I-40 in Newport, TN

[bugo]

The I-40/US 25W/US 70/US 411 interchange has a left exit.  Is this a remnant from an old bypass routing of 25W/70 or just poor design?

[Mapmikey]

1964 topo shows same as today.

1954 topo shows no bypass.

www.historicaerials.com and enter Newport, TN

I don't have any older Tn maps but NC Officials from 1963 and older show no bypass of Newport, TN.

Mapmikey

[hbelkins]

The I-40/US 25W/US 70/US 411 interchange has a left exit.  Is this a remnant from an old bypass routing of 25W/70 or just poor design?

It's been that way ever since I can remember. I think it was built as a left exit when I-40 was built.

Interestingly enough, the exit leading to Newport is signed for only US 25W and US 70. I cannot remember if US 411 was ever signed on the exit before that route was truncated from Bristol. (As an aside, some old oil company maps from before the truncation had it shown as "US 441" instead of US 411.) The exit for the opposite side (the left exit from westbound I-40) is signed only for US 411 for Sevierville, despite the fact that the ramp actually leads onto 25W/70 and the end of 411 is a little bit west of the interchange.