KNOXVILLE — Repair work along the western side of the University of Tennessee Conference Center building in downtown Knoxville has closed a portion of sidewalk along Henley Street.
The sidewalk along the western side of the building is closed, but all lanes of traffic on Henley Street are open.
Workers are removing the blue glazed tiles from the exterior wall after a structural engineer advised the university that the tiles were buckling and were in danger of collapse. UT Facilities Services officials say it appears that, over time, weathering forces degraded the grip of the tiles on the west side.
The removal of the tiles is expected to take around two weeks. University employees with offices on the west side of the building will be advised if they need to temporarily vacate their offices during the tile removal process.
For more information on the repair work, contact UT Facilities Services at 946-7777.