Interstate 40 in Tennessee

Interstate 40 Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Maintained by Tennessee DOT
Length:	455.28 mi (732.70 km)
West end:	I-40 at Arkansas state line
Major junctions:	I-69 / I-240 in Memphis I-440 in Nashville I-65 in Nashville I-24 in Nashville SR-155 / SR-155 in Nashville SR-840 in Lebanon I-140 in Knoxville I-75 / I-640 in Knoxville I-275 in Knoxville I-81 in Dandridge
East end:	I-40 at North Carolina state line
Counties:	Shelby, Fayette, Haywood, Madison, Henderson, Carroll, Decatur, Humphreys, Hickman, Dickson, Williamson, Cheatham, Davidson, Wilson, Smith, Putnam, Cumberland, Roane, Loudon, Knox, Sevier, Jefferson, Cocke
Tennessee State Routes < SR-39 SR-40 >

In the state of Tennessee, Interstate 40 traverses the entirety of the state from west to east, running from the Mississippi River at the Arkansas border to the northern base of the Great Smoky Mountains at the North Carolina border. The road connects Tennessee's three largest cities— Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville— and crosses all of Tennessee's physiographical provinces— the Mississippi Embayment and Gulf Coastal Plain in West Tennessee, the Highland Rim and Nashville Basin in Middle Tennessee, and the Cumberland Plateau, Appalachian Valley and Ridge Province, and Blue Ridge Province in East Tennessee. The Tennessee section of I-40 is 455 miles (732 km) long, the longest of any state.

Route description

West Tennessee

The Hernando de Soto Bridge, where I-40 crosses the Mississippi River into Memphis

Interstate 40 enters Tennessee from Arkansas via the Hernando de Soto Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River at River Mile 736. The interstate passes across the southern half of Mud Island before crossing the Wolf River into downtown Memphis. At the I-240 interchange, I-40 abrubtly turns north, following the route redesignated due to the Overton Park controversy in the 1970s.

The first 130 miles (210 km) of the interstate in Tennessee are relatively flat as the road traverses the Gulf Coastal Plain. At Mile 78, the road crosses the South Fork Forked Deer River into Jackson, Tennessee, and from Jackson proceeds through the northern half of Natchez Trace State Park. At Mile 135, I-40 crosses the Tennessee River into Middle Tennessee.

Middle Tennessee

East of the Tennessee River, the rugged hills of the Western Highland Rim flank I-40 for a considerable stretch before the interstate descends to the Nashville Basin between Miles 186 and 188. In Downtown Nashville, I-40 converges with Interstate 24 and Interstate 65, making Nashville one of just four cities in the United States where six interstate legs converge within the city's boundaries.^[1] At Mile 219, the interstate crosses the Stones River just downstream from Percy Priest Dam, and continues for roughly 50 miles (80 km) across mostly open farmland.

Between Miles 263 and 266, I-40 crosses the meandering Caney Fork River five times before ascending the Eastern Highland Rim, reaching 1,000 feet (300 m) for the first time in the state near Silver Point. The interstate steadies at the edge of the table-top rim at Mile 272 (near Baxter) and continues across relatively flat farmland in south Cookeville. Between Miles 292 and 297, the interstate ascends the western escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau, reaching 2,000 feet (610 m) southeast of Monterey. At Mile 308, I-40 crosses the Tennessee Divide, where the Cumberland and Tennessee River watersheds meet (in the eastbound lane, the divide is marked by a sign reading "Entering Emory River watershed"; its westbound lane counterpart notes the beginning of the Caney Fork watershed).

East Tennessee

I-40 descending Walden Ridge, Miles 341-346

I-40 remains relatively steady as it continues across the Cumberland Plateau and passes through the northern part of Crossville. East of Crossville, the Crab Orchard Mountains (the southern fringe of the Cumberland Mountains) come into view as the road descends several hundred feet. At Mile 329, the interstate enters Crab Orchard Gap and proceeds through a narrow valley once prone to rockslides. At Mile 340, the interstate enters the Eastern Time Zone, and shortly thereafter the road begins its descent of the Cumberland Plateau into the Tennessee Valley. I-40 hugs the slopes of the plateau's Walden Ridge escarpment for several miles— with dramatic views of the Tennessee Valley below to the south— before reaching the base of the plateau at Mile 347 between Harriman and Rockwood.

I-40 near Mile 441, with Mount Cammerer rising in the distance

As it enters the Ridge-and-Valley province (of which the Tennessee Valley is a part), I-40 crosses a series of ridges and valleys characteristic of the region's topography. At Mile 351, the road crosses the Clinch River, with the Kingston Fossil Plant and its 1000-ft twin smokestacks dominating the view to the north. The road widens to four lanes at Mile 368 as I-40 merges with Interstate 75. Knoxville's skyline comes into view at Mile 387 before the road passes through downtown Knoxville.

Beyond Knoxville, the interstate crosses the Holston and French Broad rivers (the French Broad is much wider due to its impoundment by Douglas Dam a few miles downstream) and continues for several miles along the northern base of English Mountain. At Mile 440, the road turns south through the gap between English Mountain and Stone Mountain, revealing a dramatic view of the 4,928-foot (1,502 m) Mount Cammerer at the northeastern end of the Great Smokies range, and the road proceeds into the Pigeon River Gorge, closely following the north bank of the river. The massive mesh nets on the cliffslopes are indicative of the rockslide prevention measures along this stretch of I-40.

History

Interstate 75 North running concurrent with Interstate 40 East in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2009.

The Tennessee leg of Interstate 40 was part of the original 1,047 miles (1,685 km) of interstate highways authorized for Tennessee by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. The first section of Interstate 40— Nonconnah Creek to Hindman Ferry Road in Shelby County— was contracted in 1956, and within a year contracts had been awarded for sections in Davidson, Knox, Roane, Haywood, Madison, Jefferson, and Cocke counties. By 1958, sections in Loudon, Smith, Putnam, Cumberland, Humphreys, Hickman, and Sevier counties had been contracted. Most of Interstate 40 had been completed by the late 1960s.^[2]

In Memphis, I-40 was originally slated to pass through the city's Overton Park, a 342-acre (138 ha) wooded refuge that had become an important stopover for migratory birds. Fearing that the interstate's construction would upset the park's fragile ecological balance, environmentalists waged a 12-year legal battle to prevent highway construction in the park, culminating in the United States Supreme Court decision, Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe. The Supreme Court remanded the case to the district court for further review, and the district ruled that the highway commission had not adequately explored alternative routes. In 1981, the highway commission abandoned plans to route I-40 through Overton Park, and instead redesignated the northern portion of Interstate 240 as Interstate 40.^[3] For over 20 years, I-40 signage existed on the dead-end route toward Overton Park. Several miles of interstate were actually built within the Interstate 240 loop; this portion of highway still exists and is in regular use as Sam Cooper Boulevard, reaching the eastern end of Chickasaw Country Club.

Geological difficulties

Rockslides

The rugged terrain of East Tennessee presented numerous challenges for I-40 construction crews and engineers. Rockslides, especially along the eastern Cumberland Plateau and in the Pigeon River Gorge, have been a persistent problem since the road's construction. Twenty rockslides occurred along the Walden Ridge section (Miles 341-346) of the eastern plateau in 1968 alone, prompting various remedial measures throughout the 1970s, including the employment of rock buttresses, gabion walls, and horizontal drains. In December 1986, a truck driver was killed when his truck skidded across some rocks that had spilled across the road just east of Crab Orchard (between Miles 331 and 333). In response, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) flattened the cutslopes along this stretch of interstate and moved the road 60 feet (18 m) away from the problematic cliffside.^[4]

Another area prone to rockslides is the Pigeon River Gorge, especially in the vicinity of the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. Throughout the 1970s, this stretch of I-40 was repeatedly shut down by rockslides, sometimes for several weeks at a time. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, TDOT dug over 24,000 feet (7,300 m) of horizontal drains, blasted out large volumes of unstable rocks, and installed massive mesh catchment fences.^[4] Nevertheless, rockslides in 1985 and 1997 again forced the closure of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge for several weeks.^[5] Additional stabilization measures were implemented, including the blasting of loose rock, the installation of rock bolts, and the construction of a better drainage system.^[6] In spite of these measures, another massive rock slide occurred in the Pigeon River Gorge on October 26, 2009, blocking all lanes just across the border at North Carolina Mile Marker 3. Officials say it will take at least three months to clear the interstate.^[7]

Sinkholes

Sinkholes are a consistent issue along highways in East Tennessee. One particularly problematic stretch is a section of I-40 between Miles 365 and 367 in Loudon County, which is underlain by cavernous rock strata. In the 1970s and 1980s, TDOT employed numerous stabilization measures in this area, including backfilling existing sinkholes with limestone, collapsing potential sinkholes, and paving roadside ditches to prevent surface water from seeping into the volatile soil.^[4]

SmartFix 40

Until June 12, 2009^[8], a section of I-40 through downtown Knoxville between James White Parkway and Hall of Fame Drive was completely closed to all traffic for about 18 months for a massive reconstruction. Through traffic was required to use Interstate 640 or to use surface streets. The four-lane section, which was quite substandard, congested, and accident-prone, was widened to six lanes to improve traffic flow and safety. Several interchanges along that stretch were also reconstructed.^[9]

Future

The Tennessee Department of Transportation officially announced the I-40/I-81 Corridor Feasibility Study on July 27, 2007.^[10] The intent of this study is to assess deficiencies along I-40 & I-81 in Tennessee and to develop upgrade proposals for the existing corridor.^[11] This study will be completed in 2008.

On January 18, 2008, the Federal Highway Administration authorized the states of Mississippi and Tennessee to extend I-69 from the I-40/TN 300 interchange in north Memphis to the I-55/I-69 interchange in Hernando, Mississippi; however, Tennessee has not yet^[update] signed the extension of the route, although Mississippi has already done so.^[12]

Exit list

Exits are numbered from west to east, in accordance with AASHTO guidelines.

County	Location	#	Destinations	Notes
Shelby	Memphis	Hernando de Soto Bridge over the Mississippi River
		1	Riverside Drive, Front Street
		1A	2nd Street, 3rd Street (SR-3/SR-14)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		1B	US-51 (Danny Thomas Boulevard, SR-1, SR-4)	Signed as exits 1C (south) and 1D (north) westbound
		West end of I-69 overlap
		1E	I-69 south / I-240 south / Madison Avenue - Jackson, Mississippi
		1F	SR-14 (Jackson Avenue)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		2	Chelsea Avenue, Smith Avenue
		2A	To US-51 (SR-300 to SR-3) – Millington	Future continuation of I-69 north
		East end of I-69 overlap
		3	Watkins Street
		5	Hollywood Street
		6	Warford Street
		8	SR-14 (Jackson Avenue, Austin Peay Highway)	Signed as exits 8A (north) and 8B (south) westbound
		10	SR-204 (Covington Pike)
		12A	US-64 (Summer Avenue, SR-1) / US-70 / US-79 / White Station Road
		12B	Sam Cooper Boulevard
		12C	I-240 west - Jackson, MS
		12	Sycamore View Road
		14	Whitten Road
		15	Appling Road	Signed as exits 15A (south) and 15B (north) eastbound
		16	SR-177 – Germantown	Signed as exits 16A (south) and 16B (north) westbound
	Lakeland	18	US-64 (SR-15) – Somerville, Bolivar, Bartlett
		20	Canada Road — Lakeland
	Arlington	24	SR-385 – Millington	Signed as exits 24A (west) and 24B (east); future Interstate 269
		25	SR-205 – Arlington, Collierville
Fayette		35	SR-59 – Covington, Somerville
		42	SR-222 – Stanton, Somerville
Haywood		47	SR-179 (Stanton-Dancyville Road)
		52	To SR-76 / SR-179 / Koko Road – Whiteville
	Brownsville	56	SR-76 – Brownsville, Somerville
		60	SR-19 (Mercer Road)
		66	US-70 (SR-1) – Brownsville, Ripley
Madison		68	SR-138 (Providence Road)
		74	Lower Brownsville Road
		76	SR-223 south McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport
	Jackson	79	US-412 (SR-20) to I-155 – Jackson, Alamo, Dyersburg
		80	US-45 Byp. (SR-186) – Jackson, Humboldt	Signed as exits 80A (south) and 80B (north)
		82	US-45 (SR-5) – Jackson, Milan	Signed as exits 82A (south) and 82B (north)
		83	Campbell Street
		85	Christmasville Road, Dr. F.E. Wright Drive - Jackson
		87	US-70 (SR-1) / US-412 east (SR-20) – Huntingdon, McKenzie, Jackson
		93	SR-152 (Law Road) – Lexington
Henderson		101	SR-104
		108	SR-22 – Parkers Crossroads, Lexington, Huntingdon
		116	SR-114 – Natchez Trace State Park
Carroll
Decatur		126	US-641 / SR-69 – Camden, Paris, Parsons
Benton		133	SR-191 (Birdsong Road)
	Bridge over the Tennessee River
Humphreys
		137	Cuba Landing
		143	SR-13 – Linden, Waverly
Hickman		148	SR-50 to SR-229 – Centerville
		152	SR-230 – Bucksnort
Dickson		163	SR-48 – Centerville, Dickson
	Dickson	172	SR-46 – Centerville, Dickson
		176	SR-840 east
Williamson		182	SR-96 – Franklin, Fairview, Dickson
Cheatham		188	SR-249 – Kingston Springs, Ashland City
Davidson		192	McCrory Lane - Pegram
		196	US-70S (SR-1) – Bellevue, Newsom Station
		199	SR-251 (Old Hickory Boulevard)
	Nashville	201	US-70 (Charlotte Pike, SR-24)	Signed as exits 201A (east) and 201B (west)
		204	SR-155 (Briley Parkway, White Bridge Road) / Robertson Avenue	Signed as exits 204A (north) and 204B (south) westbound
		205	51st Avenue, 46th Avenue - West Nashville
		206	I-440 east – Knoxville
		207	28th Avenue	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		207	Jefferson Street	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		208	I-65 north to I-24 west - Louisville, Clarksville	West end of I-65 overlap; signed as exit 208B eastbound
		209	US-70 (Charlotte Avenue, SR-24)	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		209A	Church Street, Charlotte Avenue	Signed as exit 209 westbound
		209B	US-70 / US-70S / US-431 (Broadway, SR-1, SR-24) / Demonbreun Street	Signed as exit 209A westbound
		209B	Demonbreun Street	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		210	I-65 south - Huntsville	East end of I-65 overlap; signed as exit 210B westbound
		210C	US-31A south / US-41A south (4th Avenue, SR-11 south) / 2nd Avenue
		211B	I-24 west to I-65 north – Clarksville, Louisville	West end of I-24 overlap, formerly the point where I-24, I-40, and I-65 met
		212	Hermitage Avenue (US-70, SR-24)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		212	Fesslers Lane	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		213A	I-24 east / I-440 west – Chattanooga, Memphis	East end of I-24 overlap
		213	To US-41 (Murfreesboro Road, US-70S, SR-1) / Spence Lane	No eastbound exit (use exit 213A)
		215	SR-155 (Briley Parkway) – Opryland	Signed as exits 215A (south) and 215B (north) eastbound
		216A	Nashville International Airport	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		216	SR-255 (Donelson Pike) – Nashville International Airport, Air Cargo	Signed as exits 216B (south) and 216C (north) eastbound
		219	Stewarts Ferry Pike - J. Percy Priest Dam
		221	SR-45 north (Old Hickory Boulevard) – Hermitage	Signed as exits 221A (north) and 221B (south) eastbound
Wilson		226	SR-171 (Mount Juliet Road) – Mount Juliet	Signed as exits 226A (south) and 226B (north) eastbound
		229	Beckwith Road	Signed as exits 229A (south) and 229B (north) eastbound
	Lebanon	232	SR-109 – Gallatin	Signed as exits 232A (south) and 232B (north) eastbound
		235	SR-840 west – Murfreesboro
		236	South Hartmann Drive - Lebanon Municipal Airport
		238	US-231 (SR-10) – Lebanon, Murfreesboro
		239	US-70 (SR-26) – Watertown, Lebanon	Signed as exits 239A (east) and 239B (west) eastbound
		245	Linwood Road
Smith		254	SR-141 – Alexandria
		258	SR-53 – Carthage, Gordonsville
Putnam		268	SR-96 (Buffalo Valley Road) – Center Hill Dam
		273	SR-56 south – Smithville, McMinnville	West end of SR-56 overlap
		276	Old Baxter Road
	Baxter	280	SR-56 north – Baxter, Gainesboro	East end of SR-56 overlap
	Cookeville	286	SR-135 (South Willow Avenue) – Cookeville
		287	SR-136 – Cookeville, Sparta
		288	SR-111 – Livingston, Sparta
		290	US-70N – Cookeville
	Monterey	300	US-70N (SR-24) / SR-84 – Monterey, Livingston
		301	US-70N (SR-24) to SR-84 – Monterey, Jamestown, Livingston
Cumberland		311	Plateau Road
	Crossville	317	US-127 (SR-28) – Crossville, Jamestown
		320	SR-298 (Genesis Road) – Crossville
		322	SR-101 (Peavine Road) – Crossville
		329	To US-70 (SR-1) – Crab Orchard
		338	SR-299 south (Westel Road) – Rockwood	West end of SR-299 overlap
		340	SR-299 north (Airport Road)	East end of SR-299 overlap
Roane	Harriman	347	US-27 (SR-61) – Harriman, Rockwood, Roane State Community College
		350	To SR-29 – Harriman, Midtown
	Bridge over the Clinch River
	Kingston	352	SR-58 south – Kingston	West end of SR-58 overlap
		355	Lawnville Road
		356	SR-58 north (Gallaher Road, SR-326 south) – Oak Ridge	East end of SR-58 overlap; signed as exits 356A (north) and 356B (south) westbound
		360	Buttermilk Road
Loudon		364	US-321 (SR-73) / SR-95 – Lenoir City, Oak Ridge
		368	I-75 south – Chattanooga
	West end of I-75 overlap
Knox		369	Watt Road
		373	Campbell Station Road - Farragut
	Knoxville	374	SR-131 (Lovell Road)
		376	I-140 east / SR-162 north – Oak Ridge, Maryville	Signed as exits 376A (north) and 376B (east)
		378	Cedar Bluff Road	Signed as exits 378A (south) and 378B (north) westbound
		379	Bridgewater Road, Walker Springs Road
		379A	Gallaher View Road	Eastbound exit is via exit 379
		380	US-11 (SR-1) / US-70 (West Hills)
		383	Papermill Drive (SR-332)
		East end of I-75 overlap
		385	I-75 north / I-640 east - Lexington
		386A	University Avenue, Middlebrook Pike (SR-169)	Westbound exit is part of exit 386B
		386B	US-129 (Alcoa Highway, SR-115) – Smoky Mountains McGhee Tyson Airport
		387	SR-62 (Western Avenue) / 17th Street, 21st Street
		387A	I-275 north - Lexington
		388	US-441 south (Henley Street, SR-33 south) – Downtown Knoxville	No westbound exit or eastbound entrance
		388A	To US-441 south (SR-33 south) / James White Parkway (SR-158 west) – Downtown Knoxville, University of Tennessee	West end of SR-158 overlap
		389	To US-441 north (Hall of Fame Drive, SR-158 east to SR-33 north) / 5th Avenue	East end of SR-158 overlap
		390	Cherry Street
		392	US-11W (Rutledge Pike, SR-1) / Knoxville Zoo Drive	Signed as exits 392A (south) and 392B (north)
		393	I-640 west / US-25W north (SR-9 north) to I-75 north - Lexington	West end of US-25W/SR-9 overlap
		394	US-11E / US-25W south / US-70 (Asheville Highway, SR-9 south, SR-168)	East end of US-25W/SR-9 overlap
	Bridge over the Holston River
		398	Strawberry Plains Pike
		402	Midway Road
Sevier	Sevierville	407	SR-66 south – Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge	West end of SR-66 overlap
Jefferson		412	Deep Springs Road - Douglas Dam
	Dandridge	415	US-25W (SR-9, SR-66 north) / US-70 – Dandridge	East end of SR-66 overlap
		417	SR-92 – Dandridge, Jefferson City
		421	I-81 north – Bristol
		424	SR-113 – Dandridge, White Pine
	Bridge over the French Broad River
Cocke	Newport	432A	US-411 south (US-25W north, US-70 west, SR-9 north) – Sevierville
		432B	US-25W south (SR-9 south) / US-70 east – Newport
		435	US-321 north / SR-32 – Newport, Gatlinburg	West end of US-321 overlap
		440	US-321 south / SR-73 (Wilton Springs Road) – Gatlinburg	East end of US-321 overlap
		443	Foothills Parkway - Gatlinburg, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
		447	Hartford Road
		451	Waterville Road	This exit is immediately to the west of the boundary with North Carolina. There are no advance notification signs for this exit on westbound I-40 that inform drivers of the distance to the exit. The only sign for this exit is a sign immediately preceding the exit located in Tennessee that indicates the exit is to the right of I-40.

References

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Interstate 40
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