State Route 75 (SR 75) is a state highway in Tennessee in the northeastern portion of the state. The highway begins at US 11E and US 321 in Limestone and ends at SR 126 in Blountville.[2]
 State Route 75 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SR 75 mainline in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TDOT | ||||
| Length | 27.7 mi (44.6 km) | |||
| Existed | October 1, 1923[1]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |   US 11E / US 321 in Limestone | |||
| ||||
| North end |  SR 126 in Blountville | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Tennessee | |||
| Counties | Washington, Sullivan | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
editWashington County
editSR 75 begins as a 2-lane highway in Washington County in Limestone at an intersection with US 11E/US 321/SR 34. The highway then heads northeast through rural farmland to have an intersection with SR 81 just before passing through Sulphur Springs. SR 75 then continues to enter Gray, where it has an interchange with I-26/US 23 (Exit 13). The highway then widens to a 4-lane undivided highway and passes just southeast of downtown before leaving Gray and passing through Spurgeon, where it has an intersection with SR 36. SR 75 then crosses the South Fork Holston River into Sullivan County, just north of Boone Dam and Boone Lake.
Sullivan County
editSR 75 continues northeast to pass through Boring before entering Blountville and passing by the Tri-Cities Regional Airport, where it has an interchange with SR 357. SR 75 then narrows to 2-lanes and passes rural areas of Blountville before entering downtown, where it comes to an intersection with SR 126.
The entire route of SR 75 is a secondary highway.
History
editThe current SR 75 is the third state highway in Tennessee to bear this numbering. The first alignment was one of the original state highways established on October 1, 1923, and ran between Springfield to the Kentucky line along what is now US 31W.[3] In 1925 or 1926, this route was truncated by part of SR 79, and completed renumbered as part of SR 49 and SR 52 in 1927 or 1928 Around the same time, the second SR 75 was established between the North Carolina line near the Sevier-Cocke County line and US 25/70 in Newport. This route was renumbered as part of SR 32 in 1939 or 1940. The present-day SR 75 was established between 1964 and 1969, as a renumbering of part of SR 37 between US 23 in Gray and SR 126 in Blountville. On July 1, 1983, SR 75 was extended south to US 11E/321 in Limestoneon Gray Station Road as part of a statewide takeover and renumbering of roads that year. Signs were posted the following year.[4]
In May 2000, the Gray Fossil Site was discovered by TDOT construction crews along SR 75 near the Gray Community. This site consists of fossils from the early Pliocene era that are between 4.5 and 4.9 million years old. A museum on the site opened in 2007.[5]
Future
editA widening project has been taking place on SR 75 to provide a four-lane highway from Interstate 26 in Gray to the Tri-Cities Regional Airport in Blountville. On November 1, 2013, TDOT opened all four lanes of traffic, but much work still needs to be done.[6]
Junction list
edit| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | Limestone | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 11E / US 321 (Andrew Johnson Highway/SR 34) – Greeneville, Jonesborough | Southern terminus |
| |  SR 81 – Fall Branch, Kingsport, Jonesborough, Erwin | ||||
| Johnson City |   I-26 / US 23 – Kingsport, Johnson City | I-26 exit 13 | |||
| Spurgeon |  SR 36 – Colonial Heights, Kingsport, Johnson City | ||||
| Sullivan | Blountville | Airport Parkway – Tri-Cities Regional Airport | Interchange, no southbound SR 75 access to Airport via Interchange | ||
    SR 357 north (Airport Parkway) to I-81 – Kingsport | Interchange | ||||
| 27.7 | 44.6 | SR 126 (Bristol Highway/Memorial Boulevard) – Blountville, Bristol, Kingsport | Northern terminus | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
edit- ^ Highway Planning Survey Division (1925). Biennial Report of the Commissioner of the Department of Highways and Public Works State of Tennessee for the Years 1923 and 1924 (PDF) (Report). Nashville: Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works. pp. 39–44. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "East Tennessee Construction Report for September 19-25, 2013 | TN.gov Newsroom". Archived from the original on 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
- ^ Highway Planning Survey Division (1925). Biennial Report of the Commissioner of the Department of Highways and Public Works State of Tennessee for the Years 1923 and 1924 (PDF) (Report). Nashville: Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works. pp. 39–44. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Basconi, Mary Alice (October 14, 1984). "Road-sign plan under way in area". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. p. 4. Retrieved May 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Clark, G. Michael; Kohl, Martin; Moore, Harry L.; Sasowsky, Ira D. (April 26, 2012). "The Gray Fossil Site: A Spectacular Example in Tennessee of Ancient Regolith Occurrences in Carbonate Terranes, Valley and Ridge Subprovince, Southern Appalachians U.S.A.". Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst. American Society of Civil Engineers. pp. 82–90. doi:10.1061/40796(177)10. ISBN 978-0-7844-0796-7. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ Road to Tri-Cities Airport now Four lanes
External links
edit
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