Blog: City Blog

#KnoxvilleJobWellDone: Hillwood Drive Widened

Last month, contractor crews tackled a troublesomely narrow South Knoxville street and made it a bit wider.

The City invested about $100,000 to widen Hillwood Drive and rebuild the shoulders.

Previously, at its most narrow points, Hillwood was about 17 feet wide, and there were spots where the edge of the roadway ended with a drop-off of 5 to 14 inches.

Now, 3 more feet of pavement width has been added to the skinny points, and the shoulders have been sloped more gradually.

Here is what Hillwood Drive used to look like:

Hillwood Drive, prior to July 2022 improvements

Hillwood Drive, prior to July 2022 improvements

And here's what it looks like now:

Hillwood Drive, after July 2022 improvements

First District Council member Tommy Smith touted the pending upgrade in a July constituent newsletter, noting that his 9-year-old son complained regularly about the narrowness of Hillwood.

"So it brought me joy to tell him the road home will soon be safer," Smith relayed to his constituents. "This month, three feet will be added to the width of this narrow road that connects Old Sevier, Island Home Park, and South Haven neighborhoods. Many folks use this route to access Ijams, the Urban Wilderness, tacos, and breakfast. There is still a long-term need to overhaul this South Knoxville lynchpin, but for now, we can all enjoy a safer road."

Now that the road has been widened, Smith said, "it's measurably better."

"Sometimes safety involves long-term and short-term fixes. This is the short-term part, and I'm excited about actively pursuing a long-term fix," he said.

Posted by evreeland On 18 August, 2022 at 9:55 PM