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Was US 74 ever signed all the way to Chattanooga?

Started by usends, June 07, 2024, 10:35:13 AM

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usends

As background: in 1986 NC and TN requested to have US 74 extended from Asheville NC west to Chattanooga (specifically to the I-75/I-24 interchange), and AASHTO approved.  But reportedly, as of 1994, US 74 was not signed anywhere west of Cleveland TN, and that remains the case to this day. 

So my question is this: in 1986 (or any time after), was US 74 ever signposted all the way to Chattanooga?  Or did TN stop signing it at Cleveland from the outset?  I'm interested in personal recollections, photos, or other evidence.
usends.com - US highway endpoints, photos, maps, and history


74/171FAN

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hbelkins

From personal observation, I concur with Mark's photographic evidence above, although it appears some newer signage has been installed since the last time I was in Cleveland. IIRC, signage of US 74 was spotty along the Cleveland bypass and it disappears completely on I-75.
Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Mapmikey

Quote from: usends on June 07, 2024, 10:35:13 AMAs background: in 1986 NC and TN requested to have US 74 extended from Asheville NC west to Chattanooga (specifically to the I-75/I-24 interchange), and AASHTO approved.  But reportedly, as of 1994, US 74 was not signed anywhere west of Cleveland TN, and that remains the case to this day. 

So my question is this: in 1986 (or any time after), was US 74 ever signposted all the way to Chattanooga?  Or did TN stop signing it at Cleveland from the outset?  I'm interested in personal recollections, photos, or other evidence.

I drove to Chattanooga a couple times in the late 1980s and US 74 has never been signed west of Cleveland.

usends

Quote from: Mapmikey on June 07, 2024, 02:03:05 PMI drove to Chattanooga a couple times in the late 1980s and US 74 has never been signed west of Cleveland.
Thanks, this is the information I was looking for.  It's strange that TN requested the route to Chattanooga but never signposted it that far.
usends.com - US highway endpoints, photos, maps, and history

hbelkins

Quote from: usends on June 07, 2024, 02:14:56 PM
Quote from: Mapmikey on June 07, 2024, 02:03:05 PMI drove to Chattanooga a couple times in the late 1980s and US 74 has never been signed west of Cleveland.
Thanks, this is the information I was looking for.  It's strange that TN requested the route to Chattanooga but never signposted it that far.

It's Tennessee. Their signage of longstanding US routes is crap as it is.
Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

wriddle082

^ Yep, both Tennessee and South Carolina are guilty of crap signage, or forgetting to repair or replace damaged or missing signage.  What is it about states I've lived in?  Also Kentucky's signage wasn't as good when I lived there as it is now.

Also, I thought at one point, they were supposed to have US routes 72, 74, and 76 all terminate at the I-24 and I-75 interchange, with 72 following 24, 74 following 75 from the north, and 76 following 75 from the south.

The Ghostbuster

I wonder if the 1986 extension of US 74 west of Asheville was really necessary. Sure, the 1990's relocation to Columbus could be justifiable, but the rest of the 74 extension duplexes existing US Highway Corridors nearly all the way from Asheville to Chattanooga (or Cleveland where signage ends). The duplication of existing routes seems unnecessary to me, and the US 74 western extension is not the only US Highway that I believe has unnecessary route duplication with other US Highways.

wdcrft63

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on June 07, 2024, 05:23:44 PMI wonder if the 1986 extension of US 74 west of Asheville was really necessary. Sure, the 1990's relocation to Columbus could be justifiable, but the rest of the 74 extension duplexes existing US Highway Corridors nearly all the way from Asheville to Chattanooga (or Cleveland where signage ends). The duplication of existing routes seems unnecessary to me, and the US 74 western extension is not the only US Highway that I believe has unnecessary route duplication with other US Highways.
Despite the concurrences, US 74 west of Asheville is now recognized as the Main Street of southwestern North Carolina. It has earned its place as the major partner in all of the concurrences.

Mapmikey

Quote from: wriddle082 on June 07, 2024, 03:47:27 PMAlso, I thought at one point, they were supposed to have US routes 72, 74, and 76 all terminate at the I-24 and I-75 interchange, with 72 following 24, 74 following 75 from the north, and 76 following 75 from the south.


What is the source for this?  Tennessee first tried extending US 74 to the Oak Ridge area in 1978 (eventually they got US 321 extended).  They also tried extending US 76 to Lookout Mtn in 1964.

Tom958

Quote from: wdcrft63 on June 07, 2024, 08:35:51 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on June 07, 2024, 05:23:44 PMI wonder if the 1986 extension of US 74 west of Asheville was really necessary. Sure, the 1990's relocation to Columbus could be justifiable, but the rest of the 74 extension duplexes existing US Highway Corridors nearly all the way from Asheville to Chattanooga (or Cleveland where signage ends). The duplication of existing routes seems unnecessary to me, and the US 74 western extension is not the only US Highway that I believe has unnecessary route duplication with other US Highways.
Despite the concurrences, US 74 west of Asheville is now recognized as the Main Street of southwestern North Carolina. It has earned its place as the major partner in all of the concurrences.

And the only section of US 74 west of Asheville that isn't a concurrency is the ten-mile bypass of Bryson City and Cherokee. I guess that key link and US 74's east-west orientation made a big impression on the mental maps of western North Carolinians.

I think the advent of the Interstate system got us to thinking of major highways as discrete entities, but the US highway system always was a network of routes intended to rationalize the chaotic collection of state routes that preceded it. To a degree, it's still worthwhile to sign a route that makes as much sense as US 74 despite the overlap with other routes. Going all the way to the I-24-75 interchange would've been overkill, though. 

wriddle082

Quote from: Mapmikey on June 07, 2024, 09:45:33 PM
Quote from: wriddle082 on June 07, 2024, 03:47:27 PMAlso, I thought at one point, they were supposed to have US routes 72, 74, and 76 all terminate at the I-24 and I-75 interchange, with 72 following 24, 74 following 75 from the north, and 76 following 75 from the south.


What is the source for this?  Tennessee first tried extending US 74 to the Oak Ridge area in 1978 (eventually they got US 321 extended).  They also tried extending US 76 to Lookout Mtn in 1964.

I wanna say I saw something like that in a TDOT map from the 80's.  I'll dig mine out if I have time this weekend and see.



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