[5] At the time of its completion, SmartFIX40 was the largest awarded contract and construction project in Tennessee history,[6] and in retrospective documentation has received acclaim for its methods of accelerated construction and project delivery, including nationwide awards from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

[7][8][9] The current freeway system in Knoxville originated from a 1945 plan commissioned by the city that recommended a series of controlled-access highways be constructed to relieve congestion on surface streets.

[26] Within a few years of the completion of I-40 and I-75 in Knoxville, the city's highway network was already starting to suffer from congestion and a high accident rate.

[30][31] The two-lane section of I-40 east of downtown was not included in this project, but nevertheless, TDOT began making preparations for improvements to this problematic spot.

TDOT would embark on a constructability analysis of the reconstruction of I-40 through downtown in a meeting with federal, state, and local leaders in February 2003.

The ACTT involved 82 transportation engineering professionals across 19 states discussing methods to satisfy TDOT's main goal of minimizing time during the construction phase of SmartFIX40.

[35] Transportation engineering firm Wilbur-Smith Associates was selected by TDOT as the consultant tasked with the planning and design of the SmartFIX40 corridor.

If neither phase met its deadline, TDOT would issue fines of $25,000 per day as liquidated damages for late completion.