Chapman Highway Redesign: Knoxville Shows $22.25 Million Safety Plan at Nov. 5 Open House

The City of Knoxville wants to hear from South Knoxville residents and anyone who drives Chapman Highway before it finishes the design for one of the city’s most dangerous stretches of road. The city will show its preliminary plan for Chapman Highway between Blount Avenue and Woodlawn Pike at a drop-in open house from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, at Graystone Presbyterian Church, 139 Woodlawn Pike.

The early concept would add wide shared-use paths, separated from traffic, plus landscaped medians. The city says the goal is to make this part of Chapman feel more like an urban boulevard and less like a high-speed four-lane highway. Nothing changes on the road yet. Construction is expected to start in summer 2028.

What the city is proposing

Staff from City Transportation Engineering, the city’s Vision Zero program and the consulting firm Kimley-Horn will be at the open house to walk through the plans. According to the city’s project page, as reported by Knoxville Local, the design includes:

• A greenway-style path on the west side of the road, with a grassy strip between the path and a raised curb.
• Landscaped medians that give people crossing Chapman a safe place to stop and are meant to cue drivers to slow down.
• Modified traffic signals along the corridor.

The stretch runs from Blount Avenue to Woodlawn Pike and is about 0.75 miles long.

Why this stretch

The city’s Safe Streets page lays out the case. More than 26,000 vehicles a day, on average, use this part of Chapman. A traffic study found that more than half of the crashes here between fall 2016 and fall 2021 involved pedestrians or bicyclists. In April 2024, a pedestrian was killed by a hit-and-run driver at Chapman Highway and Fort Avenue.

The road has also changed around the traffic. Large apartment communities and Kerns Food Hall have opened on both sides of Chapman, bringing more people who want to walk or bike between home, work and the waterfront.

The money and the timeline

The project is funded by a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant announced in late 2024, plus a local match from the city.

Coverage describes the price two ways. The Daily Times and the city’s announcement point to the $17.8 million federal grant, and WBIR’s video headline rounds that to $18 million. Knoxville Local adds the city’s $4.45 million match for a $22.25 million total.

The city says design comes first, followed by buying right-of-way. Construction is expected to start in summer 2028 and wrap up by fall 2029 or winter 2030.

How to take part

• When: Thursday, Nov. 5, 4-7 p.m. Drop in at any time.
• Where: Graystone Presbyterian Church, 139 Woodlawn Pike.
• What to bring: Your experience of the road. The city wants people to review the concepts, share what they have seen and offer ideas.
• Accommodations: To ask for an interpreter or a disability accommodation, the city lists TitleVI@KnoxvilleTN.gov for language help and ADA@KnoxvilleTN.gov for disability help, or 865-215-3100.

The city’s announcement did not mention an online survey, so the open house is the main chance to weigh in at this stage. Updates will be posted on the city’s Safe Streets page and through its Vision Zero program.

Questions worth asking on Nov. 5

A drop-in open house works best when you come with specific questions. A few to consider:

• Driveways and turns. With a median in place, where will left turns into side streets and businesses be allowed? Will any curb cuts close or move?
• Bus stops. Where will stops sit in relation to the new path and medians, and how will riders cross?
• Right-of-way. Which parcels might the city need land from, and when will owners hear from the city?
• Construction phasing. Will work happen in sections, and how will access to homes and businesses be kept open?
• Signals and crossings. Where will the modified signals be, and where will marked crossings land?

Write down the answers you get. Staff will be gathering comments to shape the next round of design, and specific, local details are the most useful feedback.

About Vision Zero and Safe Streets

Vision Zero is the city’s traffic safety program, and its staff are part of the project team. Safe Streets and Roads for All is the federal grant program paying most of the cost here. Together they explain why the design leans toward slower speeds, protected space for people walking and biking, and safer places to cross, rather than more lanes for cars.

What it means for South Knoxville homeowners

If you own property along Chapman

The city plans to buy right-of-way after the design is set. If your lot fronts this stretch, go to the open house and look closely at where the path, curb and medians fall in front of your property. Ask how driveways and turns will work with a median in place. Early questions are easier to answer before the design is drawn in detail.

If you live in the neighborhoods off Chapman

Safer crossings and a continuous path could make it easier to walk or bike to the food hall, shops and the riverfront. Over time, that kind of access tends to matter to buyers looking at South Knoxville. Construction from 2028 to 2030 will also mean lane shifts and detours, so plan for that if you expect to sell during those years.

The bigger picture in South Knoxville

Chapman is not the only change coming to the area. Planners have been weighing large housing projects nearby. See 225-Unit South Knoxville Waterfront Apartments Deadlocked 5-5 at Planning Commission and South Knoxville Workforce Housing Vote Postponed Over Tax Break Fight for two of them. Just to the west, Knox Planning OKs 255 Units on Maryville Pike 13-0 covers another large plan.

Thinking of selling in Knoxville?

Roads, new apartments and safety projects all shape what buyers will pay. If you are weighing your timing, read Should I sell my Knoxville house now or wait until spring 2027? and How fast do homes sell in Knoxville?.

Get a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you want a fast, certain sale.

When is the Chapman Highway open house?

It is a drop-in open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Graystone Presbyterian Church, 139 Woodlawn Pike in Knoxville.

What part of Chapman Highway is being redesigned?

The project covers Chapman Highway between Blount Avenue and Woodlawn Pike, a stretch of about 0.75 miles in South Knoxville.

What changes are planned for Chapman Highway?

The preliminary concept adds wide shared-use paths separated from traffic and landscaped medians. The city says the goal is to make the road feel more like an urban boulevard and less like a high-speed four-lane highway.

How much will the Chapman Highway project cost?

A $17.8 million federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant plus a $4.45 million city match brings the total to $22.25 million.

When will construction start on Chapman Highway?

The city says design and right-of-way purchases come first. Construction is expected to start in summer 2028 and finish by fall 2029 or winter 2030.

Source links

• Knoxville Local — “Chapman Highway redesign: city wants input Nov. 5,” Oct. 29, 2026
• The Daily Times — “Knox holding open house for Chapman Hwy renovation,” Oct. 28, 2026
• City of Knoxville — Safe Streets project page
• WBIR — “Knoxville plans $18M upgrade to Chapman Highway under Vision Zero” (video)

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Related local news:

• 225-Unit South Knoxville Waterfront Apartments Deadlocked 5-5 at Planning Commission
• South Knoxville Workforce Housing Vote Postponed Over Tax Break Fight
• Knox Planning OKs 255 Units on Maryville Pike 13-0
• How fast do homes sell in Knoxville?
• Should I sell my Knoxville house now or wait until spring 2027?

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