State Route 61 (SR 61) is a west-to-east highway in the U.S. state of Tennessee that is 81.67-mile-long (131.44 km). State Route 61 begins in Roane County, and it ends in Grainger County.
State Route 61 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey H. Hannah Memorial Highway | ||||
 SR 61; primary in red, secondary in blue | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TDOT | ||||
| Length | 81.67 mi (131.44 km) | |||
| Existed | October 1, 1923[1]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |   US 27 / US 70 in Rockwood | |||
| East end |  US 11W at Blaine | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Tennessee | |||
| Counties | Roane, Anderson, Union, Knox, Grainger | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Route description edit
Roane County edit
SR 61 begins in Roane County as a primary highway in the city of Rockwood at an intersection with US 27/US 70/SR 29/SR 1. It begins concurrent with US 27 as its companion route though it is signed, except on I-40. They then proceed north as a four-lane divided highway and have a junction with the short SR 382, providing access to Roane State Community College, and cross into Harriman. US 27/SR 61 continue north to have an interchange with I-40 (Exit 347), with only US 27 signed, and enter the "South Harriman" neighborhood. US 27/SR 61 continue through Harriman's main business district and again intersect and have an unsigned concurrency with SR 29, US 27's main companion route. They then cross the Emory River and enter downtown Harriman as Roane Street. They continue through downtown, still as a four-lane, and junction with SR 328, a loop route through the town of Oakdale. The highway leaves downtown, as a four-lane divide highway, and go by the Harriman campus of Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) and exit Harriman. US 27 and SR 61 then split at an interchange, with SR 29 following US 27 as its companion route. SR 61 turns east alone as two-lane rural highway. SR 61 then intersects SR 327 in the community of Blair. It then enters the community of Kellytown before entering the city of Oliver Springs. The highway widens into a four-lane highway with a center turn lane. SR 61 then comes to an intersection with SR 62, which is the main highway in and out of Morgan County, and SR 330, which provides access to downtown, and becomes concurrent with SR 62 north of downtown. SR 61/SR 62 then bypass downtown to the north and east as a four-lane divided highway with partially controlled access and crosses into Anderson County.
Anderson County edit
They then have a partial interchange with Main Street and enter Oliver Springs' main business district. Continuing southeast, they then separate with SR 62 heading into Oak Ridge and SR 61 becoming a secondary highway as it goes toward Clinton as a two-lane rural highway. It goes through some farmland in the communities of Batley and Marlow on a nearly 4-mile-long (6.4 km) straightaway before becoming slightly curvy before coming to an intersection with SR 95. It then turns east again, becoming a primary highway, as a four-lane undivided highway running along the banks of the Clinch River. SR 61 then enters the city of Clinton and junctions with US 25W/SR 9. The highway continues on through downtown and becomes a four-lane divided highway and crosses the Clinch River. SR 61 now has an interchange with I-75 (Exit 122), leaving Clinton and becoming a secondary highway. It then passes through the community of Bethel, where it passes by the Museum of Appalachia, before entering Norris and having an intersection and short concurrency with US 441 / SR 71. The highway now leaves Norris and becomes a two-lane rural highway. SR 61 then goes through the community of Andersonville before becoming extremely curvy and narrow, and enters Union County.
Union County edit
It then runs alongside Norris Lake for a few miles and passes Big Ridge State Park before intersecting with SR 170 in New Loyston. The highway junctions and becomes concurrent with SR 33 in Paulette and the two highways enter Maynardville as a two-lane rural highway. In Maynardville, it becomes a four-lane undivided highway and intersects with SR 144. They then leave Maynardville and revert to a two-lane rural highway. SR 33 and SR 61 then separate and SR 61 becomes curvy once again and intersects SR 370 before entering Luttrell and having an intersection and short concurrency with SR 131.
Knox and Grainger Counties edit
It then shortly crosses into Knox County and intersects with SR 331 near Corryton before crossing into Grainger County. The highway then enters Blaine and comes to an end at an intersection with US 11W / SR 1, ending as a secondary highway.
Harvey H. Hannah Memorial Highway edit
Along the highway from Harriman to Oliver Springs, Highway 61 is called "The Harvey H. Hannah Highway". Harvey H. Hannah of Oliver Springs was the Tennessee Chairman of the State Railroad and Public Utilities Commission for 30 years. He served in the Spanish–American War, becoming colonel of the 4th Tennessee Volunteers. He also became a military governor of a Cuban province. Cordell Hull, who became United States Secretary of State, served as a captain under Hannah. Besides being a lawyer, military officer and politician, he was well known as a great orator. He served as Adjutant General under two Tennessee governors from 1903 to 1907. This was where he acquired the title "General". In 1922, General Hannah was a candidate for governor in the Democratic primary but was defeated by Austin Peay, who became governor. On November 8, 1936, Hannah died from a throat condition. Governor Hill McAlister visited Hannah before his death and asked, "Harvey, is there anything that I can do for you?" He replied, "Hill, I know that money is hard to get, but I hope that you will find enough state money to finish the Oliver Springs-Harriman highway." The Governor obtained the money, and the highway was named in Hannah's honor. Hannah is buried in the Oliver Springs Cemetery and his tombstone is said to be the tallest monument in the Oliver Springs area.[2]
Major intersections edit
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roane | Rockwood | 0.00 | 0.00 |  US 27 south / US 70 (North Gateway Avenue/Roane State Highway/SR 1/SR 29) – Midtown, Kingston, Spring City, Crab Orchard | Western terminus; Western end of US 27 overlap; SR 61 begins as a primary state route |
| Cardiff |  SR 382 south (Patton Lane) – Roane State Community College | Northern terminus of SR 382 | |||
| Harriman |  I-40 – Knoxville, Nashville | I-40 exit 347 | |||
 SR 29 south (Ruritan Road) – Midtown | Western end of SR 29 overlap | ||||
| William Hamilton Browder Bridge over the Emory River | |||||
  SR 328 north (Georgia Avenue Northwest) – Oakdale | Southern terminus of SR 328 | ||||
| | US 27 north (Bitter Creek Highway/SR 29 north) – Wartburg | Eastern end of US 27 / SR 29 overlap | |||
| Blair |  SR 327 south (Blair Road) – Oak Ridge | Northern terminus of SR 327 | |||
| Oliver Springs |   SR 62 west (Knoxville Highway) – Coalfield, Wartburg
 SR 330 north (Main Street) – Downtown Oliver Springs | Western end of SR 62 overlap; Southern terminus of SR 330 | |||
| Anderson | Downtown Oliver Springs To SR 330 (Spring Street) – Briceville | Westbound Interchange only; No Eastbound access | |||
| SR 62 (North Illinois Avenue) – Oak Ridge, Knoxville | Eastern end of SR 62 overlap; SR 61 turns secondary | ||||
| |  SR 95 south (Oak Ridge Turnpike) – Oak Ridge | Northern terminus of SR 95; SR 61 turns primary | |||
| Clinton |  US 25W (South Main Street/SR 9) – Rocky Top, Powell | ||||
| Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Clinch River | |||||
 I-75 – Knoxville, Lexington | I-75 exit 122; SR 61 turns secondary | ||||
| Norris |  US 441 north (Norris Freeway/SR 71) – Norris Dam State Park, Norris Dam, Rocky Top | Western end of US 441 / SR 71 overlap | |||
| US 441 south (Norris Freeway/SR 71) – Halls Crossroads, Knoxville | Eastern end of US 441 / SR 71 concurrency | ||||
| Union | New Loyston |   SR 170 east (Hickory Valley Road) – Hickory Star | Western end of SR 170 wrong-way overlap | ||
| SR 170 west (Hickory Valley Road) | Eastern end of SR 170 wrong-way overlap | ||||
| Paulette |  SR 33 south (Maynardville Highway) – Halls Crossroads, Knoxville | Western end of SR 33 overlap | |||
| Maynardville |  SR 144 west (Hickory Star Road) – Hickory Star | Western end of SR 144 overlap | |||
| SR 144 east (Ailor Gap Road) – Plainview | Eastern end of SR 144 overlap | ||||
| SR 33 (Maynardville Highway) – New Tazewell | Eastern end of SR 33 overlap | ||||
| |  SR 370 south (Bull Run Road) | Northern terminus of SR 370 | |||
| Luttrell |  SR 131 north – Washburn | Western end of SR 131 overlap | |||
| SR 131 south – Plainview, Knoxville | Eastern end of SR 131 overlap | ||||
| Knox | Corryton |  SR 331 south (Washington Pike) – Knoxville, Corryton | Northern terminus of SR 331 | ||
| Grainger | Blaine | 81.67 | 131.44 | US 11W (Rutledge Pike/SR 1) – Rutledge, Mascot, Knoxville | Eastern terminus; SR 61 ends as a secondary route |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also edit
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.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Tennessee Department of Transportation (24 January 2003). "State Highway and Interstate List 2003".
External links edit
- Tennessee Department of Transportation Archived 2015-06-15 at the Wayback Machine