Interstate 81 branches northeast from I-40 along a 75.5 mile long course to Bristol and the Virginia state line. Connecting the Tri-Cities region with Knoxville via I-40 west and Asheville, North Carolina via I-26 south, I-81 constitutes a major freight corridor joining the Northeastern U.S. with the Southeast.
Interstate 81 Tennessee Guides
Interstate 81 parallels Bays Mountain north from I-40 to areas south of Morristown and the Greene / Washington County line. The freeway runs along a series of hills into the Tri-Cities area, including Baines Ridge, Howard Ridge, Double Springs Ridge. Passing south of Kingsport along the Colonial Heights community, I-81 spans Fort Patrick Henry Lake. The northernmost section in Tennessee enters suburban areas of west Bristol.
Interstate 81 south along Double Springs Ridge near the Washington County, Tennessee line. 06/25/12
scenes
The Greene County I-81 South Rest Area lies across from Lost Mountain, east of Baileytown.
05/31/07
05/31/07
05/31/07
Pyborn Ridge rises east of the Greene County Rest Area.
05/31/07
SR 160 (Enka Highway) connects Interstate 81 with the Hamblen County seat of Morristown at Exit 12.
08/23/03
Interstate 81 leads south from the diamond interchange with SR 160 to the town of White Pine and I-40 outside Dandridge.
08/23/03
Confirming marker for SR 160 south beyond the exchange with I-81. SR 160 crosses the Nolichucky River and Cocke County line in 3.7 miles.
08/23/03
SR 93 south at the parclo interchange with I-81 in the community of Fall Branch. I-81 leads northeast six miles to Tri-Cities Crossing and the exchange with I-26/U.S. 23. SR 93 meets the north end of SR 81 in 1.25 miles at Haws Crossroads.
07/18/04
SR 126 runs 3.89 miles west from SR 394 in the Sullivan County seat of Blountville to the diamond interchange at Exit 66.
05/26/21
I-81 travels northeast from SR 126 at Gunnings to Bristol. SR 126 continues northwest across Chestnut Ridge into Johnson City.
05/26/21
Photo Credits:
- 08/23/03 by AARoads and Justin Cozart.
- 07/18/04 by Carter Buchanan.
- 05/31/07 by AARoads and Carter Buchanan.
- 05/26/21 by AARoads.
Connect with:
Interstate 26
Interstate 40
U.S. 11
Page Updated 08-09-2021.