State Route 72 (SR 72) is a
state highway in the
eastern portion of
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
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 ...
. It travels through the towns of
Vonore and
Loudon.
Route description
Roane County
SR 72 begins in
Roane County at an intersection with
SR 58 just east of
Midway. It then goes east as a narrow, curvy, 2-lane highway as it goes through Midway and then some mountains before entering
Paint Rock and having a junction with
SR 322, a loop route through
Sweetwater. It stays curvy as it crosses more mountains and enters
Loudon County.
Loudon County
It then begins paralleling the
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other name ...
as it enters
Loudon, and finally leaves the mountains and curves behind. SR 72 then has an interchange with
I-75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
before going through Loudon's main business district and having a junction with
US 11
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, country=USA
, type=US
, route=11
, map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map
, map_custom=yes
, map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...
/
SR 2. It then bypasses downtown to the south before leaving Loudon and the Tennessee River to turn and go southeast. After that, it goes through farmland and has an intersection with
SR 444 (Tellico Parkway), which provides access to
Tellico Village,
Tellico Lake
Tellico Dam is a dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in Loudon County, Tennessee, on the Little Tennessee River as part of the Tellico Project. Planning for a dam structure on the Little Tennessee was reported as early as 1936 b ...
, and
Lenoir City.
Monroe and Blount Counties
SR 72 then crosses into
Monroe County and enters
Vonore, intersects with the other end of SR 322, and comes to an intersection with
US 411/
SR 33. It becomes concurrent with then and they travel east into downtown, where they intersect
SR 360, which provides access to
Fort Loudoun and
Fort Loudoun State Park
Fort Loudoun State Historic Park is a state park in Monroe County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Established in 1977, it houses the reconstructed Fort Loudoun along with an interpretive center and recreation area. Park staff also maintain the ...
. They then cross the
Little Tennessee River
The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River that flows through the Blue Ridge Mountains from Georgia, into North Carolina, and then into Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. It drains portions of three national ...
/
Tellico Lake
Tellico Dam is a dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in Loudon County, Tennessee, on the Little Tennessee River as part of the Tellico Project. Planning for a dam structure on the Little Tennessee was reported as early as 1936 b ...
, before SR 72 separates and turns south. It then follows the banks of the lake, crossing into
Blount County for a short distance, before ending at an intersection with
US 129/
SR 115 near
Tallassee.
Junction list
See also
*
*
References
072
Transportation in Monroe County, Tennessee
Transportation in Blount County, Tennessee
Transportation in Loudon County, Tennessee
Transportation in Roane County, Tennessee
{{Tennessee-road-stub