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U.S. Route 23 in Tennessee

"I-181" redirects here. For the submarine, see Japanese submarine I-181.
This article is about the section of Interstate 26 in Tennessee. For the entire route, see Interstate 26.
This article is about the section of U.S. Route 23 in Tennessee. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 23.

U.S. Route 23 marker
U.S. Route 23
James H. Quillen Parkway
Map
I-26/US 23 concurrency in purple and US 23/SR 137 concurrency in red
Route information
Maintained by TDOT
Length57.48 mi[1] (92.51 km)
The length of I-26 is 54.45 miles (87.63 km).[2]
ExistedMay 26, 1930[3]–present
History
  • Present-day route completed July 5, 1995[4]
  • I-26 established August 5, 2003[5]
Component
highways
Major junctions
South end I-26 / US 23 at the North Carolina line
Major intersections
North end US 23 at the Virginia line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountiesUnicoi, Carter, Washington, Sullivan
Highway system
← SR 22US 23→ SR 23
← SR 26I-26→ US 27
← SR 136SR 137→ SR 138

U.S. Route 23 (US 23) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that travels from Jacksonville, Florida, to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the U.S. state of Tennessee, the highway travels 57.48 miles (92.51 km) in the northeastern part of the state from the North Carolina state line at Sam's Gap in the Bald Mountains to the Virginia state line in Kingsport. The entire route in Tennessee is a four-lane controlled-access highway and is concurrent with Interstate 26 (I-26) for most of its length. The freeway is also designated the James H. Quillen Parkway for its entire length in Tennessee. US 23 in Tennessee is part of Corridor B of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) and serves as a major thoroughfare in the Tri-Cities region of the state. Although I-26 is technically an east–west route, the highway predominantly travels in a north–south alignment in the state. The highway reaches a maximum elevation of 3,760 feet (1,150 m) at the North Carolina state line, which is the highest elevation on the Interstate Highway System east of the Mississippi River.[6]

US 23 was first established in Tennessee in 1930 following State Route 36 (SR 36), and paving of the route was completed the following year. The freeway was first authorized by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, 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 and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved an extension of I-26 from Asheville, North Carolina, 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. Today, the mountainous stretch near the North Carolina state line is widely considered to be one of the most scenic stretches of Interstate Highway in the Eastern U.S.[7][8]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference USDOT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  3. ^ Executive Committee (May 26, 1930). "Minutes of Executive Committee" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. p. 4. Retrieved September 17, 2023 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rutledge was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference JCPress03-1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference DeLorme was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "1996 Excellence in Highway Design: US Route 23/Future Interstate 26". Federal Highway Administration. June 27, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "Interstate Highway 26". HDR, Inc. Retrieved January 15, 2024.

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