Stuck in traffic? Knoxville’s congestion problem is costing more than time
Paul Fisher at WBIR Channel 10 spoke with CTR Director Kevin Heaslip about a new study about the financial cost of traffic in Knoxville.
Sitting in traffic can cost drivers more than just a few minutes of their day. New research from the University of Tennessee estimates traffic congestion costs the Knoxville area nearly $294 million annually, a figure researchers warn could grow as the region continues to develop.
The study, conducted for the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, examined the economic impact of congestion across the state using 2025 traffic conditions.
Researchers estimated congestion costs Tennessee nearly $2.7 billion annually across the roadways included in the study. Of that total, approximately $293.8 million was attributed to the Knoxville urban area.
Kevin Heaslip, director of UT’s Center for Transportation Research and the study’s principal investigator, said the goal was to better understand the economic consequences of traffic and help state leaders make informed transportation investments.
“The legislature asked, ‘What is the cost of congestion for Tennessee?'” Heaslip said. “Basically what the legislature wants to do is to have insight on how much funding they should appropriate to TDOT so they can make improvements to the roadways.”
Read the full article and watch the video at WBIR.com.