It's been 10 years since Knox County identified the need to widen precarious Canton Hollow Road.
The narrow 1.7-mile stretch between Kingston Pike and Fox Road in Farragut presents a unique driving challenge, with essentially no room for error due to the lack of shoulders. The windy, hilly route also presents little in the way of lines of sight.
West Knox resident Josh Cunningham reached out to Knox News, wondering when the long-planned improvements might actually be made.
Traffic on the road averages 5,400 vehicles per day, according to the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization.
The county has secured all rights-of-way and permits to start construction in fiscal year 2029, according to county engineering director Jim Snowden.
The county's fiscal year begins July 1.
The project will widen the lanes from nine feet to 11 feet, add curbs and gutter and improve sight lines.
While construction plans have been in draft form for years, it's taken considerable time to get the environmental and utility permits necessary to move forward.
The county finally got agreement in late 2025 from Colonial Pipeline and Kinder Morgan, oil and natural gas companies whose pipelines run under the road.
As construction costs rose, county leaders were forced to decide between Canton Hollow and a project to widen Schaad Road from Pleasant Ridge Road to Oak Ridge Highway. Each project would cost around $20 million.
Then-County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Commissioner Angela Russell discussed the project with the engineering department, and decided to move forward with the Schaad Road project since significantly more people use the route daily, Snowden said.
Once the Schaad Road widening is complete in fiscal year 2029, the Canton Hollow Road project should move forward. It will take an estimated two and a half years to finish.
In the meantime, the county plans on re-paving the road with high-friction asphalt, new striping and improved signage. That effort should be completed this fall, Snowden said.
Anthony Nicotera covers public safety for Knox News. Email: anthony.nicotera@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What's that plan to fix Canton Hollow Road - and why hasn't it happened yet?
