State Route 381 (SR 381) is a primary state highway in the US state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

. Known as Commonwealth Avenue, the state highway runs from the

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

state line north to the Interstate 381 (I-381) within the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...

. In conjunction with I-381, SR 381 connects

I-81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island, ...

with downtown Bristol. The state highway also connects the

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...

s with US Route 11 (US 11), US 11W, US 11E, US 19, and US 421; SR 381 runs concurrently with the latter three highways between downtown Bristol and US 11. I-381 is a

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to ba ...

from I-81 that provides access to Bristol. It runs for from the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue (SR 381) and Keys/Church streets in Bristol at exit 0 north to I-81. The I-81 interchange, the only one on I-381, is signed as exit 1A (I-81 north) and exit 1B (I-81 south).

Route description

SR 381 begins at the Tennessee state line at State Street, which follows the Virginia–Tennessee state line as the main street of Bristol, Virginia, to the north and

Bristol, Tennessee Bristol is a city in the State of Tennessee. Located in Sullivan County, its population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The ...

, to the south and forms the easternmost part of

Tennessee State Route 1 State Route 1 (SR 1), known as the Memphis to Bristol Highway, is a mostly-unsigned state highway in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches all the way from the Arkansas state line at Memphis in the southwest corner of the state to Bristo ...

west of the intersection. The roadway continues south as US 11E and US 19 following Volunteer Parkway, a major arterial through Bristol, Tennessee, that leads toward Johnson City. SR 381 and the two US Routes head north along Commonwealth Avenue, a four-lane divided highway that intersects Goode Street one block north of the state line; Goode Street carries US 421 and both US 11 Truck and US 19 Truck through the Bristol Commercial Historic District. SR 381, US 11E, US 19, and US 421 meet the southern end of SR 113 at separate intersections: Cumberland Street carries northbound SR 113 east and Sycamore Street carries the westbound direction. The four highways continue north to east–west Euclid Avenue, where US 11E has its northern terminus. Westbound Euclid Avenue heads west carrying northbound US 421 and southbound US 11W toward

Kingsport Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire ...

and Gate City. US 19 turns east to join US 11 on eastbound Euclid Avenue. SR 381 continues north along Commonwealth Avenue, paralleling a railroad line through an industrial area to its northern terminus at an intersection with Keys Street. The roadway continues north as I-381, which connects downtown Bristol with I-81, the route to Roanoke and

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state ...

. I-381 runs for from the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue (SR 381) and Keys/Church streets in Bristol at exit 0 north to I-81. The I-81 interchange, the only one on I-381, is signed as exit 1A (I-81 north) and exit 1B (I-81 south).

History

The I-381

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

originally opened to traffic on November 20, 1961, the same time as the part of I-81 that bypasses Bristol to the north. In its original configuration, the interchange between I-81 and I-381 was a single

Y interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, usi ...

, providing access from southbound I-81 to southbound I-381 (via a left exit) and northbound I-381 to northbound I-81. By 1989, ramps were added to make it a full

directional T interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using ...

. In 1996, southbound I-81 was moved next to the northbound side, turning the southbound left exit and entrance into right-side ramps.

Junction list

References

External links

* * * * * {{3di, 81 81-3 (Virginia) 81-3 Interstate 81-3 3 381 State Route 381