What This Story Is About
- The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is executing a major 5.34-mile widening project along Maynardville Highway (State Route 33) in Union County. The project features road grading, drainage installation, traffic signal updates, new paving and the construction of both a new 200-foot concrete I-beam bridge and a concrete box bridge.
Why It Matters
- Expanding the entire stretch to four continuous travel lanes with a center turn lane will prevent delays, smooth out traffic, and make daily travel much safer for East Tennessee families.
- Over the last year, construction teams have completed several major milestones leading up to this month’s alignment shifts:
- Summer 2026: Crews constructed the left side of the Station 779 box culvert and shifted traffic near the local school to clear space for Station 589 work.
- Spring 2026: Contractors finished Retaining Wall 2, completed the Station 701 box culvert, and constructed columns and caps for Pier 2 on the Bull Run Creek bridge.
- Late 2025: Demolition was completed on the old Bull Run Creek bridge to make room for the new, wider structure.
For Context
- This corridor is the primary highway link between Knoxville and Maynardville. Right now, commuter traffic faces a major bottleneck because the road drops from five lanes to just two at the Knox/Union County line.
Catch Up
- State crews are aiming for an estimated final project completion in Winter 2027.
MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) — The ongoing widening of Maynardville Highway (State Route 33) in Union County represents a massive, multi-decade effort to redesign one of the region’s most critical transit corridors.
While locals navigate the immediate construction shifts and upcoming intersection closures, engineering plans reveal the long-term blueprint intended to reshape the route from the Knox County line northward.
Project Scope and Structural Designs
The current 5.34-mile segment comprises extensive road reconstruction, widening, and advanced structural engineering. The project’s major design specifications include:
- Roadway Dimensions: The road is being expanded to feature four 12-foot travel lanes (two in each direction), flanked by 10-foot outer shoulders.
- Turn Lanes: A continuous 12-foot center turn lane will run the entire span of the project to safely separate turning vehicles from highway traffic.
- Bridge Construction: A new 200-foot concrete I-beam bridge is being erected to carry the expanded lanes over Bull Run Creek.
- Waterway Management: In addition to the main bridge, crews are constructing a specialized concrete box bridge alongside multiple large-scale culverts to handle regional drainage.
History and Infrastructure Background
The push for these comprehensive roadway improvements began in 1998. Local representatives communicated urgent transportation needs to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) on behalf of the Knoxville Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The original initiative sought to address severe vehicle congestion, correct dangerous roadway geometry and operational deficiencies, and stimulate future economic development…