U.S. Route 321

U.S. Route 321
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 21
Length: 526 mi (847 km)
Existed: 1931 – present
Major junctions
South end: US 17 in Hardeeville, SC
  I-26 in Cayce, SC
I-20 in Columbia, SC
I-85 in Gastonia, NC
I-40 in Hickory, NC
I-26 / US-19W / US-23 in Johnson City, TN
I-40 in Newport, TN
I-75 in Lenoir City, TN
North end: I-40 / SR-73 / SR-95 near Lenoir City, TN
Highway system

United States Numbered Highways
List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced



← SC 319 SC SC 322 →
← US 311 NC NC 343 →
← SR-320 TN SR-321 →

U.S. Route 321 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 526 miles (847 km) from South Carolina to Tennessee. The northern terminus of U.S. 321 is between Lenoir City and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at Interstate 40 exit 364, which is about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Interstate 40's junction with Interstate 75. The southern terminus is in Hardeeville, South Carolina at the intersection with U.S. Route 17, less than a mile away from Interstate 95 and 15 miles (24 km) north of Savannah, Georgia.

Because of its unusual "north–south–north" route, U.S. 321 intersects both Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70 three separate times.

Contents

Route description

South Carolina

U.S. 321 provides direct access between Savannah and Columbia, serving as an alternate to Interstate 95 and Interstate 26. Starting in Hardeeville, U.S. 321 as a mostly 2 lane highway goes through sparsely populated areas and small towns including Estill, Fairfax, and Denmark, heading in a rather straight and northward direction into the Columbia area, widening to a 5 lane highway right after Neeses, then narrowing down to a 2 lane highway right after the town of North and widening to a 5 lane highway again after Swansea and staying that way until it merges with its parent route U.S. 21 in Dixiana. In Columbia, the route stays concurrent with U.S. 21 through Cayce, over the Congaree River on the Blossom Street Bridge, turning left onto Huger Street, right onto Elmwood Avenue, and left onto North Main Street. The roads separate at Hyatt Park, with U.S. 321 staying west of Interstate 77 and U.S. 21 north of Columbia. The route goes through to communities of Winnsboro, Chester, York, and Clover before entering North Carolina at Bowling Green.

North Carolina

U.S. 321 is an important route in Western North Carolina. It provides an alternative north–south route to Interstate 77, which passes through a busy metropolitan area, and US 221, which is more twisty drive up the Appalachians. Travelers from South Carolina who are going to points west of Charlotte and want to avoid the traffic of I-77 may choose to enter the state on U.S. 321.

The highway traverses through seven counties: Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, Watauga, and Avery. U.S. 321 has six control cities: Gastonia, Lincolnton, Hickory, Lenoir, Blowing Rock, and Boone.

U.S. 321 is a multilane highway beginning at the state line. After 7 miles (11 km)), it enters the Gastonia area. Traffic on northbound 321 through Gastonia is generally not as heavy as traffic on southbound 321 north of Interstate 85, where it may back up for a couple of miles as drivers wait to turn onto I-85.

The road becomes a freeway at C. Grier Beam Boulevard in Gastonia, just south of NC 275/NC 279. It remains a freeway until just north of its junction with US 70 in Hickory. The freeway bypasses a number of cities that mainline U.S. 321 once passed through. Today, U.S. 321 Business follows the original 38 miles (61 km) route, that serves Maiden, Newton, and Conover; but the freeway is a more direct route to the mountains, and the business route is generally used by local traffic only.

Traffic is heavy usually between Hickory and Lenoir. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has a long-term plan to widen the road to six lanes, which is estimated to be completed by 2015. However, the project will probably take considerally longer. The first stage of the project (NCDOT project B-4450), replacing the bridge over the Catawba River, was previously estimated to be completed by 2011. However, the NCDOT project page shows that right-of-way acquisition will not begin until 2012.[1]

North of Lenoir, U.S. 321 is a four-lane divided highway. Currently the highway becomes a two-lane road again in northern Caldwell County. NCDOT project R-2237 will widen the road the four lanes through Blowing Rock.[2] The widening of U.S. 321 through Blowing Rock has been a controversial project. Many residents of the town feel that a four-lane highway will destroy the character of the small town, and they proposed several bypass alternatives. NCDOT has selected the widening as its preferred alternative, but added several features such as underground utilities, sidewalks, landscaping, and rock walls to make the widening more palatable to the residents who are opposed to it.[3] These features are not present on the two-lane highway that is being replaced.

North of Blowing Rock, U.S. 321 is already a four-lane highway up to King Street in Boone; thus, R-2237 will make 321 a four-lane highway from the South Carolina state line to downtown Boone. Currently, U.S. 321 meets US 421 at King Street and overlaps it over King Street to leave town to the west. NCDOT project R-2615 is proposed to widen the U.S. 321/421 concurrency from this junction to their junction near Vilas, although this project is currently unfunded.[4] There is a feasibility study (FS-0511A) in progress to examine the possibility of widening U.S. 321 from the junction near Vilas to the Tennessee state line. If both of these projects were completed, then U.S. 321 would be a four-lane highway through the entire state.

Tennessee

U.S. 321 "changes direction" in Elizabethton: the road is designated as southbound in both directions driving away from its intersection with US 19E.[5] It is conterminous with US 11E through portions of Washington and Greene counties. In Greeneville, the highway continues south into Cocke County, crossing I-40 at Newport. The stretch of US 321 from Newport south to Cosby and southwest through Pittman Center to Gatlinburg parallels the northern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is quite scenic. From a point between Newport and Cosby to the intersection with the Little River Road, it is concurrent with TN 73. In Pigeon Forge, US 321 is a divided, multi-lane traffic-laden thoroughfare where it serves as the city's main route, lined with hotels, outlet malls and amusement facilities. Veering southwest of Pigeon Forge, the highway takes on a more rural character, and narrows down to 2 lanes as it traverses Wears Valley until its junction with Tennessee State Route 73/337 (the Little River Road) at the Townsend entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is concurrent with Tennessee 73 from this junction to its terminus. With the exception of a 3-mile (4.8 km) section between Townsend and Maryville, the remaining portions of the highway through Blount County are a minimum of 4 lanes and usually a divided highway until it reaches Fort Loudon Dam in Loudon County where it crosses the Tennessee River at just south of Lenoir City, and has a wrong-way concurrency with Tennessee State Route 95 from a point several miles south of Lenoir City to its terminus at I-40.

Current plans call for a new bridge crossing over Fort Loudoun Lake and Fort Loudoun Dam along with widening of 1.4 miles (2.3 km) of related highway, with construction underway. Though sections of the highway are already four-laned, remaining portions through Loudon County will also be widened as part of the project, meaning the highway would be a four-lane semi-divided thoroughfare from Interstate 40 and Interstate 75 to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, except for the 3-mile (4.8 km) stretch near Walland, TN.

Future

In addition to the widening project, there have also been talks of a freeway-to-freeway connection with Interstate 85 in Gastonia that would greatly relieve traffic flowing through the junction. Currently, U.S. 321 is a surface road while passing through the interchange, but shortly becomes a freeway north of there. However, in order to extend the freeway to I-85, the few remaining at-grade intersections and traffic lights would have to be eliminated. An interchange is planned for the proposed Garden Parkway, which would terminate at the freeway section of U.S. 321 near Dallas.

Junction list

Mileposts reset at state line crossings.

South Carolina
County Location Mile Exit Destinations Notes
Jasper Hardeeville 0 US 17 (Whyte Hardee Boulevard) – Ridgeland, Savannah, GA US 321 begins
0.5 SC 46 (Church Road) To Millstone Landing
Tillman 12.5 SC 336 (Tillman Road) – Ridgeland
Tarboro 20 US 601 north (Cypress Branch Road) – Hampton
Robertville 22.5 SC 462 (Gillson Branch Road) – Pineland
Hampton Garnett 25.5 SC 119 south (Clyo Road) – Clyo
Scotia 30.5 SC 333 (Scotia-Furman Highway) – Furman
Estill 35.7 SC 3 south (Third Street) – Lena South end of SC 3 overlap
36 SC 3 north (Nixville Road) – Barnwell North end of SC 3 overlap
Luray 40 SC 363 east (Luray Highway) – Hampton, Lake Warren State Park
Allendale Fairfax 50 US 278 (Allendale-Hampton Highway) – Allendale, Hampton
Sycamore 55.5 SC 641 (Confederate Highway) – Allendale
Ulmer 60 US 301 south (Burton's Ferry Highway) – Allendale South end of US 301 overlap
Bamberg 62 US 301 north (Main Highway) – Bamberg North end of US 301 overlap
Olar 66 SC 64 (Low Country Road) – Barnwell
Denmark 76.5 SC 70 south (Hagood Street) – Barnwell South end of SC 70 overlap
77 US 78 (Heritage Highway) – Bamberg, Blackville
77.5 SC 70 north (Country Club Road) – Orangeburg North end of SC 70 overlap
Orangeburg Norway 85 SC 332 east (Cope Road) – Cope East end of SC 332 overlap
85.5 SC 332 west / SC 400 east (Norway Road) – Springfield, Orangeburg West end of SC 332 overlap
Neeses 91 SC 4 (Neeses Highway) – Springfield, Orangeburg
85.5 SC 389 west (Ninety Six Road) – Perry, Wagener
North 97 US 178 (North Highway) – Pelion, Orangeburg
Lexington Swansea 105 SC 3 south (Whetstone Road) – Springfield, Blackville, Barnwell
106 SC 692 south (Fifth Street) – Orangeburg To Swansea High Football Stadium
106.5 SC 6 (Second/First Streets) – Lexington, St. Matthews Brief SC 6 overlap
118 US 21 south / US 176 east (Charleston Highway) – Orangeburg South end of US 21 overlap, east end of US 176 overlap
Cayce 120 To I-77 (Fish Hatchery Road) – Charlotte
121 I-26 – Charleston, Spartanburg
122 SC 2 north (Frink Road)
West Columbia 123 SC 302 south (Airport Boulevard) – Aiken, Columbia Metropolitan Airport
125 SC 2 (State Street)
Richland Columbia 126 US 1 / US 378 (Gervais Street) To South Carolina State House
127 SC 12 (Hampton/Tylor Streets) To Finlay Park and Columbia Museum of Art
128 I-126 west / US 76 west – Greenville, Spartanburg West end of US 76 overlap
128.5 US 76 east (Elmwood Avenue) East end of US 76 overlap
129 US 176 west (River Drive) West end of US 176 overlap
129.5 SC 16 (Sunset Drive)
130 SC 215 north (Montichello Road) To Columbia International University
131 US 21 north (Main Street) North end of US 21 overlap, Columbia College at intersection
132 I-20 – Florence, Augusta
Fairfield 151 SC 269 south (Hinnants Store Road) – Fairfield County Airport
Winnsboro Mills 152 SC 34 east East end of SC 34 overlap, to South Carolina Railroad Museum
153
US 321 Bus. north (Columbia Road) / SC 213 west (Monjicono Road) – Monticello
Winnsboro 156 SC 34 west (Newberry Road) / SC 200 east – Salem Crossroads, Newberry
157
US 321 Bus. south (Congress Street)
Chester Chester 179 SC 97 south (Great Falls Road) – Great Falls, Camden South end of SC 97 overlap
180
US 321 Bus. north (Columbia Road)
SC 9 / SC 72 / SC 97 / SC 121 (J.A. Cochran Bypass)		 South end of SC 9 overlap, north end of SC 72/121/97 overlap
181 SC 72 (West End Road) / SC 121 – Whitmire South end of SC 72/121 overlap
182
SC 9 Bus. south (Pinckney Street)
182.5 SC 9 north (Pinckney Street) – Lockhart North end of SC 9 overlap
184
US 321 Bus. south / SC 97 (Center Road) – Hickory Grove
Lowrys 190 SC 909 south (Old York Road) – Lewis
York McConnells 194 SC 322 (Church Street/McConnells Highway) – Rock Hill, Brattonsville Brief SC 322 overlap
York 203
US 321 Bus. (Congress Street)
204 SC 49 (Sharon Road) – Sharon, Union
205
SC 5 Bus. / SC 161 Bus. south (Liberty Street) – Blacksburg		 South end of SC 161 Business overlap
206
US 321 Bus. (Kings Mountain Street)
206.5 SC 5 / SC 161 south (Alexander Love Highway) – Blacksburg South end of SC 161 overlap, north end of SC 161 Business overlap
Filbert 208 SC 161 north – Bethany North end of SC 161 overlap
Clover 213 SC 55 (north) – Lake Wylie, Blacksburg

North Carolina
County Location Mile Exit Destinations Notes
Gaston Gastonia 7 NC 279 (Garrison Boulevard)
8 US 29 / US 74 (Franklin Boulevard)
9 NC 7 (Long Avenue)
10 I-85 – Spartanburg, Charlotte
Dallas 12 Grier Beem Boulevard – Gaston College
13
US 321 Bus. north / NC 275 / NC 279 (Dallas-Cherryville Highway) – Cherryville
17 Hardin Road
Lincoln 20 20
US 321 Bus. (Gastonia Highway) – High Shoals, Lincolnton
Lincolnton 24 24 NC 27 / NC 150 (Main Street) – Lincolnton
28 28
US 321 Bus. (Maiden Highway) – Maiden
Catawba 31 31 Startown Road
37 37 NC 10 – Newton
41 41 River Road
42 42 NC 127 (Brookford Boulevard)
Hickory 43 43 I-40 – Statesville, Asheville Signed as 43A (East) and 43B (West)
44 44
US 70 / US 321 Bus. south to NC 127 (Conover Boulevard) – Hickory
46 Clement Boulevard – Hickory Regional Airport
Caldwell 49 US 321A north
57 Southwest Boulevard – Morganton
Lenoir 60 US 321A south
61 US 64 / NC 18 / NC 90 west – Wilkesboro West end of NC 90 overlap
63 NC 90 east (Main Street) – Collettsville East end of NC 90 overlap
67 NC 268 east – Fort Defiance
Watauga Blowing Rock 80
US 321 Bus. north (Main Street)
91
US 221 south / US 321 Bus. south		 South end of US 221 overlap
92 Blue Ridge Parkway Nearby the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and the Parkway Craft Center
Boone 88 US 221 north / NC 105 – Linville, Banner Elk, Newland North end of US 221 overlap
89 US 421 south / NC 194 north (King Street) South end of US 421 overlap, north end of NC 194 overlap
Vilas 94 NC 194 south – Valle Crucis South end of NC 194 overlap
Sugar Grove 95 US 421 north – Mountain City North end of US 421 overlap

Tennessee
County Location Mile Exit Destinations Notes
Carter 12.5 SR-67 east – Mountain City East end of SR 67 overlap
Hampton 22 US-19E south – Roan Mountain South end of US 19E overlap
Elizabethton 27 US-19E north / SR-91 east – Bluff City North end of US 19E overlap, east end of SR 91 overlap
US 321 northbound end/US 321 southbound begin
28 SR-400 south – Piney Flats
31 SR-91 west / SR-362 West end of SR 91 overlap
Milligan College 32 SR-359 – Milligan College
Washington Johnson City 35 Legion Street/Milligan Highway
36 I-26 / US-19W / US-23 – Erwin, Kingsport
36.5 SR-67 / SR-381 (Cherokee Road) West end of SR 67 overlap, south end of SR 381 overlap
39.5 US-11E south (Market Street) / SR-381 north (State of Franklin Road) North end of US 11E overlap, north end of SR 381 overlap
Jonesborough 44 SR-354 (Boones Creek Road)
54 SR-75 north (Opie Arnold Road)
Greene 58 SR-351 – Chuckey
Tusculum 62.5 SR-107 east (Erwin Highway)
Greeneville 65
US-11E Bus. south (Tusculum Boulevard)
67 US-11E south / SR-93 north South end of US 11E overlap
68
US-11E Bus. (Tusculum Boulevard/Summer Street)		 Brief US 11E Business overlap
68.5 SR-350 south (McKee Street)
69.5 SR-70 (Asheville Highway)
71 SR-349 west (Warrensburg Road)
Cocke Parrottsville 87.5 SR-340 south – Del Rio South end of SR 340 overlap
87.8 SR-340 north – Warrensburg North end of SR 340 overlap
92 SR-160 north – Bybee
Newport 94 US-25 south / US-70 east (Broadway Street) South end of US 25 overlap, east end of US 70 overlap
94.5 US-25 south / US-70 east (Broadway Street) / SR-32 North end of US 25 overlap, west end of US 70 overlap, north end of SR 32 overlap
96 I-40 – Knoxville, Asheville
102 SR-73 north (Wilton Springs Road)
106 SR-339 west (Jones Cove Road)
107 Foothills Parkway
Cosby 108 SR-32 south South end of SR 32 overlap
Sevier Pittman Center 120 SR-416 north
121 SR-454 north
Gatlinburg 126 US-441 south – Great Smoky Mountains National Park South end of US 441 overlap
Pigeon Forge 135 US-441 north – Sevierville North end of US 441 overlap
Blount Townsend 150 SR-73 east (Lamar Alexander Parkway) – Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Walland 157 Foothills Parkway
Maryville 168 US-441 (Broadway Avenue)
169 US-129 – Knoxville
171.5 SR-335 north (Old Glory Road)
172 SR-335 south (William Blount Drive)
Friendsville 177 SR-333 north (Main Avenue)
Loudon 182 SR-95 south (Lenoir City Road)
185 SR-444 west (Tellico Parkway) – Tellico Village
Lenoir City 187 US-11 (Broadway Street) – Knoxville, Loudon
190 I-75 – Knoxville, Chattanooga
Pine Top 191 US-70 (Kingston Pike) – Knoxville, Kingston
195 I-40 / SR-95 north – Knoxville, Nashville US 321 ends
Some counties along the route have no junctions to list, so they are not included. In Tennessee, state routes overlap all U.S. routes within the state, in most cases hidden (with the only clue being the mile markers); these hidden routes were not included in the junction list. Only signage visibly labeled on the roadways were used in the junction list.

Bannered routes

U.S. Route 321A
Location: Caldwell County, North Carolina
Length: 11.8 mi[6] (19.0 km)
Existed: 1941–present[7]

South Carolina business loops

Currently, there are three U.S. Route 321 Business loops in South Carolina:

North Carolina alternate

U.S. Route 321A is an alternate route of US 321 in western Caldwell County. It services the towns of Granite Falls, Sawmills, and Hudson before reconnecting with the main US 321 in Lenoir.

Historically, a second US 321A was established sometime between 1954-58 in Blowing Rock; in 1960, the route was re-branded as US 321 Business.[7]

North Carolina business loops

Currently, there are two U.S. Route 321 Business loops in North Carolina:

Historically, one additional business loop existed in Lenoir, but was decommissioned in the early-2000s.

See also

References

  1. ^ "NCDOT: TIP". http://www.ncdot.org/planning/development/TIP/TIP/Trans/maps/B4450.html. 
  2. ^ "NCDOT: TIP". http://www.ncdot.org/planning/development/TIP/TIP/Trans/maps/R2237.html. 
  3. ^ "NCDOT: US 321 Improvements, Blowing Rock". http://www.ncdot.org/projects/BlowingRock321/. Retrieved 2010-10-22. 
  4. ^ "NCDOT: TIP". http://www.ncdot.org/planning/development/TIP/TIP/Trans/maps/R2615.html. 
  5. ^ "The US 321 Directional Change". http://www.millenniumhwy.net/interestingsigns/tn/US321-Tennessee/. Retrieved 2010-10-22. 
  6. ^ Google, Inc. Google Maps – US 321A (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=S+Main+St&daddr=35.7775536,-81.3961492+to:35.8193579,-81.4712814+to:35.876131,-81.515432+to:McLean+Dr+SW&hl=en&geocode=FRLtIQIdwAAm-w%3BFRHsIQIdS_4l-ynZLxY9Yy9RiDGoU_IoYMcLXg%3BFV2PIgIdz9gk-ylJtdGtUiZRiDFKTBIsRiWowg%3BFSNtIwIdWCwk-ym9J2dRVSdRiDHPzAHcfmBpzg%3BFU3FIwIdJxAk-w&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=16&via=1,2,3&sll=35.77714,-81.393113&sspn=0.013004,0.027874&ie=UTF8&ll=35.844256,-81.386032&spn=0.207891,0.445976&z=12. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
  7. ^ a b "NCRoads.com Annex: 321-A". http://members.cox.net/ncroads/us321a.html. Retrieved 2010-10-22.