Some of East Tennessee’s most important roads have become landmarks in their own right. Interstate 40 carries travelers through mountain passes that once challenged pioneers, while Interstate 75 links the region to destinations across the eastern United States. Historic routes such as U.S. 11 and the old Dixie Highway remind us that today’s highways often follow paths established generations ago.
Let’s remember how travelers made trips to major cities from Knoxville.
A trip to Nashville could take most of the day as travelers followed the Kingston Road, later becoming parts of U.S. 70, winding through small towns such as Kingston, Rockwood, and Crossville. Today, most travelers use I-40, making the trip in about three hours…