Interstate 81 in Tennessee

Interstate 81 marker

Interstate 81
I-81 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by TDOT
Length 75.66 mi[1] (121.76 km)
Major junctions
South end I-40 near Dandridge
 
North end I-81 at Bristol
Location
Counties Jefferson, Hamblen, Greene, Washington, Sullivan
Highway system
← SR 80SR 81 →

Interstate 81 (I-81) is an 855-mile (1,376 km) long expressway stretching from Dandridge, Tennessee northward to the Thousand Islands Bridge at the Canada–US border near Fishers Landing, New York. In Tennessee, I-81 travels 75.66 miles (121.76 km) from its southern terminus at I-40 in Dandridge to the Virginia state line in Bristol.

Route description

I-81 northbound at the SR 394 exit in Blountville

Interstate 81 begins in Tennessee at Interstate 40 in Dandridge. I-81 parallels the Appalachian Mountains for most of Tennessee and Virginia. At mile marker 8, I-81 meets U.S. Route 25E south of Morristown. I-81 doesn't go through either Johnson City or Kingsport; but at mile marker 57, I-81 meets Interstate 26 and U.S. Route 23 which go to Kingsport and Johnson City. At mile marker 75, I-81 leaves Tennessee and enters Virginia.

Auxiliary routes in Tennessee

Interstate City Type Notes
Interstate 181 Johnson City and Kingsport Former spur Was renumbered as Interstate 26 by March, 2007

History

Construction on I-81 in Tennessee began in the 1960s.[2] The contracts for most sections of the route were awarded in 1969 and 1970.[3] By December 1974, the entirety of the route was open to traffic, and most was completed.[4] The final section in Tennessee was completed in August 1975.[5]

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
JeffersonDandridge0.000.001 I-40 – Asheville, KnoxvilleSouthern terminus; I-40 exit 421; signed as left exit 1A (east) & 1B (west).
White Pine4.47.14 SR 341 (White Pine Road) – White Pine
HamblenMorristown8.613.88 US 25E – White Pine, Morristown
12.420.012 SR 160 – Lowland, Morristown
​15.324.615 SR 340 (Fish Hatchery Road)
GreeneMosheim23.137.223 US 11E – Mosheim, Greeneville, Bulls GapAccess to Tusculum College
​30.248.630 SR 70 to SR 66 – Rogersville, Greeneville
Baileyton36.258.336 SR 172 (Baileyton Road) – Baileyton, Greeneville
Jearoldstown43.970.744Jearoldstown Road
WashingtonFall Branch50.581.350 SR 93 to SR 81 – Fall Branch, Jonesborough
SullivanKingsport56.190.356Tri-Cities Crossing
57.792.957 I-26 / US 23 – Johnson City, KingsportSigned as Exits 57A (east) & 57B (west), I-26 exits 8A-B; former I-181 south
59.495.659 SR 36 (Fort Henry Drive) – Johnson City, Kingsport, Colonial Heights
63.5102.263 SR 357 south (Airport Parkway) to SR 75 – Tri-Cities Regional AirportAlso access to Northeast State Community College
66.1106.466 SR 126 (Memorial Boulevard) – Blountville, Kingsport
Blountville69.6112.069 SR 394 – Blountville, BristolAccess to Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol74.8120.474 US 11W (West State Street) – Kingsport, BristolSigned as Exits 74A (north) & 74B (south)
75.66121.76 I-81 north – RoanokeVirginia state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Route Log - Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Where Do We Stand On The Interstate?". Kingsport Times-News. May 2, 1965.
  3. ↑ "81 Moving Along:Chamber". Kingsport Times-News. May 2, 1965. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  4. ↑ "East Tennessee's Christmas Present". Kingsport Times-News. December 10, 1974. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  5. ↑ "Interstate 81 Four-Lane Opens". Kingsport Times-News. August 28, 1975.

Route map:

KML is from Wikidata
Interstate 81
Previous state:
Terminus		 Tennessee Next state:
Virginia
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