Tennessee State Route 60

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For the section of this route that is part of the beltway around Cleveland, Tennessee, see APD-40.
State Route 60 primary marker State Route 60 secondary marker
State Route 60
Dalton Pike, APD-40, 25th Street, Georgetown Road, Hiwassee Highway
Route information
Maintained by TDOT
Length54.04 mi (86.97 km)
Major junctions
South end SR 71 at the Georgia State Line
 
 US 64 Byp. in Cleveland

US 64 / US 74 in Cleveland
US 11 / SR 74 in Cleveland

I-75 in Cleveland
SR 58 in Georgetown
North end US 27 / SR 378 in Dayton
Location
CountiesBradley, Hamilton, Meigs, Rhea
Highway system
← SR 59→ US 61

State Route 60 (SR 60) is a north-south major state route in Eastern Tennessee. It covers 54 miles (87 km) and runs from the Tennessee-Georgia state line in Bradley County to Dayton joining US 27.

Route description[]

Bradley County[]

SR 60 begins at the Georgia border in Bradley County, heading north on two-lane Dalton Pike, a primary state route. At the state line, the route continues into Whitfield County, Georgia as SR 71 (Cleveland Highway) to Dalton. From the border, SR 60 passes a mix of hilly farmland and woodland as it reaches a junction with SR 317 (Weatherly Switch Road). The route continues through the agricultural valley, entering the community of Waterville, where it widens to five lanes. Continuing northeast, the road enters Cleveland and passes residential development as it turns to the north. SR 60 heads into commercial areas and intersection with McGrady Drive, a connector to APD-40 (US 64 Bypass/US 74, SR 311), where it reduces back to two lanes. The road heads northwest into residential areas, turning north into business areas, and intersects SR 74 (Spring Place Road S.E.). TDOT lists the route as turning southeast to form a concurrency with Spring Place Road, but it is signed on some maps as continuing north with SR 74 at this intersection along Wildwood Avenue SE. and then east with US 64 to the interchange with APD-40.[1][2]

S.R. 60 as part of APD-40 near the interchange with 20th Street NE.

A short distance later, SR 60 splits from SR 74 by heading north along APD-40 as part of the four-lane divided and limited-access highway, becoming a primary route again. The road passes through wooded areas near some residential development, bypassing Cleveland to the east. Upon reaching a cloverleaf interchange with US 64/US 74 (SR 40), US 64 Bypass terminates and SR 60 continues north as a freeway. The route comes to an interchange with Benton Pike before coming to the Overhead Bridge Road exit, at which point the freeway temporarily gains auxiliary lanes. SR 60 passes over Norfolk Southern's Knoxville District West End railroad line and interchanges with 20th Street NE, where the auxiliary lanes terminate, making a turn to the northwest. The road then enters the metropolis of Cleveland, passing developed areas of homes and businesses as it becomes a surface road again. Here the APD-40 designation ends and the route becomes known as 25th Street. SR 60 comes to intersections with US 11 (SR 74, Ocoee Street) and US 11 Bypass (SR 2, Keith Street) in this area. The road passes through a patch of woods before passing more commercial establishments as it comes to the I-75 interchange.[1][2]

At this point, SR 60 turns north and becomes Georgetown Road, a secondary route that passes through residential areas, where it narrows into a two-lane undivided road. The route comes to an intersection with Paul Huff Parkway, and leaves Cleveland, heading into a mix of farmland and woodland before passing near more residential and commercial areas as it comes to the SR 306 junction in Hopewell. Following this, the road continues northwest through forested areas with some farm fields and residences. SR 60 continues into more agricultural areas before it travels along the border between Meigs County to the northeast and Hamilton County to the southwest.[1][2]

Hamilton and Meigs Counties[]

S.R. 60 in Georgetown at the Bradley-Hamilton-Meigs County line.

The route passes through Georgetown, where it passes a few residences and businesses. A short distance past Georgetown, SR 60 passes crosses onto the Hamilton-Meigs County line, passing through more rural areas as an unnamed road and comes to a junction with SR 58. The road passes through more agricultural and wooded areas, turning to the north and entering more forested surroundings. After a turn to the northwest, the route continues through wooded areas with a few farm fields fully within Hamilton County, reaching an intersection with SR 312 (Birchwood Pike). At this point, SR 60 turns north again and passes through the residential community of Birchwood. From here, the road becomes Hiwassee Highway and curves northwest into farmland with some woods and homes, crossing into Meigs County.[1][2]

Rhea County[]

Upon crossing the Tennessee River on the Tri-County Veterans Bridge, SR 60 enters Rhea County and turns north into forested areas with a few farms. The road continues to wind through rural areas with some residential development before SR 60 reaches its northern terminus at US 27 (SR 29) in Dayton.[1][2]

History[]

In Cleveland, the route originally turned south about 1/4 mile east of the interchange with I-75 onto a road which is still called Georgetown Road, and briefly ran together with US 64 through downtown Cleveland before splitting off onto Wildwood Avenue.[3] It was moved onto 25th Street after it was widened to four lanes in the mid 1960s and APD-40 after that section was completed in 1974.[4][5] Originally, the route did not cross the Tennessee river into Rhea County, and commuters used Blythe Ferry, which dated back to the early 1800s. In 1994, the current bridge across the river was completed, and Blythe Ferry closed.[6]

Between early 2010 and early 2013, the section of SR 60 (Dalton Pike) south of the intersection with McGrady Drive through the Waterville community was widened to five lanes and straightened out. The original route was a hazardous two-lane road with several dangerous curves prone to accidents.[7]

In 2016, the parallel bridges on APD-40 across 20th Street, the railroad, and Overhead Bridge Road were designated as the Dustin Ledford Memorial Bridge in honor of a man who was killed by an intoxicated driver near the Overhead Bridge Road exit.[8]

In September 2017, TDOT began the process of right-of-way acquisition to widen the segment of SR 60 (Georgetown Road) between north of I-75 and SR 306 from two to five lanes.[9] After years of delays, the contract for the project was awarded on September 10, 2021, with completion expected in 2025.[10]

Major intersections[]

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
Bradley​0.000.00 SR 71 south (Cleveland Road) – DaltonGeorgia state line; southern terminus; SR 60 begins as a primary route
​ SR 317 west (Weatherley Switch Road SE) – Apison, Collegedale, OoltewahEastern terminus of SR 317
Cleveland
 US 64 Byp. / US 74 (APD-40/SR 311)		Interchange via access road (McGrady Drive)
SR 74 south (Spring Place Road SE) – Wildwood LakeSouthern end of SR 74 concurrency
US 64 west / SR 74 north (Inman Street E/SR 40 west) – DowntownNorthern end of SR 74 concurrency; southern end of US 64/SR 40 concurrency
US 64 east / US 74 east (SR 40 east/Waterlevel Highway) – Ocoee

 US 64 Byp. west / US 74 west (APD-40/SR 311 south) – Chattanooga		Interchange; northern end of US 64/SR 40 concurrency; southern end of APD-40 concurrency; northern terminus of unsigned SR 311
South end of freeway section (APD-40)
Benton Pike
Overhead Bridge Road
20th Street
North end of freeway section (APD-40)
US 11 (SR 74/North Ocoee Street) – Downtown Cleveland, AthensNorthern terminus of APD-40

 US 11 Byp. (SR 2 / Keith Street NW) – Chattanooga, Charleston, Calhoun, Athens
I-75 – Chattanooga, KnoxvilleI-75 exit 25, SR 60 becomes secondary route
Paul Huff Parkway eastWestern terminus of Paul Huff Parkway
Hopewell SR 306 north (Eureka Road NW)Southern terminus of SR 306
HamiltonGeorgetown SR 58 – Decatur, Chattanooga
Birchwood SR 312 east (Birchwood Pike)Western terminus of SR 312
Meigs
 No major junctions
Tennessee RiverTri-County Veterans Bridge over the Tennessee River
RheaDayton54.0486.97 US 27 (Rhea County Highway/SR 29) – Spring City, Chattanooga
SR 378 north (Market Street) – Downtown		Northern terminus; Southern terminus of SR 378; SR 60 ends as a secondary route
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Google (February 20, 2011). "overview of Tennessee State Route 60" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Official Transportation Map (back) (PDF) (Map). TDOT. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  3. ^ Tennessee State Highway Department Highway Planning Survey Division; United States Department of Commerce; Bureau of Public Roads (1959). History of the Tennessee Highway Department (PDF) (Report). Nashville: Tennessee State Highway Department. p. 56. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  4. ^ East Cleveland, Tennessee (Map). US Geological Survey. 1965. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  5. ^ East Cleveland, Tennessee (Map). US Geological Survey. 1976. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  6. ^ "Cherokee Removal Memorial Park at Historic Blythe Ferry". Tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org. National Geographic. 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  7. ^ Higgins, Randall (December 29, 2011). "Hearing set on intersection as Dalton Pike work nears end". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  8. ^ Mincey, Allen (July 11, 2016). "Dustin Ledford Memorial Bridge dedicated Sunday". Cleveland Daily Banner. Retrieved 2017-10-28.
  9. ^ Bowers, Larry C. (September 23, 2017). "Highway, intersection upgrades are planned". Cleveland Daily Banner. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  10. ^ Siniard, Tim (September 13, 2021). "TDOT Awards Highway 60 Phase 1 Project Contract". Cleveland Daily Banner. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
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