Alcoa Highway Off-Ramp to Open Monday
Tennessee transportation officials will open a new northbound Alcoa Highway off-ramp to Cherokee Trail at 6 a.m. Nov. 9.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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The Tennessee Department of Transportation will open a new northbound Alcoa Highway off-ramp to Cherokee Trail at 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9, and the existing northbound exit ramp will then permanently close. The southbound off-ramp is unaffected.
Why it matters
The shift is part of the Alcoa Highway Corridor Project, which the department describes as the biggest in its history, and it will move traffic onto a new alignment through Knoxville's busy Cherokee Trail area.
The northbound right lane closes between Woodson Drive and Cherokee Trail at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, and the new off-ramp opens at 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9. The extraction does not provide traffic volume comparisons, so the scale of the shift cannot be measured against prior conditions.
The players
Tennessee Department of Transportation
The state agency responsible for planning, building and maintaining Tennessee's highways, including the Alcoa Highway Corridor Project in the Knoxville area.
The details
Traffic will move onto the new alignment through lane closures on northbound Alcoa Highway and on one lane of Cherokee Trail between Medical Center Way and the interchange. Digital message signs along the corridor will display the updated traffic pattern for drivers.
Timeline
Sunday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m.: right northbound lane closure begins between Woodson Drive and Cherokee Trail.
Monday, Nov. 9, 6 a.m.: new northbound off-ramp to Cherokee Trail scheduled to open.
Fall 2027: Cherokee Trail interchange expected to be completed.
2030: roadway widening between Woodson Drive and Cherokee Trail expected to continue.
Roadmap
The off-ramp shift is one stage of the Alcoa Highway Corridor Project, which the Tennessee Department of Transportation describes as the largest in its history. Completion of the Cherokee Trail interchange by fall 2027 and widening through 2030 will extend the project's timeline well beyond this initial change.
Drivers using northbound Alcoa Highway will need to merge out of the right lane starting Sunday evening and may face lane shifts on Cherokee Trail near Medical Center Way. Commuters should expect the traffic pattern to change again as the interchange work progresses toward completion.
The takeaway
Drivers who use this corridor should check the digital message signs and plan for shifting lanes both before and after the Monday morning opening. Allowing extra travel time during the first week of the new ramp can help avoid delays.
What happens next
The northbound right lane closure begins Sunday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m., and the new off-ramp is scheduled to open Monday, Nov. 9 at 6 a.m., with Cherokee Trail interchange completion expected by fall 2027.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Openings & Closings in Knoxville business news.
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Will the Alcoa Highway interchange be completed by fall 2027 as scheduled?
