Two projects in Powell have caught people's attention: the ongoing roadwork at Exit 112 for Interstate 75, and, about half a mile away on Conner Road, excavators and mounds of dirt.
Jerry Sluder saw the Conner Road site just north of Texas Roadhouse and wondered: What’s that?
What’s interesting is that the Conner Road site is not being developed into a new restaurant, retail space or housing – at least not yet. It appears the Conner Road site and the I-75 work are connected to the same project.
And it might be a couple more years before the project is completed.
What’s happening on Conner Road near Texas Roadhouse in Powell?
The activity that Sluder and other readers have noticed on Conner Road is a staging area being used by the contractor working on the Tennessee Department of Transportation's massive I-75
Exit 112 interchange overhaul, a project expected to continue until 2028.
The site listed as 7713 Conner Road, according to Knoxville-Knox County Planning records, has been owned by Ridenour Companies, LLC since 1999. When visiting the site on Aug. 31, Knox News observed tractors moving between the Conner Road and I-75 work sites.
“The contractor (for the I-75 interchange project) does have a laydown yard located near that area," TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi confirmed to Knox News.
While development plans for the site are not immediately apparent in planning records, the property sits in a "planned growth area" and near a major interchange that is being upgraded to accommodate future growth in the Powell area. So, the site potentially could be developed for mixed-use, including retail, offices, restaurants and residential development.
What’s the status of the I-75 project at Emory Road?
TDOT is attempting to fix the congested Exit 112 before growth in Powell and along Emory Road worsens it. The new “diverging diamond" design is intended to move traffic more efficiently, and the project also includes new access roads, utility relocations and pedestrian improvements.
As of Sept. 11, Nagi told Knox News the contractor has:
- Worked to implement the first phase of grading and widening of the proposed interstate ramps
- Worked to construct the north and south backage road which will be used for businesses to access Emory Road
- Worked to perform utility relocations
- Worked to construct the proposed drainage
The contractor also is working to complete the paving and construction of the concrete ramps for this phase of construction and continues construction of the proposed drainage at this interchange.
The estimated completion date for the contract is April 3, 2028, according to Nagi. The project began in fall 2025.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What’s that being built near the Powell Texas Roadhouse on Conner Road?
