U.S. Route 23 (US 23) is a part of the
U.S. 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 h ...
that travels from
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
to
Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City ( ) is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 846 at the 2010 census, the population increases during summertime, including an influx of tourists and seasonal workers who serve ...
. In the U.S. state of
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 th ...
, the highway travels in the northeastern part of the state from the
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
state line at Sam's Gap in the
Bald Mountains
The Bald Mountains are a mountain range rising along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Bald Mountain ...
, north to the
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
state line in
Kingsport. With a predominant
concurrency with Interstate 26 (I-26), US 23 is a divided four-lane
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 ...
that follows
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 historical ...
(ADHS) and serves as a major thoroughfare in the
Tri-Cities. Although I-26 is technically an east-west route, the highway predominantly travels in a north-south alignment in Tennessee. The route reaches a maximum elevation of at the North Carolina state line, which is the highest elevation on the
Interstate Highway System
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. Th ...
east of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
.
The freeway was first authorized by the
Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, which created the ADHS, and the stretch between Johnson City and the Virginia state line was constructed in segments between 1968 and 1986. In addition to US 23, this freeway was designated as State Route 137 (SR 137) and later Interstate 181 (I-181), and was commonly referred to as "Appalachian Highway" in its early years. In 1988, the
American Association of State Highway 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 design and construction throughout the United St ...
approved an extension of I-26 from
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...
, to
I-81 in Tennessee. The remainder of the freeway was completed in 1995, and the stretch between the North Carolina state line and I-81 was redesignated as I-26 in 2003. After an initial denial, I-26 was extended north to Kingsport in 2007, replacing the remainder of I-181.
Route description
![Interstate 26 - Tennessee](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Interstate_26_-_Tennessee.jpg)
The freeway begins at the Virginia state line at a partial interchange with State Routes
36 (the old route of US 23) and
346, where the route continues into Virginia as a four-lane divided highway. Here, a pair of one-lane ramps carry US 23 and unsigned SR 137 across both routes; SR 346 is not directly accessible from the freeway, and the southbound lanes are indirectly accessible from SR 23 via an entrance ramp from SR 346. Here, the freeway curves to the southwest, and then to the southeast a short distance later, zig-zagging over the next few miles through a predominantly residential area on the outskirts of Kingsport. The freeway then reaches a
partial cloverleaf interchange
A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange.
The design has been well received, and has since become one of the most popular freeway-to-arterial interchange designs in North America. It has also bee ...
with
US 11W
U.S. Route 11W (US 11W), locally known as Bloody 11W, is a divided highway of US 11 in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Virginia. The U.S. Highway, which is complemented by US 11E to the south and east, runs from US 11, US 11E, and US 70 in Kn ...
, where I-26 begins, and transitions into a more direct north-south alignment. The interstate immediately crosses 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 ...
, which is split into two channels here by a wide island called
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, on a long pair of viaducts. It then begins a steep ascent over the north end of
Bays Mountain
Bays Mountain is a ridge of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located in eastern Tennessee. It runs southwest to northeast, from just south of Knoxville to Kingsport.
Its southern segment is relatively low in elevation (up to about ). In some ...
, where the eastbound lanes utilize a
truck climbing lane
Climbing lanes or crawler lanes are a roadway lane design. They allow slower travel for large vehicles, such as large trucks or semi-trailer trucks, ascending a steep grade. Since climbing uphill is difficult for these vehicles, they can travel in ...
. Passing through a deep artificial cut at the top of the mountain, the route then begins a descent, where the westbound lanes also contain a truck lane. A short distance later, the interstate reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with
SR 93 (John B. Dennis Bypass), which continues to the north as a controlled-access bypass of Kingsport.
Leaving Kingsport, I-26 continues over the next several miles southeastwardly through a semi-residential area, crossing several ridges characteristic of the topography of the area, and curving sharply to the west and then back to the east. It then reaches I-81 at a
cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level 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 passes over or under the ...
near the
Colonial Heights community. It then curves back into a northwest-to-southeast alignment, passing a mix of farmland and rural residential areas over the next , before reaching an interchange with
SR 75 in the
Gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
community. The interstate continues over the next through additional farmland and neighborhoods, before reaching an interchange with
SR 354, which provides access to
Jonesborough to the southwest. A short distance later, the freeway enters the western part of Johnson City, where it has in interchange with
SR 381, which serves as a western bypass of the city and also provides access to
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 in ...
. About later, the interstate has a near-full cloverleaf interchange with US Routes
11E and
19W (Roan Street), where it begins a concurrency with the latter. It then continues over the next few miles through a dense residential area, before passing near the
business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
of Johnson City, where it has interchanges with
SR 400 and
SR 19 in short succession. A short distance later, the freeway reaches an interchange with
US 321
U.S. Route 321 (US 321) is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for from Hardeeville, South Carolina to Lenoir City, Tennessee; with both serving as southern termini. It reaches its northernmost point at Elizabethton, Tennessee. Because ...
and
SR 67, which provides access to
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. Although it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, the university is governed by an institutional Board of Tr ...
, as well as
Elizabethton to the northeast. Beyond this point, the interstate passes through the mostly residential southern tip of Johnson City along the northern base of Buffalo Mountain, where it gradually transitions into a more direct north-south alignment and enters the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
. Leaving Johnson City, the interstate then briefly passes
Carter County, and gradually begins to curve to the southwest, entering a valley between Buffalo Mountain to the west and the
Bald Mountains
The Bald Mountains are a mountain range rising along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Bald Mountain ...
subrange to the east.
![Interstate 26 Bald Mountains Tennessee](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Interstate_26_Bald_Mountains_Tennessee.jpg)
I-26 continues over the next several miles in a relatively straight alignment, where it passes the town of
Unicoi. A few miles later, the interstate reaches
Erwin Erwin may refer to:
People Given name
* Erwin Chargaff (1905–2002), Austrian biochemist
* Erwin Dold (1919–2012), German concentration camp commandant in World War 2
* Erwin Hauer (1926–2017), Austrian-born American sculptor
* Egon Erwin Kisc ...
, where it has interchanges with the northern terminus of
SR 81. The route then runs along the bank of the
Nolichucky River
The Nolichucky River is a river that flows through Western North Carolina and East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Traversing the Pisgah National Forest and the Cherokee National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the river's wate ...
for about , before crossing that river and leaving Irwin. Meandering through a valley that is even narrower at this point, the route reaches an interchange a few miles later where US 19W splits off. The interstate then begins a gradual uphill climb at this point, with the speed limit reducing to and for trucks, and reaches an elevation of a short distance later. Shortly beyond this point is an interchange with a local road, which also contains the westbound Tennessee Welcome Center. A short distance beyond this point is a westbound scenic overlook, where the route briefly flattens out before beginning an even steeper climb near the
Flag Pond community, where the speed limit reduces to and for trucks. Over then next , where the interstate surpasses , the westbound lanes utilize two
runaway truck ramp
A runaway truck ramp, runaway truck lane, escape lane, emergency escape ramp, or truck arrester bed is a traffic device that enables vehicles which are having braking problems to safely stop. It is typically a long, sand- or gravel-filled lane co ...
s, and westbound trucks are advised to reduce their speed to between , depending on their weight. This stretch also passes through multiple artificial rock cuts where mesh fences and
retaining wall
Retaining walls are relatively rigid walls used for supporting soil laterally so that it can be retained at different levels on the two sides.
Retaining walls are structures designed to restrain soil to a slope that it would not naturally keep to ...
s are used to mitigate the effects of
rockslides
A rockslide is a type of landslide caused by rock failure in which part of the bedding plane of failure passes through compacted rock and material collapses ''en masse'' and not in individual blocks. Note that a rockslide is similar to an avalanc ...
, and crosses three stream valleys on long viaducts, which also act as wildlife underpasses. Near the top of this ascent is an eastbound scenic overlook. About later, the interstate reaches Sam's Gap, where the westbound lanes contain a large truck inspection and parking station, and crosses into North Carolina.
History
Background and early history
A proposal to construct a road between Johnson City and
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...
existed as early as 1919.
US 23 was established in 1930 with a complete concurrency with
SR 36, from the
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
state line to the
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
state line; going through
Erwin Erwin may refer to:
People Given name
* Erwin Chargaff (1905–2002), Austrian biochemist
* Erwin Dold (1919–2012), German concentration camp commandant in World War 2
* Erwin Hauer (1926–2017), Austrian-born American sculptor
* Egon Erwin Kisc ...
,
Unicoi,
Johnson City and
Kingsport. In 1952, US 23 was rerouted southwest of
Ernestville, along
SR 81 through
Flag Pond and Sam's Gap into North Carolina; its old alignment remained part of
US 19W/SR 36.
Appalachian Development Highway System and Interstate Highway era
The widening of US 23 to a four-lane highway between Asheville, North Carolina, and Johnson City, Tennessee, was authorized by the
Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, which created the Appalachian Development Highway System. This stretch was designated as part of Corridor B, and the project was known as Project A-10.
The first contract for construction was awarded on February 23, 1968, for the stretch between I-81 and near the Gray community. On January 9, 1971, the segment of this highway located between SR 75 in Gray and SR 354 near Johnson City was opened. The segment between SR 354 and SR 381 opened on November 17, 1972. On July 1, 1975, the stretch between US 11W/US 19 and SR 19 (Market Street) in Johnson City opened. The section between SR 19 and south of US 321/SR 67 south of Johnson City was opened to northbound traffic on October 23, 1978, and to southbound traffic the following day, after nearly 16 months of delays. On November 13, 1981, the stretch between SR 93 and US 11W in Kingsport was dedicated and opened. The segment around Erwin between south of the Nolichucky River and north of Main Street, known at the time as the Erwin Bypass, opened on January 29, 1982.
That same month, contracts were awarded for the stretch between south of US 321/SR 67 and Main Street in Erwin,
[ and the stretch was dedicated and opened on June 20, 1986, after multiple delays.
While Tennessee continued to appropriate funds to construct the highway between Erwin an the Virginia state line, funds for ADHS corridors began lagging in the 1970s, and by the end of that decade, plans to upgrade the stretch over the Bald Mountains had largely stalled.] State Representative Zane Whitson of Erwin, who was elected in 1978, campaigned on reviving the project, but it remained largely dormant until August 1985, when two planners from Johnson City suggested renumbering the route to Interstate 181 in order to make the highway eligible for additional federal funds. In 1986, the extension through the Bald Mountains was included as one of six new freeway projects dubbed "Bicentennial Parkways" in the Better Roads Program, passed by the Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Speaker of the Senate carries the additional title ...
. This program, which had been proposed and spearheaded by then-governor Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. (born July 3, 1940) is a retired American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also was the 45th governor of Tennessee fro ...
, increased the state's gasoline and diesel taxes to fund these freeway projects as well as a backlog of 15 projects that had been labeled as top priorities and other projects. The project was referred to in the plan as the "Interstate 181 Extension" and was expected to cost $95.5 million (equivalent to $ in ) at the time.[ The project was further accelerated the following year by then-new Governor ]Ned McWherter
Ned Ray McWherter (October 15, 1930April 4, 2011) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 46th Governor of Tennessee, from 1987 to 1995. Prior to that, he served as Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 19 ...
.
The contract for the first section of the extension, between south of the Nolichucky River and near the Temple Hill Community, was awarded on February 16, 1990, On May 1, 1990, a groundbreaking ceremony was held, officiated by Governor McWherter. The section between Temple Hill and Flag Pond was awarded on January 2, 1991, and the section between Flag Pond and Carver Road, near the southernmost runaway truck ramp, was awarded on May 21, 1991. Due to the mountainous setting, the project proved to be one of the most difficult and laborious projects ever undertaken by TDOT, and required nearly 25 million cubic yards of rock and dirt to be moved. In September 1992, a lawsuit was jointly filed against TDOT by the Tennessee Environmental Council, the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...
, the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association, and the Good Earth Defense Fund alleging violations of the National Environmental Policy Act
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The law was enacted on January 1, 1970.Un ...
and the Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...
. The suit was dropped when TDOT agreed to modify the design of the highway in order to be more environmentally *, which included additional erosion control measures and the construction of two wildlife underpass tunnels, nicknamed "bear boxes", under the highway. They also agreed to set up an environmental advisory agency for the department. On December 24, 1993, the section between the Nolichucky River and US 19W opened. On July 5, 1995, the final section opened to traffic in a dedication ceremony at Sam's Gap officiated by then-Governor Don Sundquist
Donald Kenneth Sundquist (born March 15, 1936) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 47th Governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003. Prior to his governorship, he represented Tennessee's 7th congressional district in the Unit ...
, former Governor McWherter, and Congressman Quillen, along with other state officials. The final cost of the extension was $170 million (equivalent to $ in ).
Designation history
The controlled-access highway that ran between Johnson City and Kingsport was initially established as Tennessee State Route 137 (SR 137), with this designation extended as new sections were completed. In 1982, US 23 was rerouted onto the freeway from its original alignment with SR 36, forming a concurrency with SR 137. On December 4, 1985, the stretch between I-81 and US 11W in Kingsport was renumbered Interstate 181 (I-181). The I-181 designation was extended south to US 321/SR 67 in Johnson City on June 10, 1986. Both of these redesignations replaced SR 137 but kept the US 23 designation, and exits were numbered according to US 23's mileage. This reduced SR 137 to its present-day designation between US 11W and the Virginia state line, all within Kingsport.
In 1988, AASHTO approved an extension of I-26 from North Carolina to I-81, on contingent upon the completion and certification of the highway. On August 5, 2003, after completion of a adjacent section of controlled-access highway in North Carolina, I-26 was extended west into Tennessee, replacing I-181 from Johnson City to I-81. AASHTO initially 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 (SAFETEA-LU), 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 I-181 was officially decommissioned, and replaced with I-26 signage.
Exit list
Old exit numbers were based on US 23 distances; new exit numbers are based on I-26 milemarkers.
See also
*
*
* Special routes of U.S. Route 23
References
External links
*
*
{{state detail page browse, type=I, route=26, state=Tennessee, stateafter=North Carolina
Transportation in Unicoi County, Tennessee
Transportation in Carter County, Tennessee
Transportation in Washington County, Tennessee
Transportation in Sullivan County, Tennessee
Freeways in Tennessee
23