Tennessee State Route 1


State Route 1, known as the Memphis to Bristol Highway, is a mostly-unsigned state highway in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from the Arkansas state line at Memphis in the southwest corner of the state to Bristol in the northeast part. Most of the route travels concurrently with U.S. Route 70 and US 11W. It is the longest highway of any kind in the state of Tennessee. The route is signed as both in the state of Tennessee, a Primary and Secondary Highway
In 2015, the Tennessee Department of Transportation erected signs along SR 1 showing motorists they are traveling on the Memphis to Bristol Highway, Tennessee's first state road. TDOT installed the signs at every county line while it celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Route description

Memphis Area

SR 1 begins as a primary route on Interstate 55 in the middle of the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge at the Arkansas–Tennessee state line. US 61, US 64, US 70, US 78, and US 79 come off the bridge alongside SR 1; US 61 soon turns south with SR 14 and US 78 continues along E.H. Crump Blvd with SR 4 heading eastward. The other three U.S. Highways and SR 1 travel along SR 4 northbound. At SR 3, US 51 joins SR 1 and 4 while US 64/70/79 continue east on Union Avenue. At North Parkway, SR 4 continues along Danny Thomas Blvd/Thomas St with US 51 northbound, while SR 1 turns east alone onto North Parkway. However, US 64/US 70/US 79 soon rejoin SR 1 at SR 57. These 4 routes continue as Summer Avenue until exiting Memphis. The portions where SR 1 runs by itself are signed.

Between Memphis and Nashville

SR 1 is a Primary Route until it runs around Brownsville. After the junction of SR 76, SR 1 becomes a secondary route for a short time until it crosses TN-SR 186.
After leaving Memphis, SR 1 runs along the following routes:
SR 1 enters Nashville from the west along US 70S through the community of Bellevue. Between Old Hickory Pike and White Bridge Road east of Belle Meade, the highway is known as Harding Pike. Between here and Downtown Nashville, SR 1 is known as West End Avenue. In downtown, SR 1 is known as Broadway. As SR 1 approaches 8th Avenue South/Rosa Parks, it turns right and southeast, joining US 41 and becoming known as Lafayette Street and then Murfreesboro Road.

Between Nashville and Knoxville

Tennessee State Route 1 is a Primary Route until its intersection with US 70N/ TN-SR 24. It continues to be a secondary route until its intersection with US 11W. East of Nashville, SR 1 runs along the following routes:
  • US 70S through Belle Meade and Nashville to SR 111 in Sparta
  • US 41 from Downtown Nashville to Murfreesboro
  • Separate through Sparta - the only signed portion
  • US 70/SR 26 in Sparta to SR 168 in Knoxville

    Knoxville

SR 1 enters Knox County along with US 70 and US 11. From here to near the downtown area, the road is locally known as Kingston Pike and near the University of Tennessee campus it is known as Cumberland Avenue. It turns north onto Henley Street becoming Broadway Street, east onto Magnolia Avenue, north onto Hall of Fame Drive, and back onto Magnolia Avenue. In East Knoxville, SR 1 splits from US 70 and continues northeast with US 11W as Rutledge Pike.

Between Knoxville and Bristol

Between Knoxville and Bristol, SR 1 runs along US 11W.

Bristol

In Bristol, SR 1 leaves US 11W right at the state line, and heads east on its own along State Street. It turns south at US 11E/US 19, ending two blocks later at Broad Street.

State designations

State Route 1 runs as a primary or secondary highway as follows:
  • Primary, Memphis to SR 76 in Brownsville
  • Secondary, SR 76 to SR 186 in Jackson
  • Primary, SR 186 to SR 22 Bypass in Huntingdon
  • Secondary, SR 22 Bypass to SR 364 in Huntingdon
  • Primary, SR 364 to I-40 west of Belle Meade
  • Secondary, I-40 to SR 100 in Belle Meade
  • Primary, SR 100 to I-440 in Nashville
  • Secondary, I-440 to I-24 in Nashville
  • Primary, I-24 to SR 24 in Crossville
  • Secondary, SR 24 to SR 29 south of Rockwood
  • Primary, SR 29 to SR 61 in Rockwood
  • Secondary, SR 61 to I-40 in Knoxville
  • Primary, I-40 to Bristol
  • Interestingly, although State Route 1 is signed a Primary highway in Sparta, the for White County actually identifies this stretch as a Secondary Highway.. There are zero secondary designation reassurance shields signs along the entire State Route 1 corridor.

    List of signed segments

  • US 61, US 64, US 70 and US 79 to US 51, US 64, US 70 and US 79 in Memphis
  • SR 14 and US 51 to US 64, US 70, US 79 and SR 57 in Memphis
  • US 70S and SR 111 to US 70 and SR 26 in Sparta
  • Along State Street in Bristol from US 11W to US 421

    Major intersections