On Wednesday, October 21, the City of Maryville reopened Carpenters Grade Road to two-way traffic. That ended the Phase III setup that had sent every northbound driver onto Cochran Road since last November. The City called it "a major milestone in the improvement project." It also said crews will keep working on the remaining roadway and the multi-use path, which will sometimes mean flaggers around equipment.
So the road through Cross Creek, Knightsbridge and Kirkland Estates works the way it did before construction. What the City set out to add is still coming. That means a permanent traffic signal at the junction where Cochran, Raulston, Peterson and Carpenters Grade meet, and a 10-foot walking and biking path along the west side. The contract completion date is January 14, 2027.
Almost a year on Cochran Road
The detour that just ended ran longer than first planned. In a November 6, 2025 update, the City said the Phase III traffic pattern would begin around November 12. Northbound Carpenters Grade traffic would go to Cochran Road and southbound traffic would stay open. That pattern held until October 21, close to eleven months.
The City's project page set expectations for a shorter run. It said a temporary signal at Carpenters Grade and Cross Creek Drive would be used "during the next 6-9 months." The June 1, 2026 timeline update expected two-way traffic back in late September. It came back about three weeks after that.
Phase III also changed how people left their own neighborhoods. Under the City's Phase III traffic notes:
- Drivers leaving Cross Creek, Oxford Hills and Knightsbridge could only turn right onto Carpenters Grade.
- Drivers leaving the Villas at Carpenters Grade, Legacy Court and Kirkland Estates could only turn left.
- Southbound traffic used the future multi-use path alignment between Melrose Station and Barrington.
- The temporary light at Cross Creek Drive let internal subdivision traffic get onto Carpenters Grade.
For about eleven months, anyone in these subdivisions planned some trips around which way they were allowed to turn.
What October 21 changed
The October 21 notice covers one thing directly. Carpenters Grade carries traffic in both directions again. The same notice lists other recent work: new curbs and gutters along sections of the road, more drainage improvements, asphalt repairs, paving on several segments, and continued preparation for the multi-use path.
The project page describes what comes next for the temporary light. Once two-way traffic returns as the project nears completion, the signal at Cross Creek Drive will be removed. The turn rules for the subdivision exits were part of the Phase III traffic plan. The City's Carpenters Grade page and its traffic updates are where current conditions for those exits get posted. The October 21 notice says drivers should still expect flagging near crews and equipment.
For a morning commute, that means the old route works again. You may still be held for a few minutes near a paving crew.
The intersection behind the project
The reason for the project sits at the south end of the corridor. The City's summary says the work adds a traffic signal at the "busy Cochran/ Raulston/ Carpenters/ Peterson intersection." It also widens lanes, improves storm drainage and builds the multi-use path. The City says the goal is safety on a stretch of road that "sees over 11,000 vehicles a day."
Some of that junction has already been rebuilt. In Phase I, during summer 2025, Cochran Road was realigned where it meets Raulston Road. The Raulston end of Cochran closed starting in mid-June while the other end stayed open. WATE reported at the time that the work was expected to close the Maryville intersection for a month or more. The City records Phase I as complete on July 16. In Phase II, Raulston Road traffic moved onto Cochran while Carpenters Grade stayed open both ways.
The realignment is finished. The signal is not. The City's project page says the new traffic signal will be installed "by the end of the project," and it will control Cochran, Raulston, Peterson and Carpenters Grade traffic. Anyone who has waited to turn at that corner by the Marathon station will notice this change most once the project is done.
Ten feet of path on the west side
The second unfinished piece is the path. The City describes a multi-use path for walking and biking, and The Daily Times reported it will run 10 feet wide on the west side of the corridor. TDOT's bid advertisement calls it an asphalt multi-use path separated from the road by grass.
Drivers already know part of it. During Phase III, southbound traffic ran on the future path alignment between Melrose Station and Barrington. Now that cars are back in the rebuilt travel lanes, that strip can become a path. The October 21 notice lists "continuing preparation for the multi-use path" among the recent work.
Sources describe the corridor's length a little differently. The Daily Times reported 0.98 mile of work on Carpenters Grade plus 0.35 mile on Raulston Road, with the path on the west side. TDOT's bid notice describes a 1.33-mile contract running from the Raulston Road and Peterson Lane intersection to Cochran Road. Those two figures describe the same stretch. TDOT counts the Raulston segment as part of the contract.
From a 2009 plan to a January 2027 deadline
The finish date makes more sense against how long this road has been in the works. The City's project page gives this history:
- 2009: Carpenters Grade widening added to the Knoxville Regional Long Range Mobility Plan, with a horizon year of 2024.
- 2018: Added to the Knoxville Regional TPO Transportation Improvement Program. TDOT authorized environmental studies.
- March 2019: Gresham Smith selected as design consultant. A public meeting followed on November 20, 2019, at the Maryville Municipal Building.
- September 2020: Final design authorized.
- June 2021: Right-of-way phase authorized.
- May 2024: CDM Smith contracted for construction engineering and inspection.
- September 19, 2024: TDOT authorized construction. Cleary Construction, Inc. won the contract after bidding from October to December 2024.
- March 17, 2025: Construction began.
The June 1, 2026 update reported water and sewer line relocation at 100% complete and road reconstruction at 60% complete as of April 2026. It set the contract completion date at January 14, 2027 and said the City "is optimistic that the project will be completed sooner than this date." The page's heading still says completion is "expected by year end 2026."
Reported costs vary with what each outlet counted. The Daily Times reported an $8.9 million construction cost for the Carpenters Grade and Raulston work. WBIR reported $9 million, with $7.5 million from state and federal sources and the rest paid by Maryville. A later Daily Times report put the overall figure near $10 million, counting $7.5 million for road improvements and $3.5 million for utilities. The utility work in that larger figure is the water and sewer relocation the City has already reported as finished.
That puts the remaining schedule at about eleven weeks between now and the January 14 contract date. In that time, crews need to install the signal, build the path, remove the temporary light at Cross Creek Drive and finish the last paving.
Who to call while crews finish
Cleary Construction runs a 24/7 hotline for residents along the corridor at 1-800-972-1823. Reference project number 24411. The City says a live person answers every call, each call is logged, and every caller gets a call back. For questions about the design or schedule, the City's Engineering and Public Works Department is at 865-273-3500. The City posts updates and drone footage on the Carpenters Grade project page, including a June 15, 2026 flyover from the Blount County Highway Department. Notes about the survey stakes and flags along the corridor are in the City's FAQ.
If you own a home in Cross Creek, Oxford Hills, Knightsbridge, Kirkland Estates or another neighborhood off Carpenters Grade, the road outside your door looks different than it did in early 2025. The Fowler Group tracks recent sales along this corridor and can show you how your home compares. Get a Free Home Valuation whenever you'd like to see the numbers.
