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U.S. Route 321

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U.S. Route 321 marker
U.S. Route 321
Map
US 321 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 21
Length516.9 mi[1][2][3] (831.9 km)
Existed1931–present
Tourist
routes		 Western York Scenic Byway
Major junctions
South end US 17 in Hardeeville, SC
Major intersections
North end I-40 / SR 73 / SR 95 near Lenoir City, TN
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesSouth Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee
CountiesSC: Jasper, Hampton, Allendale, Bamberg, Orangeburg, Lexington, Richland, Fairfield, Chester, York
NC: Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, Watauga, Avery
TN: Johnson, Carter, Washington, Greene, Cocke, Sevier, Blount, Loudon
Highway system


← SC 319SC→ SC 322
← US 311NC→ NC 343
← SR 320TN→ SR 321

U.S. Route 321 (US 321) is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 516.9 miles (831.9 km) from Hardeeville, South Carolina to Lenoir City, Tennessee; with both serving as southern termini. It reaches its northernmost point at Elizabethton, Tennessee, just northeast of Johnson City. Because of its unusual "north–south–north" routing, U.S. Route 321 intersects both Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70 three separate times. The highway serves different roles in each state: An alternate route to interstates in South Carolina, a major highway in North Carolina, and a scenic route in Tennessee.

Route description

[edit]
Lengths
  mi km
SC 217.2 349.5
NC 105.5 169.8
TN 194.2 312.5
Total 516.9 831.8

South Carolina

[edit]

US 321 provides direct access between Savannah and Columbia, serving as an alternate to Interstate 95 and Interstate 26. Starting in Hardeeville, US 321 as a mostly 2 lane highway goes through sparsely populated areas and small towns including Estill, Fairfax, and Denmark, heading in a rather straight and northward direction into the Columbia area, widening to a 5 lane highway right after Neeses, then narrowing down to a 2 lane highway right after the town of North and widening to a 5 lane highway again after Swansea and staying that way until it merges with its parent route US 21 in Dixiana. In Columbia, the route stays concurrent with US 21 through Cayce, over the Congaree River on the Blossom Street Bridge, turning left onto Huger Street, right onto Elmwood Avenue, and left onto North Main Street. The roads separate at Hyatt Park, with US 321 staying west of I-77 and US 21 north of Columbia. The route goes through to communities of Winnsboro, Chester, York, and Clover before entering North Carolina at Bowling Green.

North Carolina

[edit]

US 321 is an important route in Western North Carolina. It provides an alternative north–south route to I-77, which passes through a busy metropolitan area, and US 221, which is more twisty drive up the Appalachians. Travelers from South Carolina who are going to points west of Charlotte and want to avoid the traffic of I-77 may choose to enter the state on US 321.

The highway traverses through seven counties: Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, Watauga, and Avery. US 321 has six control cities: Gastonia, Lincolnton, Hickory, Lenoir, Blowing Rock, and Boone.

US 321 is a multilane highway beginning at the state line. After 7 miles (11 km), it enters the Gastonia area. Traffic on northbound 321 through Gastonia is generally not as heavy as traffic on southbound 321 north of I-85, where it may back up for a couple of miles as drivers wait to turn onto I-85. The state completed a new interchange with I-85 in 2021 which has southbound 321 cross over 321NB at a stoplight just north of I-85. The traffic now enters I-85 northbound with a flyunder entrance ramp over a former railroad right-of-way.[4]


The road becomes a freeway at C. Grier Beam Boulevard in Gastonia, just south of NC 275/NC 279. It remains a freeway until just north of its junction with US 70 in Hickory. The freeway bypasses a number of cities that the old US 321 route once passed through. Today, US 321 Business follows the original 38-mile (61 km) route, which serves Maiden, Newton, and Conover, but the freeway is a more direct route to the mountains, and the business route is generally used by local traffic only.

Traffic is usually heavy between Hickory and Lenoir. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has a long-term plan to widen the road to six lanes, which is expected to begin after 2020.[5]

North of Lenoir, US 321 is a four-lane divided highway, continuing up the steep escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Until early 2018, the road was a narrow two-lane highway from near Patterson through Blowing Rock. Work on this area continued for much of the first two decades of the 21st century. The widening of US 321 through Blowing Rock was and continues to be seen as a controversial project. Many residents of the town felt that a four-lane highway would destroy the character of the small town, and they proposed several bypass alternatives. NCDOT selected the widening as its preferred alternative, but added several features such as underground utilities, sidewalks, landscaping, and rock walls to make the widening more palatable to the residents opposed to it.[6] These features were not present on the two-lane highway that was replaced. The final portion of the widening project, at the steepest part of the road just south of Blowing Rock, began in 2012 and was completed in 2018.[7] Some landscaping work remains which will commence in Fall 2018 as its own project, constructed separately for beautification of the route through town.

North of Blowing Rock, US 321 is already a highway of four lanes up to King Street in Boone; thus, US 321 is a four-lane highway from the South Carolina state line to downtown Boone. Currently,[when?] US 321 meets US 421 at King Street and overlaps it over King Street to leave town to the west. NCDOT project R-2615 is proposed to widen the US 321/421 concurrency from this junction to their junction near Vilas, although this project is currently unfunded.[8] There is a feasibility study (FS-0511A) in progress[when?] to examine the possibility of widening US 321 from the junction near Vilas to the Tennessee state line. If both of these projects were completed, then US 321 would be a four-lane highway through the entire state.

Tennessee

[edit]
Former portion of US 321 in Parrottsville, Tennessee, facing south before it was rerouted.

As it crosses into Tennessee, US 321 enters the Cherokee National Forest, and continues westward through the rugged valley between Pond Mountain on the south and Watauga Lake on the north. The highway passes numerous campgrounds, boat launches, and other lake-related recreational areas as it winds its way along the shores of the lake. South of Butler, the highway joins SR 67, which enters from the Mountain City area to the northeast. The Appalachian Trail crosses US 321 at its intersection with Shook Gap Road, just before the highway exits the national forest. At Hampton, US 321 intersects US 19E, and the two highways run concurrently northward into Elizabethton.

US 321 inverts directions in Elizabethton: the road is designated as southbound in both directions driving away from its intersection with US 19E.[9] It is conterminous with US 11E through portions of Washington and Greene counties. In Greeneville, the highway continues south into Cocke County. At the Cocke-Greene County line US 321 becomes a four-laned divided highway and bypasses Parrottsville. The four-lane section ends just before US 321's junction with SR 160 and crossing I-40 at Newport.

US 321 (Lamar Alexander Parkway) in Maryville

The stretch of US 321 from Newport south to Cosby and southwest through Pittman Center to Gatlinburg parallels the northern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is quite scenic. From a point between Newport and Cosby to the intersection with the Little River Road, it is concurrent with SR 73. In Pigeon Forge, concurrent with US 441/Great Smoky Mountains Parkway, US 321 is a divided, multi-lane traffic-laden thoroughfare where it serves as the city's main route, lined with hotels, outlet malls and amusement facilities. Veering southwest of Pigeon Forge, the highway takes on a more rural character as it traverses Wears Valley, and narrows down to two lanes until its junction with SR 73 Scenic (the Little River Road) at the Townsend entrance to the park. It is concurrent with SR 73 from this junction to its terminus. With the exception of a 3-mile (4.8 km) section between Townsend and Maryville, the remaining portions of the highway through Blount County are a minimum of four lanes and usually a divided highway. Once the highway reaches Fort Loudon Dam in Loudon County, it crosses the Tennessee River via a bridge, completed in 2017, southeast of the dam then intersects with US 11 in Lenoir City. US 321 has a wrong-way concurrency with SR 95 from a point several miles south of Lenoir City (near Greenback) to its terminus at I-40. In the northern part of Lenoir City, US 321 intersects I-75 and US 70 before reaching I-40. Beyond I-40, the road continues northward to Oak Ridge as the two-lane SR 95.

US 321 is a four-lane semi-divided thoroughfare from I-40 and I-75 to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, except for the 3-mile (4.8 km) stretch near Walland.

History

[edit]

North Carolina Highway 17

[edit]
North Carolina Highway 17 marker
North Carolina Highway 17
LocationPropst Crossroads–Boone, NC
Length55.9 mi[10] (90.0 km)
Existed1921–1934

North Carolina Highway 17 (NC 17) was an original state highway that traversed from Hickory to Boone, through Granite Falls, Hudson, Lenoir and Blowing Rock. In 1930, it was extended south on new primary routing to NC 113, in Propst Crossroads; also same year, US 321 was established in the state and overlapped NC 17 between Hickory and Boone.[11] In 1934, NC 17 was decommissioned, with US 321 taking all north of Hickory and NC 96 taking all south.[12]

North Carolina Highway 155

[edit]
North Carolina Highway 155 marker
North Carolina Highway 155
LocationDallas–Conover, NC
Length29.4 mi[13] (47.3 km)
Existed1994–1999

North Carolina Highway 155 (NC 155) was established in 1994 following the old alignment of US 321 as it was moved onto new four-lane controlled-access highway.[14] From NC 275/NC 279, in Dallas, it traversed north through High Shoals to Lincolnton. Sharing a short concurrency with NC 150 as it bypass the downtown area of Lincolnton, it continues north meeting with main US 321, south of Maiden, continuing in concurrency through Newton and finally Conover, where it ended at US 70. In 1999, the remainder of US 321 was moved onto new freeway bypass west of Newton and Conover; at same time, NC 155 was decommissioned and absorbed into US 321 Business.[15]

North Carolina Highway 603

[edit]
North Carolina Highway 603 marker
North Carolina Highway 603
LocationTN State Line–Sugar Grove, NC
Existed1931–1961

Future

[edit]

In addition to the widening project, there have also been talks of a freeway-to-freeway connection with Interstate 85 in Gastonia that would greatly relieve traffic flowing through the junction[citation needed]. Currently, US 321 is a surface road at the I-85 interchange, and is a limited access freeway a few hundred yards north. To extend the freeway to I-85, the remaining at-grade intersections and traffic lights would have to be eliminated.

Major intersections

[edit]
StateCountyLocationmi
[1][2][3]		kmDestinationsNotes
South CarolinaJasperHardeeville0.00.0 US 17 (Whyte Hardee Boulevard) – Ridgeland, Savannah
0.50.80
 SC 46 east (Church Road)		To Millstone Landing
Tillman12.520.1
 SC 336 east (Tillman Road) – Ridgeland
Tarboro19.831.9
 US 601 north (Cypress Branch Road) – Hampton		Southern terminus of US  601
Robertville22.636.4 SC 462 (Gillson Branch Road) – Pineland
HamptonGarnett25.641.2
 SC 119 south (Clyo Road) – Clyo, Springfield
Scotia30.749.4 SC 333 (Scotia-Furman Highway) – Furman
Estill35.857.6
 SC 3 south (Third Street) – Lena		South end of SC 3 overlap
36.057.9
 SC 3 north (Nixville Road) – Barnwell		North end of SC 3 overlap
​40.465.0
 SC 363 east (Luray Highway) – Hampton		To Lake Warren State Park
AllendaleFairfax49.980.3 US 278 (Allendale-Hampton Highway) – Allendale, Hampton
Sycamore55.689.5 SC 641 (Confederate Highway) – Allendale
Ulmer59.996.4
 US 301 south (Burton's Ferry Highway) – Allendale		South end of US 301 overlap
Bamberg​61.999.6
 US 301 north (Main Highway) – Bamberg		North end of US 301 overlap
Olar66.5107.0 SC 64 (Low Country Road) – Barnwell
Denmark76.6123.3
 SC 70 south (Hagood Street) – Barnwell		South end of SC 70 overlap
​76.9123.8 US 78 (Heritage Highway) – Bamberg, Blackville
​77.3124.4
 SC 70 north (Country Club Road) – Orangeburg		North end of SC 70 overlap
OrangeburgNorway85.3137.3
 SC 332 east (Cope Road) – Cope		East end of SC 332 overlap
85.6137.8

 SC 332 west / SC 400 east (Norway Road) – Springfield, Orangeburg		West end of SC 332 overlap
Neeses90.9146.3 SC 4 (Neeses Highway) – Springfield, Orangeburg
91.4147.1
 SC 389 west (Ninety Six Road) – Perry, Wagener
North97.3156.6 US 178 (North Highway) – Pelion, Orangeburg
LexingtonSwansea105.1169.1
 SC 3 south (Whetstone Road) – Springfield, Blackville, Barnwell
105.9170.4
 SC 692 south (Fifth Street) – Orangeburg		To Swansea High Football Stadium
106.1170.8
 SC 6 west (Second Street) – Lexington		West end of SC 6 overlap
106.2170.9
 SC 6 east (First Street) – St. Matthews		East end of SC 6 overlap
​117.7189.4

 US 21 south / US 176 east (Charleston Highway) – Orangeburg		South end of US 21 and east end of US 176 overlap
Cayce120.2193.4

 To I-77 north / Fish Hatchery Road – Charlotte
120.6194.1 I-26 – Charleston, Spartanburg
121.8196.0
 SC 2 north (Frink Road)
West Columbia123.3198.4
 SC 302 south (Airport Boulevard) – Aiken, Columbia Metropolitan Airport
125.0201.2 SC 2 (State Street)
RichlandColumbia

 SC 48 Truck east (Blossom Street east / US 21 Conn. east / US 76 Conn. east)		Western terminus of US 21 Conn., the western segment of US 76 Conn., SC 48 Truck, and Blossom Street; US 21, US 176, and US 321 turn left off of Blossom Street onto Huger Street.
126.5203.6 US 1 / US 378 (Gervais Street)To South Carolina State House
126.8204.1 SC 12 (Hampton/Tylor Streets)To Finlay Park and Columbia Museum of Art
127.4205.0

 I-126 west / US 76 west – Greenville, Spartanburg		West end of US 76 overlap
128.0206.0
 US 76 east (Elmwood Avenue)		East end of US 76 overlap
128.6207.0
 US 176 west (River Drive)		West end of US 176 overlap
129.2207.9 SC 16 (Sunset Drive)
129.8208.9
 SC 215 north (Montichello Road)		To Columbia International University
130.8210.5
 US 21 north (Main Street)		North end of US 21 overlap; Columbia College at intersection
132.2212.8 I-20 – Florence, Augusta
Fairfield​151.2243.3
 SC 269 south (Hinnants Store Road)
Winnsboro Mills152.4245.3
 SC 34 east – Ridgeway		East end of SC 34 overlap; to South Carolina Railroad Museum
152.7245.7


 US 321 Bus. north (Columbia Road) / SC 213 west (Monjicono Road) – Monticello
Winnsboro156.1251.2

 SC 34 west (Newberry Road) / SC 200 east – Newberry, Great Falls		West end of SC 34 overlap
156.9252.5

 US 321 Bus. south (Congress Street)
ChesterChester178.8287.8
 SC 97 south (Great Falls Road) – Great Falls, Camden		South end of SC 97 overlap
179.4288.7

 US 321 Bus. north (Columbia Road)




 SC 9 south / SC 72 east / SC 97 north / SC 121 north (J.A. Cochran Bypass)		South end of SC 9, east end of SC 72, and north end of SC 97/SC 121 overlap
181.2291.6

 SC 72 west / SC 121 south (West End Road) – Carlisle, Whitmire		West end of SC 72 and south end of SC 121 overlap
182.0292.9

 SC 9 Bus. south (Pinckney Street)
182.3293.4
 SC 9 north (Pinckney Street) – Lockhart		North end of SC 9 overlap
184.2296.4

 US 321 Bus. south / SC 97 (Center Road) – Hickory Grove
Lowrys189.7305.3
 SC 909 south (Old York Road) – Lewis
YorkMcConnells194.2312.5
 SC 322 west (Church Street)		West end of SC 322 overlap
194.3312.7
 SC 322 east (McConnells Highway) – Rock Hill		West end of SC 322 overlap; to Historic Brattonsville
York203.3327.2
 US 321 Bus. (Congress Street)
203.7327.8 SC 49 (Sharon Road) – Sharon, Union
204.5329.1


 SC 5 Bus. / SC 161 Bus. south (Liberty Street) – Blacksburg		South end of SC 161 Bus overlap
205.7331.0
 US 321 Bus. (Kings Mountain Street)
205.9331.4
 SC 5 / SC 161 south (Alexander Love Highway) – Blacksburg		South end of SC 161 and north end of SC 161 Bus overlap
Filbert207.5333.9
 SC 161 north – Bethany		North end of SC 161 overlap
Clover213.4343.4 SC 55 (Kings Mountain/Bethel Streets) – Lake Wylie, Blacksburg
 217.2
0.0		349.5
0.0		South Carolina–North Carolina state line
North CarolinaGastonGastonia7.311.7Garrison Boulevard
7.912.7 US 29 / US 74 (Franklin Boulevard)
8.113.0
 NC 7 east (Long Avenue)
9.415.1 I-85 – Charlotte, Spartanburg
Dallas9.415.1Grier Beem Boulevard – Gaston CollegeSigned exit 11
11.718.8

 US 321 Bus. north / NC 275 / NC 279 (Dallas-Cherryville Highway) – Cherryville		Signed exits 12A-B Northbound and exit 12 Southbound
​16.125.9Hardin RoadSigned exit 17
Lincoln​18.830.3
 US 321 Bus. (Gastonia Highway) – High Shoals, Lincolnton		Signed exit 20
Lincolnton23.638.0 NC 27 / NC 150 (Main Street) – LincolntonSigned exit 24
​27.043.5
 US 321 Bus. (Maiden Highway) – Maiden		Signed exit 28
CatawbaMaiden32.352.0Startown RoadSigned exit 33
​36.258.3 NC 10 – NewtonSigned exit 37
​40.164.5River RoadSigned exit 41
Mountain View41.466.6 NC 127 (Brookford Boulevard)Signed exit 42
Hickory42.368.1 I-40 – Statesville, AshevilleSigned exits 43A (east) and 43B (west)
43.369.7


 US 70 / US 321 Bus. south to NC 127 (Conover Boulevard) – Hickory		Signed exit 44
45.372.9Clement Boulevard – Hickory Regional Airport
Burke
 No major junctions
CaldwellNorthlakes47.977.1
 US 321A north – Granite Falls
Granite Falls50.180.6Falls Avenue – Granite Falls
Lenoir56.891.4Southwest Boulevard – Morganton
59.195.1
 US 321A south – Hudson
60.196.7
 US 64 / NC 18 / NC 90 east – Lenoir, Wilkesboro		East end of NC 90 overlap
62.3100.3
 NC 90 west (Main Street) – Lenoir, Collettsville		West end of NC 90 overlap
​65.9106.1
 NC 268 east – Fort Defiance
WataugaBlowing Rock79.4127.8

 US 321 Bus. north (Main Street)
80.6129.7


 US 221 south / US 321 Bus. south		South end of US 221 overlap
81.4131.0 Blue Ridge ParkwayTo Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and Julian Price Memorial Park
Boone87.0140.0
 US 221 north / NC 105 – Linville, Banner Elk, Newland		North end of US 221 overlap
87.9141.5

 US 421 south / NC 194 north (King Street)		South end of US 421 and north end of NC 194 overlap
Vilas93.6150.6
 NC 194 south – Valle Crucis		South end of NC 194 overlap
Sugar Grove94.3151.8
 US 421 north – Mountain City		North end of US 421 overlap
Avery
 No major junctions
 105.5
0.0		169.8
0.0		North Carolina–Tennessee state line
TennesseeCarter​12.520.1
 SR 67 east – Mountain City		East end of SR 67 and west end of SR 159 (hidden) overlap
Hampton12.520.1
 US 19E south (SR 37) – Roan Mountain		South end of US 19E overlap
Elizabethton27.243.8 US 19E / SR 91 (SR 37) – Bluff CityNorth end of US 19E and SR 91 overlap
Route transition from northbound to southbound
28.045.1
 SR 400 south – Watauga
31.350.4
 SR 91 / SR 362 south		South end of SR 91 overlap
31.951.3
 SR 359 south – Milligan College
WashingtonJohnson City35.356.8Legion Street / Milligan HighwayInterchange
35.857.6 I-26 / US 19W / US 23 – Erwin, KingsportIntrechange; exit 24 (I-26)
36.759.1
 SR 67 west / SR 381 (Cherokee Road)		West end of SR 67 and south end of SR 381 overlap
39.563.6
 US 11E / SR 381 north (SR 34 / State of Franklin Road)		North end of US 11E and SR 381 overlap
Jonesborough44.371.3 SR 354 (Boones Creek Road) / Boone Street – Boones Creek, Business District

 To SR 81 / Washington Drive – Kingsport, Erwin, Business District

 To SR 81 / Persimmon Ridge Road – Lamar, Erwin
Limestone54.487.5
 SR 75 north (Opie Arnold Road)
Greene​58.093.3 SR 351 (Chuckey Pike) – Chuckey, Rheatown
Tusculum62.6100.7
 SR 107 east (Tusculum Bypass) – Erwin, Tusculum College		East end of SR 107 (hidden) overlap
GreenevilleErwin Highway – Tusculum, Tusculum CollegeFormer SR 107
65.2104.9

 US 11E Bus. south (SR 107 / Tusculum Boulevard)		West end of SR 107 (hidden) overlap
66.0106.2Snapps Ferry RoadInterchange
67.1108.0

 US 11E south (SR 34) / SR 93 north (Kingsport Highway) – Kingsport, Morristown		South end of US 11E overlap; southern terminus of SR 93
67.3108.3
 SR 172 north (Baileyton Road) – Baileyton, Airport		Southern terminus of SR 172
68.0109.4

 US 11E Bus. north (SR 107 / Tusculum Boulevard)		North end of US 11E Bus. overlap
68.4110.1


 US 11E Bus. south (SR 350 / West Summer Street) / SR 350 north		South end of US 11E Bus. overlap
68.5110.2
 SR 350 south (McKee Street)		South end of SR 350 (hidden) overlap
69.5111.8
 SR 70 / SR 107 west (Asheville Highway)		West end of SR 107 (hidden) overlap
71.3114.7
 SR 349 west (Warrensburg Road)		Eastern terminus of SR 349
CockeParrottsville87.3140.5 SR 340 – Parrottsville, Del Rio
​91.6147.4
 SR 160 north – Bybee		Southern terminus of SR 160
Newport93.7150.8
 US 25 south / US 70 (SR 9 / Broadway Street)		South end of US 25 and east end of US 70 overlap
94.0151.3


 US 25 north (SR 9) / US 70 west (SR 35) / SR 32 north (Broadway Street)		North end of US 25 / SR 32 and west end of US 70 overlap
95.5153.7 I-40 – Knoxville, AshevilleI-40 exit 435
​101.1162.7
 SR 73 north (Wilton Springs Road)		North end of SR 73 (hidden) overlap
Cosby106.0170.6
 SR 339 west (Jones Cove Road) – Cherokee Hills		Eastern terminus of SR 339
106.2170.9
 Foothills Parkway to I-40		Western terminus of section 8A of the Foothills Parkway
108.0173.8
 SR 32 south		South end of SR 32 overlap
SevierPittman Center119.9193.0
 SR 416 north (Pittman Center Road)		Southern terminus of SR 416
Gatlinburg–Pittman Center line120.8194.4
 SR 454 north (Buckhorn Road)		Southern terminus of SR 454
Gatlinburg126.1202.9


 US 441 south / SR 73 Scenic west (Parkway/SR 71) – Great Smoky Mountains National Park		South end of US 441 overlap; eastern terminus of SR 73 Scenic
127.2204.7Gatlinburg Parkway Bypass – Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNo access from northbound US 441/US 321
Pigeon Forge
 SR 449 north (Dollywood Lane) – Dollywood		Southern terminus of SR 449
134.5216.5
 US 441 north (Parkway/SR 71) – Sevierville		North end of US 441 overlap
Wears Valley142.9230.0Foothills ParkwayInterchange; eastern terminus of western section of Foothills Parkway
BlountTownsend149.4240.4

 SR 73 Scenic east (East Lamar Alexander Parkway/SR 337) – Great Smoky Mountains National Park		Western terminus of SR 73 Scenic
Walland156.8252.3Foothills Parkway – Top of The World, Chilhowee Lake, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Look Rock areaInterchange
Maryville166.7268.3


 SR 447 north (Washington Street) to US 411 north		Southern terminus of SR 447
167.4269.4
 SR 336 south (Montvale Road)		Northern terminus of SR 336
167.6269.7 US 411 (Broadway Avenue/SR 33) – Rockford, Madisonville
168.7271.5 US 129 (SR 115) – Alcoa, Knoxville
171.0275.2
 SR 335 north (Old Glory Road)		North end of SR 335 overlap
171.6276.2
 SR 335 south (William Blount Drive)		South end of SR 335 overlap
Friendsville176.1283.4
 SR 333 north (Main Avenue) – Friendsville		Southern terminus of SR 333
Loudon​181.4291.9
 SR 95 south (Lenoir City Road) – Greenback		South end of SR 95 (hidden) overlap
​185.0297.7
 SR 444 west (Tellico Parkway) – Tellico Village		Eastern terminus of SR 444
Lenoir City186.8300.6 US 11 (Broadway Street/SR 2) – Knoxville, Loudon, Farragut
189.5305.0 I-75 – Knoxville, ChattanoogaI-75 exit 81
190.3306.3 US 70 (Kingston Pike/SR 1) – Knoxville, Kingston
194.2312.5
 I-40 / SR 95 north (White Wing Road) – Knoxville, Nashville, Oak Ridge		West end of SR 73 (hidden) and north end of SR 95 (hidden) overlap; I-40 exit 364
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Concurrency terminus
  •       Route transition
  •       Unopened

Special routes

[edit]

Winnsboro business loop

[edit]
Business plate.svg
U.S. Highway 321 Business marker
U.S. Highway 321 Business
LocationWinnsboro, South Carolina
Length4.350 mi[16] (7.001 km)
Existed1952[citation needed]–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus.) is a 4.350-mile (7.001 km) business route of US 321 that exists in Winnsboro Mills and Winnsboro, via Columbia Road and Congress Street.[17] It was established around 1951 or 1952, when mainline US 321 was rerouted west, bypassing Winnsboro.[citation needed]

Chester business loop

[edit]
Business plate.svg
U.S. Highway 321 Business marker
U.S. Highway 321 Business
LocationChester, South Carolina
Length3.670 mi[18] (5.906 km)
Existed1964[citation needed]–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus.) is a 3.670-mile (5.906 km) business route of US 321 in the city of Chester. It traverses downtown Chester, via Columbia Street and Center Road.[19] It was established between 1962 and 1964, when mainline US 321 was rerouted west, bypassing Chester.[citation needed]

York business loop

[edit]
Business plate.svg
U.S. Highway 321 Business marker
U.S. Highway 321 Business
LocationYork, South Carolina
Length2.500 mi[20] (4.023 km)
Existed1958[citation needed]–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus.) is a 2.500-mile (4.023 km) business route of US 321 in the city of York, utilizing Congress Street and Kings Mountain Street.[21] It was established around 1957–1958, when mainline US 321 was rerouted west, bypassing York.[citation needed]

Dallas–Hickory business loop

[edit]
Business plate.svg
U.S. Highway 321 Business marker
U.S. Highway 321 Business
LocationDallas–Hickory, NC
Length37.2 mi[22] (59.9 km)
Existed1999–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus) was established in June 1999, as a renumbering all of NC 155 and part of mainline US 321 in Catawba County. Traversing 37.2 miles (59.9 km) through Gaston, Lincoln and Catawba counties, it connects the cities and towns of Dallas, High Shoals, Lincolnton, Maiden, Newton, Conover and Hickory. The highway follows the original US 321 routing through that existed prior to 1994.[15]

Lincolnton alternate route

[edit]
U.S. Highway 321A marker
U.S. Highway 321A
LocationLincolnton, North Carolina
Length3.4 mi[23] (5.5 km)
Existed1956–1960

U.S. Route 321 Alternate (US 321A) was established 1956 when mainline US 321 was placed on new bypass east of downtown Lincolnton. It traversed along Aspen Street and around the Lincoln County Civil Court on Court Square Drive. In 1960 it was decommissioned, with Aspen Street becoming secondary roads.

Granite Falls–Lenoir alternate route

[edit]
U.S. Highway 321A marker
U.S. Highway 321A
LocationGranite Falls–Lenoir, NC
Length11.8 mi[24] (19.0 km)
Existed1948–present

U.S. Route 321 Alternate (US 321A) was established 1948 as a number swap with US 321 through downtown Lenoir. In 1957, US 321A was extended south, replacing mainline US 321 through Granite Falls and Hudson, ending at its current southern terminus north of the Catawba River. In June 1964, US 321A was placed on one-way splits through downtown Lenoir; northbound continued along Mulberry Street and West Avenue, southbound rerouted along Main Street and College Avenue. In September 2006, US 321A was rerouted to its current northern terminus, just south of downtown Lenoir, via McLean Drive. Its old alignment through downtown Lenoir was carried on by NC 90 until 2012, when it too was rerouted; the old alignment is now under city control.[25][26][27]

Traversing through Granite Falls, Sawmills, Hudson and Lenoir US 321A has not changed much over the years. Predominantly a two-lane highway, it parallels a short line railroad and connects to several factories and downtowns.

Lenoir alternate route

[edit]
U.S. Highway 321A marker
U.S. Highway 321A
LocationLenoir, North Carolina
Length5.9 mi[28] (9.5 km)
Existed1941–1948

U.S. Route 321 Alternate (US 321A) was established 1941 as a new alternate route bypassing Lenoir. In 1948, it was replaced by mainline US 321.

US 221/US 321 Bus. in Blowing Rock

Blowing Rock business loop

[edit]
Business plate.svg
U.S. Highway 321 Business marker
U.S. Highway 321 Business
LocationBlowing Rock, North Carolina
Length2.0 mi[29] (3.2 km)
Existed1960–present

U.S. Route 321 Business (US 321 Bus) was established 1960 as an upgrade to secondary roads through downtown Blowing Rock; which were originally part of mainline US 321 until about 1954, when it was moved onto a new bypass east. The highway traverses along Main Street and shares a concurrency with US 221 for 0.8 miles (1.3 km) on its northern section.

US 221 Truck/US 321 Truck/US 421 Truck/NC 105 traveling concurrent through the Boone area

Boone truck route

[edit]
Truck plate.svg
U.S. Highway 321 Truck marker
U.S. Highway 321 Truck
LocationBoone, North Carolina
Length4.0 mi[30] (6.4 km)

U.S. Route 321 Truck (US 321 Truck) redirects truckers traveling through the area to go south and around downtown Boone, via NC 105 and NC Highway 105 Bypass (SR-1107). The shares some overlap with US 221 Truck and complete overlap with US 421 Truck.

Greeneville truck route

[edit]
Truck plate.svg
U.S. Route 321 Truck marker
U.S. Route 321 Truck
LocationGreeneville, Tennessee
Length3.6 mi (5.8 km)

U.S. Route 321 Truck (US 321 Truck) redirects truckers traveling south on US 321 around downtown. It shares a concurrency with US 11E and SR 70. The route begins at US 11E/US 321 and ends 3.6 miles (5.8 km) later at US 321/SR 70.

The entire route is in Greeneville, Greene County.

mikmDestinationsNotes
0.00.0
 US 321 / SR 35 (West Main Street) / SR 70 south (Asheville Highway) / SR 107 (Asheville Highway / West Main Street) – Greeneville, Parrottsville, Newport, Del Rio, Asheville		Southern terminus of US 321 Truck and end SR 70 overlap
1.01.6


 US 11E Bus. north (West Summer Street) / SR 350 south (West Summer Street) – Downtown Greeneville		Begin US 11E Business concurrency; Northern terminus of SR 350
1.21.9

 US 11E south / SR 34 south (West Andrew Johnson Highway) / Blue Springs Parkway – Mosheim, Bulls Gap, Morristown		Southern terminus of US 11E Business; Begin US 11E/SR 34 overlap
1.72.7
 SR 70 north (Lonesome Pine Trail) – Romeo, Rogersville		End SR 70 overlap
2.03.2
 SR 172 north (Baileyton Road) / WhiteHouse Road – Baileyton, Airport		Southern terminus of SR 172; Interchange
3.45.5


 US 11E north / US 321 (North Main Street / East Andrew Johnson Highway) / SR 34 north (East Andrew Johnson Highway) / SR 35 south (North Main Street) – Jonesborough, Johnson City, Newport, Downtown Greeneville		End US 321 Truck
3.65.8
 SR 93 north (Kingsport Highway) – Fall Branch, Kingsport		Southern terminus of SR 93
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "U.S. Route 321 in South Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "U.S. Route 321 in North Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Route 321 in Tennessee" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  4. ^ webmaster. "NCDOT: Contractors Complete New Interchange at I-85 and U.S. 321 in Gaston County". www.NCDOT.gov. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  5. ^ webmaster. "NCDOT: U.S. 321 Widening from Hickory to Lenoir". www.NCDOT.gov. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  6. ^ "NCDOT: US 321 Improvements, Blowing Rock". Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  7. ^ "U.S. 321 Widening Project in Blowing Rock Continues, Hopefully Finished by Winter - High Country Press". www.HCPress.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  8. ^ "NCDOT: TIP".
  9. ^ "The US 321 Directional Change". Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  10. ^ "North Carolina Highway 17" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  11. ^ State Highway System of North Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by NCDOT. North Carolina Department of Transportation. 1930. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  12. ^ North Carolina Primary Highway System (PDF) (Map). Cartography by NCDOT. North Carolina Department of Transportation. 1940. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  13. ^ "North Carolina Highway 155" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  14. ^ "Route Change (1994-10-18)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. October 18, 1994. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  15. ^ a b "Route Change (1999-06-25)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. June 25, 1999. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  16. ^ "Highway Logmile Report". South Carolina Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  17. ^ "Overview map of US 321 Bus. (Winnsboro, South Carolina)" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  18. ^ "Highway Logmile Report". South Carolina Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  19. ^ "Overview map of US 321 Bus. (Chester, South Carolina)" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  20. ^ "Highway Logmile Report". South Carolina Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  21. ^ "Overview map of US 321 Bus. (York, South Carolina)" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  22. ^ "US 321 Business - Dallas-Hickory, North Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  23. ^ "US 321A - Lincolnton, North Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  24. ^ "US 321A - Granite Falls-Lenoir, North Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  25. ^ "US 321A Route Change (1964-06-04)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. June 4, 1964. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  26. ^ "US 321A Route Change (2006-09-07)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. September 7, 2006. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  27. ^ "Correction to Caldwell County Route" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. December 11, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  28. ^ "US 321A - Lenoir, North Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  29. ^ "US 321 Business - Blowing Rock, North Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  30. ^ "US 321 Truck - Boone, North Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
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