Interstate 275 (Tennessee)
Interstate 275 (I-275) is an Interstate Highway in Tennessee that serves Knoxville by connecting the downtown with I-75/I-640/US 25W. Measuring in length, it runs from a northern terminus at the junction with I-75/I-640/US 25W to a southern terminus at I-40. Route description. I-275 begins at a complicated interchange with I-40 in downtown Knoxville. US 441 southbound (Henley Street), SR 62 (Western Avenue), and 11th Street are also directly accessible from I-275 southbound at this interchange, and northbound I-275 is directly accessible from US 441 northbound and SR 62 here. About north of this  point, I-275 has an interchange with Baxter Avenue, and then Woodland Avenue about later. The route then curves sharply to the northwest, and then sharply to the northeast about later, and crosses a railroad before reaching an interchange with Heiskell Avenue about later. Passing through Sharp's Gap, a low point in Sharp's Ridge, I-275 reaches its northern terminus with I-75, I-640, and US 25W about later. At this interchange, the route crosses I-640, and continues north as I-75. US 25W northbound is accessible from a flyover ramp that splits off from I-275 northbound about south of I-640. History . The freeway that is now I-275 was first planned in the 1940s as part of a series of freeways for the city of Knoxville, and was known initially as the North-South Expressway. The route was integrated into the interstate system as part of I-75, and the southern terminus was the end of a concurrency with I-40 and I-75. The route was renumbered I-275 in early 1982 when I-75 was re-routed onto I-640 to divert traffic from the downtown area. This was done in preparation for the 1982 World's Fair. Work on most of the route began in  March 1958, and the first section, located between I-40 and Baxter Avenue, opened on October 28, 1960, after several delays. The final section, located between Oldham Avenue and Heiskell Avenue, opened on January 24, 1962. A dedication ceremony for this section took place on February 9, 1962. Between December 1, 2006 and January 26, 2008, the existing cloverleaf exits (1A–B, 1C–D, 2A–B) were replaced with traditional diamond interchanges to add a continuous third lane in each direction. This was done to handle increased traffic flow for the shutdown of I-40 in downtown Knoxville that took place on  May 1, 2008. I-275 was the designated detour route for I-75 northbound traffic during the I-40 shutdown to avoid traffic congestion at the I-75/I-640/US 25W/I-275 junction as the ramp for I-75 northbound from I-640 eastbound is only one lane.