Interstate 381

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

State Route 381

Length:

2.91 mi^[1] (5 km)

Formed:

1960 (SR 381)
1961 (I-381)

South end:

US 11E/US 19/SR 1 at State St. in Bristol, TN

Major
junctions:

US 11/US 11W/US 421 in Bristol

SR 381 becomes

I-381

North end:

I-81/US 58 in Bristol

Virginia Routes
< SR 380		SR 382 >
Primary - Secondary - History - Turnpikes

Interstate 381 (I-381) is a spur from Interstate 81 that provides access to Bristol, Virginia, United States. It runs for 1.7 miles from the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue (State Route 381) and Keys Street in Bristol north to Interstate 81 at exit 3. The I-81 interchange, the only one on I-381, is signed as exits 1A (I-81 north) and 1B (I-81 south).

State Route 381 is a primary state highway in the city of Bristol. It runs for 1.21 miles from the south end of Interstate 381 at Keys Street to downtown Bristol, and to the Tennessee state line at State Street. The SR 381 designation is entirely separate from I-381, and the two do not run concurrent.

[edit] History

The Interstate 381 freeway originally opened to traffic on November 20, 1961, the same time as the part of Interstate 81 that bypasses Bristol to the north.

In its original configuration, the interchange between Interstates 81 and 381 was a single Y interchange, providing access from southbound I-81 to southbound I-381 (via a left exit) and northbound I-381 to northbound I-81. By 1989, ramps were added to make it a full direction T interchange. In 1996, southbound I-81 was moved next to the northbound side, turning the southbound left exit and entrance into right-side ramps.