HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Interstate 81 (I-81) is part of the
Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
that runs northward from Dandridge, Tennessee, to the Thousand Islands Bridge at the
Canadian border The borders of Canada include: * To the south and west: An international boundary with the United States, forming the Canada–United States border, longest shared border in the world, ; (Informally referred as the 49th parallel north which make ...
near Fishers Landing, New York. In
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, I-81 serves the northeastern part of the state, running from its southern terminus with I-40 in Dandridge to the
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
state line in
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
. The route serves the Tri-Cities region of the state and the eastern parts of the Knoxville metropolitan area, terminating about east of
Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
. I-81 bypasses most cities that it serves, instead providing access via interchanges with
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
and federal routes. It remains in the Ridge-and-Valley topographic region of the
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
for its entire length in Tennessee, and runs in a northeast to southwest direction. I-81 roughly follows the corridors of U.S. Routes 11E and 11W in Tennessee, but unlike many stretches of Interstate Highways, does not closely parallel any U.S. Numbered Highway until it reaches Bristol. The first parts of I-81 in the state were constructed in the early 1960s, with additional progress made on the Interstate throughout that decade. However, most of the route was constructed later than the other Interstate Highways initially allocated to Tennessee, and did not open until after 1970. The last stretch of I-81 in Tennessee, which was more than half of the entire route in the state, was completed in 1975. From 1985 to 2007, the Interstate had one
auxiliary route In road transportation in the United States, a special route is a road in a numbered highway system that diverts a specific segment of related traffic away from another road. They are featured in many highway systems; most are found in the In ...
, I-181, which was renumbered as part of I-26.


Route description

I-81 is maintained by the
Tennessee Department of Transportation The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is the department of transportation for the State of Tennessee, with multimodal responsibilities in roadways, aviation, public transit, waterways, and railroads. It was established in 1915 as the ...
(TDOT), along with all other
Interstate The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...
, US, and
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
highways in Tennessee. In 2022,
annual average daily traffic Annual average daily traffic (AADT) is a measure used primarily in transportation planning, transportation engineering and retail location selection. Traditionally, it is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a year divided ...
(AADT) volumes ranged from 61,299 vehicles per day at the southern terminus to 34,896 vehicles per day between US 25E and SR 160. I-81 begins at a directional T interchange with I-40 near Dandridge in unincorporated Jefferson County about east of downtown
Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
. Traveling in a northeast-to-southwest alignment in a valley through mostly farmland and some woodlands, the Interstate has its first interchange with State Route 341 (SR 341) a short distance later near White Pine. This route connects to SR 66, providing access to Morristown to the north. Soon thereafter, the highway crosses into Hamblen County and meets US 25E south of Morristown, which is a major north–south arterial route in the region and part of the East Tennessee Crossing Byway. Continuing through mostly rural terrain, I-81 has an interchange with SR 160, the final Morristown exit, a few miles beyond. After some distance, the Interstate crosses over a ridge and into Greene County. About past the Greene County line is an interchange with US 11E near Mosheim, which provides access to Greeneville to the southeast and Bulls Gap to the northwest. Continuing through a predominantly rural and agricultural area, I-81 reaches SR 70, which connects to Greeneville to the south and Rogersville to the north. The Interstate proceeds through additional farmland for several more miles and passes the town of Baileyton, before beginning a slight uphill climb, with the northbound lanes utilizing a truck climbing lane for about near the community of Jearoldstown. Here, the route also shifts slightly to the northeast. A few miles later, I-81 veers sharply east and crosses into semi-urban Washington County. Immediately beyond this point is an interchange with SR 93, which provides access to Jonesborough to the south and Fall Branch to the north. I-81 then turns northeast again, and crosses into Sullivan County after a short distance. Entering a semi-urbanized part of the Tri-Cities area, I-81 reaches I-26 and US 23 at a
cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passe ...
a few miles later. This route provides access to Kingsport to the north and Johnson City to the south, two of the principal municipalities of the Tri-Cities. Shortly thereafter is an interchange with SR 36, another major connector between these two cities. The freeway then crosses the Fort Patrick Henry Lake impoundment of the
Holston River The Holston River is a river that flows from Kingsport, Tennessee, to Knoxville, Tennessee. Along with its three major forks (North Fork, Middle Fork and South Fork), it comprises a major river system that drains much of northeastern Tennessee ...
and begins another slight uphill climb, once again gaining a northbound truck climbing lane. About beyond this, the truck lane terminates at an interchange with SR 357, a connector to
Tri-Cities Regional Airport Tri-Cities Airport (also known as Tri-Cities Airport, TN/VA), serves the Tri-Cities, Tennessee, Tri-Cities area (Johnson City, Tennessee; Kingsport, Tennessee; Bristol, Tennessee-Bristol, Virginia, Virginia) of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest ...
. The route then proceeds through a mix of farmland, woodlands, and residential neighborhoods, briefly shifting eastward and crossing a ridge after a few miles. Shifting northeastwardly again, the Interstate has an interchange with SR 394 near the unincorporated town of Blountville. Beyond this exit, the route ascends over a slight upgrade, before reaching a relatively flat stretch again. A few miles beyond here, I-81 reaches
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
, the final of the Tri-Cities, and widens to six lanes. It then has a cloverleaf interchange with US 11W before crossing into Virginia and its twin city of
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
later.


History


Predecessor highways

Prior to the settlement of Tennessee by
European Americans European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...
, a series of Native American trails existed in the area that I-81 now passes through. Most of these were part of the
Great Indian Warpath The Great Indian Warpath (GIW)—also known as the Great Indian War and Trading Path, or the Seneca Trail—was part of the network of trails in eastern North America developed and used by Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans w ...
, which the Interstate follows for most of its length. A lesser used trail reportedly existed east of this path, which became part of the
Great Wagon Road The Great Wagon Road, also known as the Philadelphia Wagon Road, is a historic trail in the eastern United States that was first traveled by indigenous tribes, and later explorers, settlers, soldiers, and travelers. It extended from British Penn ...
, also known as the Great Valley Road. The northeastern part of Tennessee was the first part of the state to be significantly explored and settled, with long hunters exploring much of the region during the 1760s and the first permanent settlements arising by the end of that decade. The Great Indian Warpath from Knoxville to
Abingdon, Virginia Abingdon is a town in and the county seat of Washington County, Virginia, United States, southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,376 at the 2020 census. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and features a fine arts a ...
, became a
wagon road ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the N ...
known as the Old Stage Road, and was used extensively by early Tennesseans and travelers from other states. In 1911, a series of Tennessee businesspeople formed the Memphis to Bristol Highway Association to encourage the state to improve the network of roads that ran between Memphis and Bristol. After the formation of the Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works, the predecessor agency to TDOT, in 1915, the Old Stage Road was designated as part of the Memphis to Bristol Highway. This section became part of the
Lee Highway The Lee Highway was a United States auto trail initially connecting from an eastern zero mile marker on the Ellipse in Washington DC to a western zero marker, the Pacific Milestone, in the center of San Diego, California — via the Ame ...
, an
auto trail The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on utility poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in t ...
, in 1919. When the Tennessee State Route System was established in 1923, this part of the Lee Highway became part of State Route 1 (SR 1), and the network of roads to the east that followed part of the Great Wagon Road became SR 34. When the
United States Numbered Highway System The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these ...
was formed by Congress in 1926, Lee Highway became US 11, and SR 34 was designated as US 511. Tennessee officials objected to this numbering scheme, and in 1929 successfully petitioned the
American Association of State Highway Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout the United St ...
(AASHO) to redesignate US 11 as US 11W and US 511 as US 11E in an event that came to be known as "The Tennessee Split".


Planning and construction

The general location of the highway that became I-81 was included in the National Interregional Highway Committee's 1944 report, titled ''Interregional Highways'', and a subsequent 1947 plan produced by the Public Roads Administration of the now-defunct Federal Works Agency. These blueprints recommended that it terminate east of Knoxville with the highway that became I-40. During the planning phase, it was also suggested that the Interstate follow the corridor of US 11W from Knoxville to Bristol, but residents of Grainger County were opposed to this. The alignment was reaffirmed in a map produced by the
Bureau of Public Roads The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
, the predecessor agency to the
Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
, in September 1955. I-81 was part of the original of Interstate Highways authorized for Tennessee by the
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, also known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, was enacted on June 29, 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. With an original authorization of $25 billion (eq ...
, commonly known as the Interstate Highway Act. The numbering was approved by the AASHO on August 14, 1957. That year, the Johnson City Planning Commission unsuccessfully lobbied to move the routing a few miles south between Morristown and Bristol to run closer to Johnson City and the Tri-Cities Regional Airport. The first stretch of I-81 in Tennessee to be completed was the segment between US 11W and the Virginia state line, along with the southernmost of the Interstate in Virginia. Referred to at the time as the "Bristol Bypass", this section opened to traffic on November 20, 1961, along with I-381 directly across the state line. Grading and bridge construction on the interchange with I-40 took place in the early 1960s, but this interchange was not opened to traffic until work on the approaches was complete. The contract to construct the segment between the southern terminus with I-40 and US 25E near Morristown was awarded in June 1964, and completed in December 1966, along with the connecting section of I-40. Like much of the Interstate System in Tennessee, priority was generally given to completing sections in Middle and
West Tennessee West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that roughly comprises the western quarter of the state. The region includes 21 counties between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, delineated by state law. Its geography consists ...
over
East Tennessee East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 coun ...
. For this reason, most of I-81 was not constructed in the state until after the late 1960s. The decision to prioritize other Interstate Highways was criticized by some due to the unsafe conditions and high accident rate on US 11W, which had earned the nickname "Bloody 11W" and was the site of the deadliest traffic collision in state history in 1972. The slow progress on the Interstate became an issue in the 1966 gubernatorial election, when Democratic candidate
John Jay Hooker John Jay Hooker, Jr. (August 24, 1930 – January 24, 2016) was an American Lawyer, attorney, entrepreneur, political Social gadfly, gadfly and perennial candidate from Nashville, Tennessee, who was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ...
accused primary opponent
Buford Ellington Earl Buford Ellington (June 27, 1907 – April 3, 1972) was an American politician who served as the 42nd governor of Tennessee from 1959 to 1963, and again from 1967 to 1971. Along with his political ally, Frank G. Clement, he helped lead a ...
, who served as Governor from 1959 to 1963, of neglecting the stretch allocated for Tennessee. Ellington, who was elected that fall, responded with a promise to complete I-81 by 1971, the year the next governor would leave office, as well as improve US 11W. Contracts for construction of the stretch between US 25E near Morristown and US 11E near Mosheim were let in August 1967 and February 1968, and the section opened to traffic on December 10, 1970. Contracts for sections in Sullivan County were awarded throughout 1969, and work on what became the final stretch of I-81 in Tennessee to be completed, the section located between US 11E and SR 126 near Blountville, began on July 7, 1969, in the southern part of that county. The remaining Sullivan County portions were contracted for construction in December 1970 and March 1971, and sections in Washington and Greene Counties were let in November and December 1971. The last construction contract for I-81 in Tennessee, which was for the northernmost in Greene County, was awarded in March 1972. The opening of the stretch between SR 126 and US 11W in Bristol was announced on December 23, 1972. Once all remaining construction began, completion of I-81 in Tennessee was expected by late 1973, but was delayed by the energy crisis that year. On December 20, 1974, the entire final stretch between US 11E and SR 126 was dedicated by then-Governor Winfield Dunn, and partially opened, with some portions restricted to two lanes. This stretch cost $49.4 million (equivalent to $ in ), and was dedicated on the same day that the last sections of I-40 and
I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end ...
in Tennessee were opened. I-81 was officially completed in Tennessee on August 27, 1975, when all four lanes of the final section were fully opened to traffic.


Later history

On April 6, 1997, a
carjacking Carjacking is a robbery in which a motor vehicle is taken over.Michael Cherbonneau, "Carjacking," in ''Encyclopedia of Social Problems'', Vol. 1 (SAGE, 2008: ed. Vincent N. Parrillo), pp. 110-11. In contrast to car theft, carjacking is usually i ...
that culminated in the Lillelid murders occurred at the I-81 southbound rest area near Baileyton. A group of six youths from
Pikeville, Kentucky Pikeville () is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in and the county seat of Pike County, Kentucky, United States. Its population was 7,754 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census. Pikeville serves as a regional eco ...
, forced the four members of the Lillelid family into their van and to drive approximately on the Interstate to the SR 172 interchange, which was the next exit. The family was then taken to a secluded road nearby where they were shot. Three of the victims died, and the lone survivor was left permanently disabled. The perpetrators were apprehended two days later in
Douglas, Arizona Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, that lies in the north-west to south-east running Sulphur Springs Valley. Douglas has a Douglas, Arizona Port of Entry, border crossing with Mexico at Agua Prieta and a history of min ...
, trying to flee into Mexico, and later sentenced to life in prison. Work to widen the northernmost of I-81 in Tennessee to six lanes, along with the southernmost in Virginia, began in April 1998. Initially planned for completion in late 2000, the project experienced multiple delays and cost overruns, and was not completed until March 2003. A 2008 study conducted by TDOT on the I-40 and I-81 corridors identified a number of steep grades on both Interstates difficult for trucks to ascend, causing congestion and safety hazards. This study resulted in the construction of a truck climbing lane on I-81 northbound between the Holston River and SR 357 that was completed in 2019. Between September 2011 and June 2014, the interchange with US 25E was modified in a project that replaced the southbound loop onramp with a traditional diamond ramp, widened the radius of the northbound loop exit ramp, replaced the US 25E overpass with a wider bridge, and added turn lanes at the intersections with the ramps. This project was necessitated by the hazardous conditions of the previous configuration and the adoption of US 25E as part of an alternate route to I-75.


Exit list


Auxiliary routes

Interstate 181 (I-181) was designated by the Federal Highway Administration on December 4, 1985, for the controlled-access segment of US 23 between US 321/ SR 67 in Johnson City and US 11W in Kingsport, which had been constructed as part of
Corridor B The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historica ...
of the
Appalachian Development Highway System The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historica ...
. On June 9, 1986, the designation was officially established by the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway A highway is any public or private road ...
(AASHTO). Exit numbers were based on US 23 mileage, which at the time was in the process of being upgraded to a freeway to the North Carolina state line. On August 5, 2003, AASHTO approved extending I-26 west into Tennessee, replacing I-181 from Johnson City to I-81. They ruled against an extension of the I-26 designation along the remainder of I-181 to Kingsport, however, since federal guidelines usually require mainline Interstate Highways to end at a junction with another Interstate Highway, an international border, or a seacoast. TDOT had proposed to renumber that stretch as I-126, but rescinded that proposal later that year. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users act, signed into law on August 10, 2005, authorized the remainder of I-181 to be redesignated as part of I-26. This took place in March 2007, when the remainder of I-181 was officially decommissioned, and replaced with I-26 signage.


See also

*


References


External links

* {{state detail page browse, type=I, route=81, state=Tennessee, stateafter=Virginia Tennessee 81 Transportation in Jefferson County, Tennessee Transportation in Hamblen County, Tennessee Transportation in Greene County, Tennessee Transportation in Washington County, Tennessee Transportation in Sullivan County, Tennessee