Norris Freeway en route to becoming the nation’s next official ‘Scenic Byway’
his portion of U.S. 441 (Norris Freeway) crosses over Norris Dam near the northern terminus of the federal highway that runs between U.S. 25W in Rocky Top and Miami, Florida. The Norris Freeway portion is poised to became a national ‘Scenic Byway.” (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
The decision to give that designation to the section of U.S. 441 between the Halls Crossroads community and Rocky Top is now in the hands of the Federal Highway Administration.
An effort to have this portion of U.S. 441 made a Scenic Byway was begun several months ago by Norris City Manager Scott Hackler, who has since enlisted help from other public entities along the route, including the Anderson, Campbell and Knox county governments, the city of Rocky Top, Norris Dam State Park, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Also signed on in support are U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, state Rep. Dennis Powers and the Museum of Appalachia, among others, Hackler said.
“A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six ‘intrinsic qualities’: archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic,” according to Wikipedia.
“The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation’s scenic but often less-traveled roads and promote tourism and economic development. The National Scenic Byways Program is administered by the Federal Highway Administration.”
The Wikipedia entry also notes that “The most-scenic byways are designated All-American Roads, which must meet two out of the six intrinsic qualities. The designation means they have features that do not exist elsewhere in the United States and are unique and important enough to be tourist destinations unto themselves.
“As of November 2010, there [were] 120 National Scenic Byways and 31 All-American Roads, located in 46 states (all except Hawaii, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Texas),” Wikipedia noted.
Hackler said the status of the Norris Freeway Scenic Byway designation has already received approval at the state level, and now is waiting for federal approval.
“The application for this designation was presented by myself to the Norris Planning Commission and Norris City Council for initial approval to proceed,” Hackler said in an email. “Michael Carberry, a member of the Norris Planning Commission, provided most of the effort to recruit stakeholders from Halls Crossroads to Rocky Top to assist in the letters of recommendation and application. In that regard, the city of Norris was the lead agency applying for the designation.”
This portion of U.S. 441, known locally as Norris Freeway, runs over the top of Norris Dam – which was completed in 1936 as the first TVA dam. It’s part of the 939-mile-long U.S. 441 highway, which begins in Rocky Top where it takes off from U.S. 25W. It runs all the way to Miami, Florida, through parts of East Tennessee, Western North Carolina and Georgia before entering Florida along its border with Georgia.
The Scenic Byway designation “puts us on the map,” Hackler said. “When people start looking for destinations, it pops up on a search. We have a graphic built for it.”
Supporting the nation’s Scenic Byways is the nonprofit National Scenic Byway Foundation (nsbfoundation.com), which calls itself, “The National Voice of Scenic Byways and Roads, dedicated to strengthening Byways and actively involved in the quest for renewed Byway Federal funding.”
Hackler said Monday that there has been no word as to when the Federal Highway Administration might act on the application for Norris Freeway to join the byways program.
“With the COVID pandemic, some of the dates have gotten pushed around a little bit,” he said.
If it does happen, and Hackler said he’s optimistic about its chances, Norris and other entities along the route will help promote it, including listing “side routes and destinations off of it,” such as the Museum of Appalachia.