TDOT, consultants outline corridorwide I‑40/I‑75 PEL study; schedule November public meetings and an online survey

Tennessee Department of Transportation staff and project consultants updated the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization on Oct. 22 about a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study for the I‑40/I‑75 corridor, outlining study goals, deliverables, a public outreach schedule and a timeline aimed at completing the PEL in mid‑2026.

Eric Saggers of HNTB and Brad Thompson of STV described the study area as roughly 17 miles of mainline between the I‑475/I‑75 split on the west and the I‑640 interchange on the east, plus adjoining corridors where a bypass (previously discussed as the Orange Route) could be reconsidered. Consultants said the PEL is a corridor‑wide process that integrates planning, environmental and preliminary engineering work to accelerate subsequent NEPA (environmental) phases and avoid piecemeal solutions.

"We've been starting to call this our NEPA Fast Pass," Eric Saggers said, describing the PEL's intent to advance environmental…