Charleston WV to Nashville Interstate-light route suggestions

[wphiii]

Helping my brother move from Pittsburgh to Little Rock over Memorial Day Weekend. Friday night we'll be in Charleston, and Saturday night in Nashville. Sunday we'll be hauling ass to get to LR as early as possible, so Saturday I was hoping to have a slower drive that I'd enjoy a bit more. My first thought was U.S. 119 from Charleston to its western terminus, then chute-and-ladder down U.S 25E to TN 63 to I-75 for a second to TN 61/95 through Oak Ridge and then just jump back on I-40 to Nashville. I figured I'd open it up to the board first, though, cause I'm sure you guys have even better ideas, suggestions for things to stop and do along the way, etc.

[hbelkins]

The US 119 route is a good one, except between Whitesburg and Cumberland. This is the only section that has not been placed on a new alignment, which means you have to cross Pine Mountain which involves a whole bunch of switchbacks. That route has been widened in spots with some truck climbing lanes, but it's still a hard, slow drive. Once you get to the other side of the mountain, only part of the route has been relocated before Cumberland. From Cumberland on to Pineville, it's a surface route ARC corridor with passing lanes on the hills. Last I heard, there was construction in the Cumberland Gap Tunnel.

Alternate route: US 23 south from Ashland to south of Prestonsburg, then KY 80/Hal Rogers Parkway/KY 80/Cumberland Parkway west to I-65 and then south to Nashville.

If you want to bypass Nashville entirely, take the Kentucky parkways west from Lexington, then US 51 south to I-155 and cross into Missouri, then take I-55 south to I-40.

[wphiii]

Thanks for the reply hbelkins. Not too worried about hard and slow as long as it's interesting to look at. Would you recommend any of the towns along the way (Pikeville, Cumberland, Harlan, Pineville, etc) as a good place for a stop and stretch/quick walk around?

[hbelkins]

Thanks for the reply hbelkins. Not too worried about hard and slow as long as it's interesting to look at. Would you recommend any of the towns along the way (Pikeville, Cumberland, Harlan, Pineville, etc) as a good place for a stop and stretch/quick walk around?

There's an overlook at Pikeville where you can see the cut-through project. There's also an overlook at the top of Pine Mountain on US 119 between Whitesburg and Cumberland.