US routes in Memphis

[hbelkins]

Once again, I'm seeking information on the routing of US highways in a city, where the state DOT map and the signing are suspect.

This time it's Memphis.

Can anyone provide a definitive routing for US 51, US 72 and US 78 in Memphis?

I'm probably going to be there this coming Sunday, 11/4.

[US71]

Once again, I'm seeking information on the routing of US highways in a city, where the state DOT map and the signing are suspect.

This time it's Memphis.

Can anyone provide a definitive routing for US 51, US 72 and US 78 in Memphis?

I'm probably going to be there this coming Sunday, 11/4.

72 begins at 64/70/79: corner of Poplar and E Parkway North. 72 is co-signed as TN 57

51 is Danny Thomas Blvd /Thomas St coming in from the north, south to Union (64/70/79) then goes east to Bellevue by the hospital, then south, eventually becoming Elvis Presley Blvd.

78 ends at 64/70/79, but I've not quite got that one down... there's a maze of one-way streets in that area.

[hbelkins]

78 ends at 64/70/79, but I've not quite got that one down... there's a maze of one-way streets in that area.

Everything I've seen indicates 2nd Street.

Have my route planned. In on 78, loop back around on the one-ways and go out 72 to Germantown/Collierville, back in on 385 to 240, then 240 north to I-40. Will go into Arkansas and reverse direction onto 55 south, then back into Mississippi and through town on 51, heading north. This will clinch 51 and 78 for me, will leave only that portion of 72 between I-24 and Chattanooga, and will finish off the entire interstate system in Tennessee until 69 and 269 are opened.

I expect traffic on a Sunday to be light. Much lighter than what I found on US 60 through the Hampton Roads area on a Friday.

[bugo]

Once again, I'm seeking information on the routing of US highways in a city, where the state DOT map and the signing are suspect.

This time it's Memphis.

Can anyone provide a definitive routing for US 51, US 72 and US 78 in Memphis?

I'm probably going to be there this coming Sunday, 11/4.

72 begins at 64/70/79: corner of Poplar and E Parkway North. 72 is co-signed as TN 57

72 begins at US 51, at Union and Bellevue.

[hbelkins]

72 begins at US 51, at Union and Bellevue.

Photos I've seen show it signed along with 64, 70 and 79 in several placed.

[US71]

Once again, I'm seeking information on the routing of US highways in a city, where the state DOT map and the signing are suspect.

This time it's Memphis.

Can anyone provide a definitive routing for US 51, US 72 and US 78 in Memphis?

I'm probably going to be there this coming Sunday, 11/4.

72 begins at 64/70/79: corner of Poplar and E Parkway North. 72 is co-signed as TN 57

72 begins at US 51, at Union and Bellevue.

That's what Wikipedia says, but I recall no signage past Poplar.

[hbelkins]

OK, I drove the routes today. Came in on US 78 from Tupelo. Signage shows it turning right onto East Street. There is no sign showing the subsequent left turn onto MLK (formerly Linden), but there is signage going east indicating the turn. Also no signage at the end of the route at 2nd street, except a "To I-55" marker.

After I got myself situated to head north on 3rd Street, I noticed that US 64/70/79 and To I-40/240 signage is present, but hard to see, at Union. US 72 is well-marked along with 64, 70 and 79 going east, but signage where 64/70/79 turn off Union onto Parkway is not that great. US 72 continues on Union to Poplar. Heading west on 72, there is no signage indicating the route exits Poplar to Union.

Unusually, US 72's hidden state route (Secondary 57) is signed pretty much all the way to Collierville.

US 51 is pretty well-signed going north. It's not signed, but a short stretch of Union (between Bellevue and Danny Thomas) carries five two-digit US routes: 51, 64, 70, 72 and 79. Is that a record?

Spotted an independent TN Primary 1 posting along US 51 north of downtown. Also noted that overheads on I-55 south at the state line have state-name I-55 and I-69 shields.

Definitely felt like I was traveling through the "low-rent" area of Memphis on both Lamar (US 78) and Elvis Presley (US 51).

[US71]

Definitely felt like I was traveling through the "low-rent" area of Memphis on both Lamar (US 78) and Elvis Presley (US 51).

Did you stop at the mall on 51 to see the low hanging 4-Way traffic signal?

[rte66man]

Definitely felt like I was traveling through the "low-rent" area of Memphis on both Lamar (US 78) and Elvis Presley (US 51).

That's because you were. The notorious Lamar Terrace apartments (now razed) were on the SW corner of I-240 and Lamar Blvd.  However, just 3-4 blocks east is a very nice neighborhood of mixed-use housing.

rte66man

[hbelkins]

Also noted that overheads on I-55 south at the state line have state-name I-55 and I-69 shields.

Lest anyone salivate, they were Mississippi shields, not Tennessee.

[agentsteel53]

any Tennessee state named shields around?  I haven't seen one since the first day of 2005.

[hbelkins]

any Tennessee state named shields around?  I haven't seen one since the first day of 2005.

I saw none.

[agentsteel53]

any Tennessee state named shields around?  I haven't seen one since the first day of 2005.

I saw none.

you'd imagine some forgotten corner of Memphis would have one.

[kharvey10]

signage is somewhat spotty in downtown Memphis as well for all the routes. 

US 51 north of Memphis tends to run through some of the hoods and lower income areas for about 3 or 4 miles before it reaches unmarked TN 300 (future I-69) and the area starts to improve. Further north you will eventually see secondary Route 385 signage - they don't sign TN 385 until that mainline itself.  Photos were too poor of quality to post - going into sunlight and nowhere to pull over.

[US71]

any Tennessee state named shields around?  I haven't seen one since the first day of 2005.

You mean the old triangles with TENN?  There was one in Madisonville about 5-6 years ago.

[oscar]

any Tennessee state named shields around?  I haven't seen one since the first day of 2005.

You mean the old triangles with TENN?  There was one in Madisonville about 5-6 years ago.

The standard Tennessee state route marker has the state name, on the bottom within an outline of the state borders. Like the two here (in a different part of the state, but there are similar markers in the Memphis area).

[US71]

any Tennessee state named shields around?  I haven't seen one since the first day of 2005.

You mean the old triangles with TENN?  There was one in Madisonville about 5-6 years ago.

The standard Tennessee state route marker has the state name, on the bottom within an outline of the state borders. Like the two here (in a different part of the state, but there are similar markers in the Memphis area).

Those look like the current standard.

[roadman65]

US 72 and US 78 should both end at I-240. US 51 should be realigned to I-240 along its western part of the loop and use TN 300.

Then US 64 use I-40 from I-55 in AR to bypass the city streets leaving both US 70 and US 79 as a problem to put on the I-240 loop to bypass Memphis, so it's through town routing can't be avoided even with Indy logic.

[rte66man]

any Tennessee state named shields around?  I haven't seen one since the first day of 2005.

You mean the old triangles with TENN?  There was one in Madisonville about 5-6 years ago.

The standard Tennessee state route marker has the state name, on the bottom within an outline of the state borders. Like the two here (in a different part of the state, but there are similar markers in the Memphis area).

Those look like the current standard.

From 2016:

Tiptonville


Clarksville

And my favorite east of Springfield:

[rte66man]

Also from 2016:


near Union City


I-40 east of Memphis

[rlb2024]

When I was growing up in Tennessee the triangle was the statewide standard.  The rectangular signs came along later.  It seems like they are designating primary (rectangular) and secondary (triangle) state highways now.

[rlb2024]

Unusually, US 72's hidden state route (Secondary 57) is signed pretty much all the way to Collierville.

TN 57 was always signed along with US 72 through Memphis when I was growing up there.  They separate in Collierville, with US 72 ducking down into Mississippi and TN 57 continuing eastward toward Pickwick Lake.

US 51 is pretty well-signed going north. It's not signed, but a short stretch of Union (between Bellevue and Danny Thomas) carries five two-digit US routes: 51, 64, 70, 72 and 79. Is that a record?

Seems like when I was growing up there was a short stretch downtown that was signed with six US highways -- 51, 64, 70, 72, 78, and 79.  Maybe along Second and Third Streets?

[elsmere241]

When I was growing up in Tennessee the triangle was the statewide standard.  The rectangular signs came along later.  It seems like they are designating primary (rectangular) and secondary (triangle) state highways now.

That started around the mid-1980s.  Part of it was a major expansion of the secondary network.

[roadman65]

I was surprised that Memphis was poor in signage compared to Nashville which in 1990 did an excellent job in signing all US routes there.

Then again 32 years a lot can happen. Enough for that city to neglect signage and for a young user on here to see post neglect signage in their lives, can mean that in perhaps 1990 Memphis was better at shield placement then as well.

Chattanooga is another with bad signage including US 27 at I-24 failing to co sign it with I-24 EB once the I-124 freeway ends.  Plus even to ignore I-124 is bad judgement even if the route is short in length.

[hbelkins]

In my experience, signage is terrible in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. The signage in Knoxville was improved when they signed a reroute of US 11/US 70, but there are still some omissions in places that make it difficult to follow numbered routes.

This may be a city thing in general. KYTC's District 7 has done a good job of signing in downtown Lexington, in large part due to some reroutings of US 27 and US 60, but in Louisville, it's awful.