Scott County’s state highways
There are three types of public roads in Scott County: State highways, county roads, and city streets. State highways are maintained by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, regardless of where they’re located in Scott County. TDOT has a local office in Helenwood, off of Scott Highway and next-door to West Ready Mix. State roads are all paved and striped, consisting of at least two lanes of travel. In most areas, they consist of at least three lanes, including two lanes of travel and a turn lane. In some areas, they consist of five lanes, including four lanes of travel and a turn lane. City streets are non-state roads that are located within the municipal jurisdictions of the Town of Huntsville, the Town of Oneida and the Town of Winfield. These are paved roads, often two lanes, that are sometimes striped. They are maintained by the respective city into which boundaries they are located. On occasion, these are one-lane roads. In no instance do city streets consist of more than two lanes. County roads are non-state roads that are located outside the municipal jurisdictions of Huntsville, Oneida and Winfield. They are maintained by the Scott County Road Department and include a mix of paved roads, tar-and-chip roads and gravel roads. In some instances the paved roads are striped. None consist of more than two lanes of travel, and some are one-lane roads.
The state roads
There are six state highways that fall within Scott County: U.S. Highway 27 (which is called S.R. 29 by TDOT), S.R. 63, S.R. 52, S.R. 297, S.R. 456, and S.R. 154. These are the only roads that are maintained by TDOT. They are not the responsibility of Scott County or the respective cities. The only exception is the portion of S.R. located within the boundaries of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, which is maintained by the National Park Service.
U.S. 27
U.S. Highway 27 is a north-to-south route that has a northern terminus in Fort Wayne, Ind. (just outside Chicago) and a southern terminus in Miami, Fla. It was signed in 1926, replacing the eastern route of the Dixie Highway. In Tennessee, U.S. 27 enters the state at Winfield and Scott County and exits the state at Chattanooga.
There are 27 miles of U.S. 27 in Scott County, beginning at the TN/KY line in Winfield and extending to the Scott/Morgan County line south of Glenmary. All 27 miles consists of at least two lanes of travel, primarily between the TN/KY line south to Oneida, and the Scott/Morgan County line north to Robbins. There is an exception within these stretches: a short turn lane in Winfield by Winfield School, as well as a southbound truck lane in that same area. There is also a southbound truck lane in Robbins, extending roughly from New River to Old Highway 27, and a northbound truck lane in Robbins, near Old Highway 27. All of U.S. 27 from roughly Mudd Street in Huntsville to Underpass Drive in Oneida consists of four lanes of travel, along with a turn lane, and there is an additional four-lane stretch through the heart of Oneida’s retail district.
Within Scott County, parts of U.S. 27 are called Scott Highway, Alberta Street (in Oneida) and Tibbals Highway (also in Oneida).
S.R. 63
Tennessee State Route 63 is an east-to-west highway with an eastern terminus at S.R. 33 in Sneedville, Tenn. and a western terminus at U.S. 27 in Huntsville, a total distance of 102 miles. S.R. 63 is a primary route from U.S. 25E in Harrogate west to its terminus at S.R. 63. East of Harrogate, S.R. 63 is a secondary route with many more curves.
Within Scott County, S.R. 63 extends 13.7 miles from the Scott/Campbell County line west to its terminus at U.S. 27 in Huntsville. The entirety of the highway’s Scott County stretch is called Baker Highway, for U.S. Rep. Howard H. Baker Sr., a Huntsville native. A portion of highway in Huntsville, near its terminus, is also called the Duncan Memorial Mile, for U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Sr., who grew up along that stretch of highway.
S.R. 63 in Scott County is primarily a two-lane road, though there are exceptions. There are westbound truck lanes in Straight Fork and in Huntsville, and eastbound truck lanes in Huntsville and at the Scott/Campbell County line. Most of S.R. 63 through Huntsville, from the western terminus at U.S. 27 to near Baker Street, is five lanes, including four lanes of travel and a turn lane. There are also short turn lanes at the highway’s intersections with Annadell Road in Huntsville and Norma Road in Fairview.
S.R. 52
Tennessee State Route 52 is an east-west highway through nine counties in northern Tennessee, stretching 141.4 miles from its eastern terminus at U.S. 27 in Elgin to its western terminus at S.R. 49 in Orlinda (Robertson County) north of Nashville. It is a primary route from Elgin to its intersection with S.R. 41 in Portland (Sumner County) and a secondary route west of Portland.
Within Scott County, S.R. 52 extends 5.1 miles from its eastern terminus at U.S. 27 in Elgin to the Scott/Morgan County line east of Rugby, between White Oak Creek Lane (Scott County) and Alcorn Lane (Morgan County). The entirety of this stretch is a two-lane highway.
S.R. 297
Tennessee State Route 297 is an east-west secondary route that extends 62 miles from an eastern terminus at U.S. Highway 25W in Jellico, near the Tennessee-Kentucky border in Campbell County, to a western terminus at S.R. 154 in Sharp Place, north of Jamestown in Fentress County.
In Scott County, S.R. 297 traverses the entire width of the county, from the Scott/Campbell County line east of Straight Fork to the Scott/Fentress County line in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. However, much of this distance parallels S.R. 63 and U.S. 27. The stand-alone portion of the highway is 13.8 miles from the intersection of U.S. 27 and Industrial Lane in Oneida to the Scott/Fentress County line in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area.
Within Scott County, the stand-alone portion of S.R. 297 is called Industrial Lane (from U.S. 27 to West 3rd Avenue in Oneida), West 3rd Avenue (from the Industrial Lane intersection west to the Oneida city limits near Meadow Creek Road), Coopertown Road (from the Oneida city limits near Meadow Creek Road west to the intersection with Station Camp Road), and Leatherwood Road (from the intersection with Station Camp Road west to the Scott/Fentress County line in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area). The entirety of this stretch of highway consists of two lanes.
Paint Rock Road from its terminus with U.S. 27 in Oneida to its intersection with Annadale Road near Huntsville was once designated part of S.R. 297, as was Annadale Road from its intersection with Paint Rock Road to its terminus at S.R. 63. However, the S.R. 297 designation was shifted to S.R. 63 and U.S. 27 in the 2000s, with Paint Rock Road and Annadale Road redesignated as S.R. 456, in an effort to lessen commercial traffic through the Paint Rock community.
S.R. 456
Tennessee State Route 456 is Scott County’s newest state highway designation. It is a 10-mile, north-to-south route that falls entirely within Scott County, beginning at its northern terminus at U.S. Highway 27 in Oneida and ending at its southern terminus at S.R. 63 in Huntsville.
S.R. 456 was part of S.R. 297 until the 2000s, when S.R. 297 was moved to follow S.R. 63 and U.S. 27 in an effort to lessen commercial traffic through the Paint Rock community.
S.R. 456 is known as Annadale Road (from its southern terminus at S.R. 63 to its intersection with Paint Rock Road) and as Paint Rock Road (from its intersection with Annadale Road to its northern terminus at U.S. 27). The entire highway consists of two lanes.
S.R. 154
Tennessee State Route 154 is the shortest stretch of state highway in Scott County. It is a 19.1-mile, east-to-west route (that actually travels more north-to-south than east-to-west) beginning with an eastern terminus at the Tennessee/Kentucky line in northwestern Scott County to its western terminus at S.R. 52 in Jamestown.
Within Scott County, S.R. 154 stretches only four-tenths of a mile from the Tennessee/Kentucky border to the Scott/Pickett County line. The entirety of this stretch is within the boundaries of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. North of the Tennessee/Kentucky border, S.R. 154 becomes Kentucky Highway 167 through the Daniel Boone National Forest. South of the Scott/Pickett County line, S.R. 154 leaves the Big South Fork NRRA and enters Pickett State Forest.
The entirety of S.R. 154 through Scott County is a two-lane road. It is a desolate area that includes no residences or public utilities.
See Also: Scott County’s public roads