Interstate 640

Interstate 640
	I-640 highlighted in red
Route information
	Auxiliary route of I-40
	Maintained by TDOT
Length	10.1 mi[1] (16.3 km)
Existed	1977–present
Major junctions
West end	I-40 / I-75 in Knoxville
	US 25W in Knoxville; I-75 / I-275 in Knoxville; US 441 in Knoxville;
East end	I-40 / US 25W in Knoxville
Location
Counties	Knox
Highway system

Interstate 640 (I-640) is a bypass of Interstate 40 running north of Knoxville, Tennessee. The route serves as an alternative for traffic going east on Interstate 40 intending to turn northward on Interstate 75, which has greatly relieved congestion in downtown Knoxville.

Route description

I-640 begins at an interchange with I-40 and I-75, where I-75 continues onto I-640. Initially heading northwest, I-640 and I-75 turn northeast, intersecting SR 62 before coming to an interchange with SR 9, US 25W, I-75, and I-275. As the freeway continues, US 25W and SR 9 run concurrently for the rest of its length. I-640 interchanges with SR 33 and US 441, as well as one providing access to the Knoxville Center Mall. The highway then turns south and terminates at I-40.[2]

History

Construction began on the route in October 1977. For many years only about a 2 miles (3.2 km) segment between US 441 (Broadway/Old Broadway exit) and U.S. Highway 25W (Clinton Highway exit) was open. Then in April 1982, the road was finally completed in anticipation of the traffic which was to be generated by the 1982 World's Fair. Then Governor of Tennessee, now United States Senator Lamar Alexander officially opened the road by walking its entire length dressed in his famous red plaid shirts that he famously wore during his both of his campaigns for Governor of Tennessee. I-75 originally ran concurrent with I-40 to downtown Knoxville, but was moved out of the section between I-40 and I-75 through Sharp's Gap to the approximately 2.5 mile section of I-640 between I-40 and I-75 in 1982.[3] This section is only signed as I-640, and the exits on this section follow I-640 numbering. In May 2008, a complete redesign near I-40 east of downtown added lanes, reconfigured exits, and improved safety closed that section of I-40 for 13 months. The road construction project was officially called Smart Fix 40, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation closed that section of I-40 until June 2009, when it was officially completed 18 days early. During the course of the Smart Fix 40 construction project, the Tennessee Department of Transportation used I-640 as the official detour route for I-40 traffic during the time in which I-40 was closed for the reconfiguration.[4]

Exit list

The entire route is in Knoxville, Knox County.

mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
0.00	0.00		I-75 south / I-40 west – Nashville, Chattanooga	Western terminus; western end of I-75 concurrency; I-40 exit 385
0.00	0.00	—	I-40 east – Knoxville	Westbound left exit and eastbound entrance; I-40 exit 385
0.6	0.97	1	SR 62 (Western Avenue)
2.3	3.7	3B	To US 25W north (SR 9 north) / Gap Road – Clinton	Eastbound exit only
2.9	4.7	3B	US 25W north (SR 9 north) – Clinton	No eastbound exit; western end of US 25W/SR 9 concurrency
2.9	4.7	3A	I-75 north / I-275 south – Knoxville, Lexington	Eastern end of I-75 concurrency; I-275 exit 3
5.4	8.7	6	US 441 (Broadway / SR 33 / SR 71) / Old Broadway (SR 331)	Old Broadway signed eastbound only
7.6	12.2	8	Washington Pike / Mall Road / Millertown Pike	Partially signed as Mall Rd. South eastbound, Mall Rd. North westbound
10.1	16.3	10B	I-40 west – Nashville	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; I-40 exit 393
10.1	16.3	10A	I-40 east (US 25W / SR 9 south) – Asheville	Eastern terminus; eastern end of US 25W/SR 9 concurrency; I-40 exit 393
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access

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References

"Route Log - Auxiliary Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 2". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
Google (December 21, 2013). "I-640 Tennessee" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
Jacobs, Don (November 28, 2006). "Work begins today on $20M update for Interstate 275". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. 7B.
"TDOT's SmartFIX40 Project Wins America's Transportation Award". tn.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2015-06-25.

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[1] "Route Log - Auxiliary Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 2". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

[2] Google (December 21, 2013). "I-640 Tennessee" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 21, 2013.

[3] Jacobs, Don (November 28, 2006). "Work begins today on $20M update for Interstate 275". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. 7B.

[4] "TDOT's SmartFIX40 Project Wins America's Transportation Award". tn.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2015-06-25.