Knoxville streets have been littered by construction workers and orange barrels for several years. The more savvy drivers have recently put 2 and 2 together, forcing the Tennessee Department of Transportation to make an alarming announcement.
It appears that a master plan created in 1988 outlining construction needs was lost early during the 1989 calendar year. In an attempt to avoid the embarrassment of admitting the loss, TDOT officials simply continued construction based on recollections of needed improvements. When it became apparent that some needed thoroughfares were not going to connect TDOT engineers started making adjustments ‘on the fly’ to remedy the situation.
Cars have begun piling up at dead-end ramps leading off I-40 in several areas due to some of the less effective engineering adjustments. An outside engineering consultant has predicted that all streets within Knoxville will simply come to an abrupt end at very inconvenient places by 2004 unless all current roadways are destroyed and rebuilt with an actual plan.