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Tennessee State Route 68

Route map:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
State Route 68 marker
State Route 68
Map
SR 68 mainline in red
Route information
Maintained by TDOT
Length106.89 mi[1] (172.02 km)
ExistedOctober 1, 1923[2]–present
Major junctions
South end SR 5 / SR 60 in Copperhill at Tennessee–Georgia state line
Major intersections
North end US 127 in Crossville
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountiesPolk, Monroe, McMinn, Meigs, Rhea, Cumberland
Highway system
SR 67 SR 69

State Route 68 (SR 68) is a 106.89-mile-long (172.02 km) state highway in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee.

Route description

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SR 68 sign, near Farner

SR 68 begins in southeastern Tennessee, at an intersection with Georgia State Route 5 (SR 5) and SR 60 at the Tennessee–Georgia state line in Copperhill, Tennessee, and McCaysville, Georgia. It then goes north to Ducktown where it junctions with U.S. Route 64 (US 64) and US 74. The route continues north and enters the Cherokee National Forest and goes through a mostly rural area, then in Turtletown it turns east and junctions with SR 123. SR 68 then turns back north and continues through a sparsely populated area and crosses over the Hiwassee River. The route then becomes curvy and dangerous.[citation needed] It then enters Monroe County and goes through Coker Creek and then Tellico Plains and junctions with SR 165 (Cherohala Skyway). In Tellico Plains, SR 68 serves as the eastern terminus for SR 39; it then proceeds north to Madisonville where it meets US 411/SR 33. After this junction, the route then turns more northwesterly toward Sweetwater and passes The Lost Sea. In Sweetwater, it turns west and junctions with US 11 and Interstate 75 (I-75).

Just past the I-75 junction, the route enters McMinn County where there are no highway junctions. It then enters Meigs County and Ten Mile and junctions with SR 305, SR 58, and brief runs concurrently with SR 304. It then crosses Watts Bar Dam and the Tennessee River into Rhea County near the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant and continues west. The route then has a one-mile-long (1.6 km) concurrency with SR 302 and a 2.7-mile-long (4.3 km) concurrency with US 27/SR 29. US 27 and SR 68 go north to Spring City where SR 68 turns back west and US 27 goes north. Just after leaving Spring City, it turns back to north crosses over Waldens Ridge into Cumberland County where the route ends at a Y-intersection with US 127/SR 28 in Cumberland Homesteads near Crossville and Cumberland Mountain State Park.

History

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Major intersections

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CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
PolkCopperhill0.00.0

SR 5 south (Blue Ridge Drive) / SR 60 south (Toccoa Avenue) – McCaysville, Mineral Bluff, Blue Ridge
Southern terminus; continuation beyond Georgia state line
Ducktown US 64 / US 74 (SR 40) – Cleveland, Murphy, NC, Ocoee RiverInterchange


SR 123 east to NC 294 – Hiwassee Dam
Western terminus of SR 123
MonroeTellico Plains
SR 165 east (Cherohala Skyway) – Tellico Plains, Bald River Falls, Indian Boundary, Cherokee National Forest
Western terminus of SR 165

SR 39 west (Mecca Pike) – Etowah, Englewood
Eastern terminus of SR 39
Madisonville US 411 (SR 33) – Englewood, VonoreInterchange
Christianburg
SR 307 south (Eastanaula Road) – Athens
Northern terminus of SR 307
Sweetwater US 11 (Main Street/SR 2) – Downtown, Philadelphia, Loudon, Niota, Athens
I-75 – Chattanooga, KnoxvilleI-75 exit 60
Meigs
SR 305 south – Athens
Northern terminus of SR 305
Ten Mile SR 58 – Decatur, Kingston

SR 304 north – Ten Mile, Kingston
Southern end of SR 304 concurrency

SR 304 south – Decatur
Northern end of SR 304 concurrency
Tennessee RiverBridge over Watts Bar Dam
Rhea
SR 302 south (Old Stage Road)
Southern end of SR 302 concurrency

SR 302 north (New Lake Road)
Northern end of SR 302 concurrency

US 27 south (SR 29) – Dayton, Chattanooga
Southern end of US 27 / SR 29 concurrency
Spring City
US 27 north (SR 29) – Rockwood
Interchange; northern end of US 27 / SR 29 concurrency
CumberlandCumberland Homesteads106.89172.02 US 127 (SR 28) – Crossville, Jamestown, Pikeville, Cumberland Mountain State ParkNorthern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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KML is not from Wikidata
  1. ^ "Tennessee State Route 68" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  2. ^ 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.
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