Boring Road closure at Kingston Pike to become permanent
“If you look at the current situation, you have cars turning from Kingston Pike to that little Boring Road path, going up through there and cutting through,” Farragut Mayor Ron Williams said. “Right now, that’s closed. It will be permanently closed. You’ll no longer be able to cut through.”
“There are people who use it to cut through who are complaining,” he said. “But people who live there are thankful.
“The people who live out there are ecstatic about it because all of them get out and walk,” Williams said. “With all that traffic going through there, walking is an issue.”
Williams said sidewalks in the area eventually will be connected.
He said Knox County Schools is widening Boring Road from Smith Road to the new school entrance.
“Knox County Schools is building this entrance, and this entrance off Boring will be for the buses and the staff,” he said. “The school staff will park in front of the school, which faces west.”
When buses enter, “they will queue for pickup and drop-off,” Williams said. Parents will use Village Commons Boulevard, which will loop to Boring Road and back.
“This will be a situation where the buses and soccer moms will be divorced, so you will not have a conflict like what you do at the other schools,” he said.
In addition to the road widening, the project includes sidewalks because all land within a mile radius is in the school responsibility zone, Williams said.
“What that means is kids can walk to school safely,” he said.
Another change will be a four-way stop at the intersection of Boring and Smith roads.
“The closure of Boring Road is understandably a topic of significant interest to nearby residents, and I appreciate the opportunity to clarify Knox County Schools’ role in the matter,” said Lauren Morgan, Knox County Board of Education representative for District 5.
“From a school system perspective, our responsibility regarding Boring Road is limited to the portion that connects Smith Road to the entrance of the new elementary school,” she said. “As part of the school’s construction, Knox County Schools is responsible for widening and improving that section to ensure safe access for students, families, staff and buses.
“The remainder of Boring Road does not fall under
Knox County Schools’ jurisdiction,” Morgan added. “Decisions regarding that portion of the roadway are under the authority of the Town of Farragut.”
Morgan said traffic was a major consideration as planning for the new school progressed. A traffic study was conducted before construction began, and transportation decisions were made using the study’s findings and recommendations.
“Throughout the process, the school system’s focus has been on providing safe and
efficient access to the
campus while accommodating anticipated traffic patterns,” she said.
Morgan also emphasized the importance of maintaining positive relationships with nearby residents.
“The relationship between a school and the surrounding community matters tremendously,” she said. “I do not have authority over decisions made by the Town of Farragut regarding Boring Road, as that does not fall within Knox County Schools’ jurisdiction. I do believe strongly in maintaining positive relationships with our neighbors and listening to their concerns.”
Williams said the closure will begin near a newly constructed home where a horse corral once stood.
“The road will be closed at that driveway, and there will be a walking trail that goes down and connects to the sidewalk at the old Ingles Market,” he said.
Some residents have expressed concerns that the closure could increase traffic congestion.
Williams said alternative access routes will remain available through nearby developments connecting to Village Commons Boulevard.
“You’ll actually be able to go out that way and come out to the light beside the farragutpress,” he said.
The mayor also cited safety concerns at the intersection with Kingston Pike.
“The other reason we closed that off is people come down and want to turn left onto Kingston Pike, and you can’t see,” Williams said. “It’s so dangerous. I don’t know how many wrecks we’ve had there.”
Williams said the Tennessee Highway Patrol recommended the closure because of crashes at the location.
“The bank comes up high and you have to pull all the way out into the road to see,” he said.
“If we didn’t close it, if we left it open, what you would have is all the soccer moms parked along that road so they wouldn’t have to get in the loop [at Village Commons] to pick up their kids,” Williams added.
