Tennessee State Route 32
Route information | ||||
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Maintained by TDOT | ||||
Length | 89.4 mi (143.9 km) | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | Mount Sterling Road at the Tennessee–North Carolina state line | |||
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North end |
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Location | ||||
Counties | Cocke, Jefferson, Hamblen, Grainger, Claiborne | |||
Highway system | ||||
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State Route 32 (SR 32) is a state highway in East Tennessee. For most of its route, it is an unsigned companion route concurrent with US 25E.[1]
SR 32 stretches 89 miles from the North Carolina state line to the Tennessee-Kentucky state line near the town of Cumberland Gap.
Route description
Cocke County
SR 32 begins as a secondary highway in the Cherokee National Forest in Cocke County, where it is signed as Mt. Sterling Road, a narrow gravel road, at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line, just north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. SR 32 winds its way west through the Appalachian Mountains, along the southern border of the forest, for 11 miles, where it crosses the Appalachian Trail, before leaving the mountains and entering town of Cosby, where it comes to an intersection and becomes concurrent with US 321/SR 73. Many compare this stretch of SR 32 to the Tail of the Dragon due to its many curves and switchbacks.[2]
The highway turns north as it passes by several homes and businesses, while having intersections with the Foothills Parkway and with SR 339, just a few hundred feet from each other. Leaving Cosby, the three routes head north through farmland to an intersection with Wilton Springs Road, where SR 73 splits off to the east toward I-40. SR 32/US 321 continues through farmland as a newly improved 2-lane highway before entering Newport and widening to a 4-lane divided highway, just before turning east and having an interchange with I-40 (Exit 435).[3]
SR 32/US 321 then runs through a heavily congested retail area and becomes undivided. Upon entering downtown, it junctions with US 70/US 25/SR 9 (W Broadway Street), where US 321 splits off and goes east into downtown while SR 32 becomes unsigned and concurrent with US 25/US 70/SR 9 west. They then pass by several businesses before coming to the US 25 split for US 25W/US 25E, where SR 32 splits off to follow US 25E north and they leave Newport as a 2-lane highway. This concurrency continues through countryside before crossing the J. W. Walters Bridge over Douglas Lake/French Broad River and enter Jefferson County.
Jefferson County
US 25E/SR 32 continues north through countryside and farmland to enter White Pine along State Street, and has an intersection with SR 341. These concurrent highways then pass by several homes and businesses before becoming concurrent with SR 113, which provides access to downtown. US 25E, SR 32, and SR 113 then leave White Pine and continue north through farmland and crosses into Hamblen County.
Hamblen County
The highway then widens to a 4-lane divided highway shortly before having an interchange with I-81 (Exit 8). The highway then enters Morristown and passes through an industrial area and has an intersection with SR 343, shortly before SR 113 splits off to the northeast. US 25E/SR 32 then bypass downtown to the east through wooded areas as it becomes a freeway and has its first interchange with SR 160 (Exit 1). The freeway then continues to an interchange with Crockett Square Drive/Walter State CC Drive (Exit 1A; provides access to Walters State Community College and a large retail area). Shortly afterwards they become concurrent with US 11E/SR 34 (Morris Boulevard) at Exit 2A, which quickly ends at Exit 2B with SR 66 (Andrew Johnson Highway). US 25E/SR 32 then downgrade to a divided highway as it passes through several neighborhoods before having an interchange with SR 343, just before crossing the Olen R. Marshall Memorial Bridge over Cherokee Lake/Holston River, where they leave Morristown and cross into Grainger County.
Grainger County
US 25E/SR 32 continues north past several lakefront homes and businesses before entering Bean Station and having a junction with SR 375 (Lake Shore Road). It then bypasses downtown, to the west, and has an interchange and becomes concurrent with US 11W/SR 1. It then curves to the west and passes by several homes and businesses before coming to another interchange, where US 11W/SR 1 splits off to the west while US 25E/SR 32 curves back to the north and leaves Bean Station. The highway then curves through, and climbs to, the crest of the Clinch Mountain range, just before entering Thorn Hill, where it intersects with SR 131. The highway then continues north to cross a bridge over the Clinch River and crosses into Claiborne County.
Claiborne County
US 25E/SR 32 then becomes undivided and gains a center turn as they turn northwest, where they join and begin an unsigned wrong-way concurrency with SR 33, just after crossing an arm of Norris Lake (Big Sycamore Creek). The highway then continues through countryside and farmland to the community of Springdale before curving around through a gap between two ridges and entering Tazewell. They bypass downtown to the east side before coming to an intersection with N Broad Street just on the north side, where SR 33 and goes south towards downtown and New Tazewell while US 25E/SR 32 turn north again. They have an intersection with SR 345 shortly afterwards before passing by several businesses before leaving Tazewell not too long afterwards.
Traveling northwest out of Tazewell, US 25E/SR 32 passes through countryside and farmland to cross the Powell River before becoming divided, shortly before entering Harrogate and have a junction, and brief concurrency with SR 63, shortly before passing by Lincoln Memorial University and going through downtown. The highway then leaves Harrogate and crosses a ridge before entering the town of Cumberland Gap, where they bypass downtown to the southwest and have an interchange with US 58/SR 383. The highway then continues north to the Cumberland Gap Tunnel at the Tennessee-Kentucky state line, where SR 32 ends and US 25E continues north into Kentucky.
Major intersections
Cocke County
- Mount Sterling Road at the North Carolina state line in the Cherokee National Forest (Southern terminus; continues south as a gravel road; SR 32 begins as a secondary highway)
US 321 / SR 73 in Cosby (Hooper Highway; southern end of US 321/SR 73 concurrency; south to Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains National Park; SR 32 becomes a primary highway) - Foothills Parkway in Cosby (Current western end of section 8A of the Foothills Parkway; east to I-40)
SR 339 in Cosby (Jones Cove Road; eastern terminus of SR 339; west to Cherokee Hills) SR 73 north of Cosby (Wilton Springs Road; northern end of SR 73 concurrency; north to I-40 and downtown Newport) I-40 in Newport (Exit 435; west to Knoxville and east to Asheville, NC) US 25 / US 70 / US 321 / SR 9 / SR 35 in Newport (E Broadway Street; northern end of US 321 concurrency; southern end of US 25/US 70/SR 9/SR 35 concurrency; US 25/US 70/SR 9 east to Del Rio; US 321/SR 35 north to Parrottsville; SR 32 becomes unsigned) US 25E / US 25W / US 70 / SR 9 / SR 35 in Newport (W Broadway Street; northern terminus of US 25; southern terminus of US 25W/US 25E; northern end of US 70/SR 9/SR 35 concurrency; southern end of US 25E concurrency; US 25W/US 70/SR 9/SR 35 west to Dandridge and Sevierville) - J. W. Walters Bridge over Douglas Lake/French Broad River
Jefferson County
SR 341 in White Pine (Old Airport Road; eastern terminus of SR 341; west to Talbott) SR 113 in White Pine (Main Street; southern end of SR 113 concurrency; south to Dandridge)
Hamblen County
I-81 north of White Pine (Exit 8; south to Knoxville and north to Bristol) SR 343 in Morristown (Old US Highway 25E; southern terminus of SR 343; north to downtown) SR 113 in Morristown (Highway 113; northern end of SR 113 concurrency; north to Whitesburg; US 25E/SR 32 becomes a freeway) - Exit 1:
SR 160 (Enka Highway; southern beltway around downtown and connector to I-81) - Exit 1A:
College Square Drive/College Park Drive
- Exit 2A:
- Exit 2B:
SR 343 in Morristown (Buffalo Trail; northern terminus of SR 343; interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance) - Olen R. Marshall Memorial Bridge over Cherokee Lake/Holston River
Grainger County
SR 375 in Bean Station (Lake Shore Road; northern terminus of SR 375; south to Cherokee) US 11W / SR 1 in Bean Station (New Lee Highway; interchange; southern end of wrong-way US 11W/SR 1 concurrency; north to Rogersville) US 11W / SR 1 in Bean Station (Lee Highway; interchange; northern end of wrong-way US 11W/SR 1 concurrency; south to Rutledge) SR 131 in Thorn Hill (Mountain Valley Highway 131; south to Washburn and north to Treadway) - Bridge over the Clinch River
Claiborne County
SR 33 south of Springdale (Highway 33; southern end of wrong-way SR 33 concurrency; north to Sneedville) SR 33 in Tazewell (N Broad Street; northern end of SR 33 wrong-way concurrency; south to New Tazewell and Maynardville) SR 345 in Tazewell (Cedar Fork Road; southern terminus of SR 345) - Bridge over the Powell River
SR 63 in Harrogate (Forge Ridge Road; southern end of SR 63 concurrency; east to Hopewell and Sneedville) SR 63 in Harrogate (Highway 63; northern end of SR 63 concurrency; west to Arthur, Speedwell, and LaFollette) US 58 / SR 383 in Cumberland Gap (Wilderness Road; interchange; western terminus of US 58/SR 383; east to Jonesville, VA) US 25E via the Cumberland Gap Tunnel at the Kentucky state line in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (Highway 25E; northern terminus of SR 32; US 25E continues north to Middlesboro, KY; SR 32 ends as a primary highway)
References
- ↑ 2015 Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map) (2015 ed.). Tennessee Department of Transportation. § Back (eastern TN). Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- ↑ "State Route 32 - Tennessee". MotorcycleRoads.US. 2007–2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ↑ "State Route 32 Proposed Improvements". Tennessee Department of Transportation. March 15, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2013.