Before heading towards the Great Smoky Mountains this year, make sure you have updated maps of your route incase of a detour. Depending on where you are coming from, some delays and detours may be worse than others due to the construction project on I-40. If you are coming through Knoxville, motorists need to be alert for lane shifts and narrow lanes through the construction project. The speed limit is strictly enforced in the construction areas, and during rush hours, in the morning and evening, delays may be worse.
From I-40, Exit 407 – Especially on weekends and delays you can expect rather long delays traveling through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge on the way to Gatlinburg. To bypass Sevierville and Pigeon Forge and have a more direct route to Gatlinburg, here is a secret route.
- From I-40, Exit 440 or 443- Take Hwy 321 about 20 miles (becomes East Parkway) towards Gatlinburg. At the Hwy 454/Buckhorn Rd. intersection the road will become 4 lanes. This is Gatlinburg city limits.
Posted by Chris Ann 
