KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — City of Knoxville officials plan to close multiple roads for the upcoming Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon on April 11-12.
This includes staggered road closures between 7:20 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday morning throughout Downtown Knoxville as well as in the Fort Sanders, Sequoyah Hills, Fourth & Gill, Parkridge, Island Home and Old Sevier neighborhoods. It also includes closures in the Fort Sanders neighborhood between 7 p.m. and around 8:30 p.m. for the 5K. You can see course maps online.
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Additionally, the Kid’s run is planned for 5:30 p.m. Saturday. For this event, officials plan to close 11th Street and World’s Fair Park Drive in front of the Knoxville Museum of Art and what used to be the Candy Factory building; they also plan for periodic closures of Clinch and White Avenues between 11th and 13th Streets and part of 13th Street between Clinch and White Avenues.
The marathon’s organizers expect all the roads to be open again by 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 12.
The details for specific road closures are as follows:
- World’s Fair Park Drive: Closed from the start of the race until the half-marathon passes from 11th Street, then the closure is moved to south of the parking lot beside the Knoxville Museum of Art; closed on the north end by Fort Kid.
- Clinch Avenue Viaduct from Henley to 11th Streets: Closed throughout marathon weekend events from 1 p.m. Saturday to 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
- Clinch Avenue: Closed at the start of marathon, 5K and Covenant Kids Run from 11th to 16th Streets and at end of marathon between Union Avenue to World’s Park Drive. Parking is prohibited in this section, and the city plans to tow all vehicles parked on the street Saturday evening.
- White Avenue: Closed for 5K from James Agee to 22nd Streets.
- Lake Loudoun Boulevard: Southbound lanes from Todd Helton Drive to Neyland Drive closed for marathon.
- Neyland Drive: Eastbound and westbound lanes closed for marathon from Walnut Street to Kingston Pike until turnaround is complete.
- Kingston Pike: Eastbound lanes closed between Neyland Drive and Cherokee Boulevard; traffic will be two-way in westbound lanes.
- Cherokee Boulevard: Southbound lanes closed.
- Blows Ferry Road: Westbound lanes closed.
- Alta Vista Way: Northbound lane closed.
- Noelton Drive: Right lane closed from Alta Vista Way to Kingston Pike.
- Kingston Pike: Right lane closed westbound from Noelton Drive to Forest Park Boulevard.
- Forest Park Boulevard: Northbound right lane closed from Kingston Pike to Newcom Avenue.
- Newcom Avenue: Closed from Forest Park Boulevard to Lebanon Street.
- Lebanon Street: Closed from Newcom Avenue to Third Creek Greenway.
- Tyson Park: Closed at Kingston Pike entrance and road closed sign inside Tyson Park at Highway 129 overpass.
- Cumberland Avenue: Right westbound curb lane closed from Tyson Park to 22nd street.
- 22nd Street: Closed for 5K from White to Clinch Avenues. Closed for the marathon from Forest to Cumberland Avenues.
- 23rd Street: Closed for 5K from Clinch to Grand Avenues.
- Forest Avenue: Closed for 5K from 13th to 21st Streets. Closed for marathon from 17th to 22nd Streets; continued closure from 17th Street east to 13th Street.
- Highland Avenue: Eastbound lanes closed from 11th to 13th Streets.
- 11th Street: Closed from Highland to Western Avenues.
- Grand Avenue: Closed for 5K from 19th to 23rd Streets. Closed for marathon between both intersections with World’s Fair Park Drive.
- 21st Street: Closed for 5K from Grand to Forest Avenues.
- Gay Street: Northbound right lane closed from Jackson Avenue to Summit Hill Drive.
- Magnolia Avenue: Closed between Gay and North Central Streets.
- Central Street: Closed between Magnolia Avenue and Broadway.
- 3rd Avenue: Closed between North Central and Eleanor Streets.
- Deery Street: Closed between 4th and Lovenia Avenues.
- Lovenia Ave: Closed between Deery and Luttrell Streets.
- Luttrell Street: Closed between Lovenia and Wells Avenues.
- Wells Avenue: Closed between Luttrell and Eleanor Streets.
- Eleanor Street: Closed between Wells and 3rd Avenues.
- Fourth Avenue: Closed between Deery to Central Streets.
- 5th Avenue: Closed between Hall of Fame Drive and Winona Street.
- Hall of Fame Drive: Closed between two intersections with 5th Avenue.
- Winona Street: Northbound lane closed between 5th and Washington Avenues.
- Washington Avenue: Closed between Winona and Spruce Streets.
- North Bertrand Street: Closed from Martin Luther King Jr. to McCalla Avenues.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue: Westbound lanes closed from North Bertrand Street to Summit Hill Drive.
- James White Parkway: Closed between State Street Connector to Sevier Avenue ramp.
- Sevier Avenue: Right lane closed from James White Parkway to Island Home Avenue. Closed on one eastbound lane hugging median from Island Home Avenue to James White Parkway Connector.
- Island Home Avenue: Closed from Sevier Avenue to Maplewood Drive; westbound traffic to use Hillwood Drive.
- Council Place: Closed from Sevier Avenue to Gay Street Bridge.
- Hill Avenue: Closed from Gay Street to Hall of Fame Drive.
“This is one of our favorite weekends of the year as we welcome runners and visitors from across the country,” said Race Director Jason Altman. “We’re especially excited to bring participants back across the Gay Street Bridge this year, since it’s a highlight of the course. We encourage everyone to plan, stay aware of road closures and keep safety top of mind while traveling downtown for race events and activities.”
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If you need to reach Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Dolly Parton’s Children’s Hospital on Sunday morning, you should take Alcoa Highway to the Cumberland Avenue/Kingston Pike exit, then use 20th Street to enter the Fort Sanders area. Marathon organizers said there should be signs along this route giving directions…