Tennessee State Route 2 - Route Description

Route Description

SR-2 starts in Murfreesboro when U.S. 41 leaves a concurrency with U.S. 70S/SR-1. U.S. 41 goes southeast as Southeast Broad St, now concurrent with SR-2. SR-2/U.S. 41 leaves Murfreesboro and changes names to Manchester Pike and closely parallels Interstate 24 before entering Coffee County. After entering Coffee County, the concurrency passes through the community of Beechgrove and becomes Murfreesboro Highway as it continues southeast. It intersects I-24 and continues into Manchester and becomes Hillsboro Blvd in downtown before intersecting I-24once again and leaving town as Hillsboro Highway.

It still continues southeast, paralleling I-24 as it enters Grundy County. It rises onto the Cumberland Plateau and enters Monteagle as Dixie Highway. SR-2/U.S. 41 becomes concurrent with U.S. 64, U.S. 41A, and SR-56 as they enter town from the southwest as West Main St. SR-15 also enters town in this concurrency but terminates at the SR-2/U.S. 41 intersection. The concurrency continues east through downtown as West Main St before becoming simply Main St east of downtown. U.S. 41 and SR-56 leave the concurrency and turn north as Fairmont Avenue before going northeast to Tracy City. U.S. 41A leaves one block later an goes northeast Dubose St before terminating at U.S. 41 a short time later.

U.S. 64/SR-2 turns south as Dixie Lee Highway and enters Marion County before the highways become concurrent with I-24 as the interstate starts to descend into a valley. Once in the valley, SR-2 leaves the concurrency at Martin Springs via Martin Springs Road and Ladds Cove Road. It becomes Battle Creek Road and continues southeast, closely paralleling I-24/U.S. 64 as it does so. It then crosses under the interstate without an interchange and turns south and then southeast once again as it follows I-24 into Kimball.

Once in Kimball, SR-2 becomes concurrent with U.S. 64/U.S. 72 and moves northeast through downtown Kimball as Main St and then continues northeast to Jasper as Lee Highway. Entering Jasper, the concurrency intersects U.S. 41/SR-150. Here, U.S. 41 joins the concurrency while SR-150 terminates at the intersection.

The concurrency moves southeast once again as Lee Highway before crossing Nickajack Lake and turning north, northeast, then south as the highway parallels the Tennessee River and works around Lookout Mountain. The highway continues to change directions as it becomes Cummings Highway and enters Tiftonia in Hamilton County. It once again intersects I-24 and then intersects U.S. 11/SR-38. SR-38 terminates while U.S. 11 joins the concurrency and continues eastward to Chattanooga. In Chattanooga, SR-17 enters the concurrency as it becomes Broad St and travels northeast into downtown.

In downtown, the concurrency once again intersects I-24 and continues northeast, intersecting SR-58 two blocks later. U.S. 64 and U.S. 11 leave the concurrency here while U.S 41 and SR-17 leave the concurrency after five more blocks. U.S. 72 terminates at this intersection while U.S. 76 begins and follows U.S. 41/SR-17 southeast. SR-2, still Broad St, continues north for several more blocks and then turns southeast as East Martin Luther King Blvd. SR-2 then becomes Bailey Avenue and once again becomes concurrent with SR-17 and then U.S. 64/U.S. 11 as SR-17 leaves and proceeds south with U.S. 64/U.S. 11.

U.S. 64, U.S. 11, and SR-2 go southeast as McCallie Avenue and through the Missionary Ridge Tunnel. Coming out of the tunnel, the concurrency becomes Brainard Road and continues southeast for several blocks. It turns northeast and intersects SR-153, then it becomes Lee Highway and continues northeast as it leaves Chattanooga.

The concurrency briefly overlaps SR-317 before the highways leave SR-317 and become concurrent to I-75/U.S. 74. The concurrency goes northeast for several miles before U.S. 64, U.S. 11, and SR-2 leave and once again become Lee Highway as they pass just north of Ooltewah. The concurrency enters Bradley County and soon intersects U.S. 74 (Appalacian Highway) where U.S. 64 Bypass begins and follows U.S. 74 around Cleveland.

U.S. 64, U.S. 11, and SR-2 continue northeast into downtown Cleveland as Lee Highway until U.S. 64 splits from the concurrency with SR-40 as SR-40 starts at this intersection. U.S. 11/SR-2 turns north as Keith St SW and then Keith St NW as the concurrency turns northeast and out of Cleveland. The highway once again becomes Lee Highway, then becomes Hiwassee St in Charleston and crosses the Hiwassee River and into Calhoun in McMinn County.

The concurrency remains as Lee Highway through Calhoun and it continues to the northeast. U.S. 11 Business splits away in Riceville with SR-39 and goes northeast through downtown Athens as U.S. 11/SR-2 continues northeast, briefly running a concurrency with SR-39 in Riceville, and around the northwest side of downtown Athens as Congress Pkwy. Just north of Athens, U.S. 11 Business/SR-305 intersect U.S. 11/SR-2 where U.S. 11 Business terminates. SR-305 continues through the intersection and northeast to I-75. U.S. 11/SR-2 continues northeast as Congress Pkwy and into Niota where it becomes Willson St.

U.S. 11/SR-2 continues northeast and crosses into Monroe County. It then enters Sweetwater and intersects SR-68 at which point U.S. 11/SR-2 becomes South Main St. In downtown Sweetwater, it changes to North Main St and briefly turns north before turning northeast once again and leaving town as Lee Highway. It enters Loudon County and moves through the small community of Philadelphia before continuing northeast as Lee Highway and into Loudon. It goes straight through town as Mulberry St and crosses the Tennessee River. After crossing the river, U.S. 11/SR-2 once again becomes Lee Highway and continues generally northeast into Lenoir City.

In Lenoir City, the concurrency becomes West Broadway St and then East Broadway St before intersecting the U.S. 321, SR-73, and SR-95 concurrency in downtown. U.S. 11/SR-2 then leaves Lenoir City and goes north. It turns northeast, but then goes north again until SR-2 terminates at U.S. 70/SR-1 in Cusick. U.S. 11 then continues with U.S. 70/SR-1 into Knox County and into Knoxville.