million, and the City is funding $274,200.