Love the Vols but hate game day traffic in Knoxville? A fan's guide to an easier drive

Unlike Josh Heupel’s high-octane offense, traffic in Knoxville on game days can be slow, sluggish and make you want to pull your hair out.

Although I suppose the Vols make fans do the latter from time to time as well.

If you managed to get your hands on a ticket for this season, your game day will consist of more than just sitting in Neyland Stadium and watching Joe Milton throw 100 yards like it’s nothing.

You’ll need to get to the game, then make your way back. And that means dealing with traffic.

So, what can you do to avoid that traffic and keep your hair in your head?

Well, timing is everything, Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesperson Mark Nagi said. Thousands of people will be going to the game (and also just downtown Knoxville in general), so he recommends giving yourself plenty of time to drive to the stadium.

Nagi said people can download the TDOT SmartWay app on their phones to get real-time updates on traffic. You can also use the maps app on your phone (Google, Apple, whatever you like) to see how long it will take for you to get to your parking spot.

To plan accordingly, Nagi said it’s important you check the kickoff time of the game and budget your time.

Nagi said there aren't really any hidden routes when it comes to bypassing game day traffic. You could try taking a back road, but there's no guarantee it'll get you there any quicker.

Routes to take to get to Neyland Stadium on game day

For all those game day travelers using the interstates to get to Neyland Stadium, the university has a parking map recommending which routes to take depending on which direction you're coming from.

If you're coming from the south:

• Take Chapman Highway to downtown.

• Take Alcoa Highway and take the exit to Route 156, Neyland Drive to downtown.

If you're coming from the west:

• Take Kingston Pike and turn right onto Neyland Drive.

• Take Interstate 40 and get off at Exit 388 to Henley Street.

• Take I-40 to southbound Alcoa Highway, then exit to Route 156, Neyland to downtown

If you're coming from the north:

• Take I-275 to I-40 East toward Asheville and take Exit 388.

If you're coming from the east:

• Take I-40 to Exit 388A to James White Parkway to downtown.

Watch out for road closures for Vol Walk, kickoff

Nothing throws a wrench in driving plans like closed roads. Knowing which roads are closed will factor into the route you chose to take to the game.

Before kickoff, several street closures and temporary modifications are made.

Three hours before kickoff, Phillip Fulmer Way will be closed.

Volunteer Boulevard from east Andy Holt Avenue to Lake Loudoun Boulevard will be closed to all vehicles for 30 minutes to accommodate the Vol Walk.

Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How to plan for heavy game day traffic when driving to Neyland Stadium