Tennessee State Route 79


State Route 79 is a state highway in southwestern Lake County, Tennessee. SR 79 has a dual primary and secondary designation and is one of a few state routes in Tennessee to have an aggregate road surface.

Route description

The western terminus of SR 79 is located at the Mississippi River in the extreme southwestern portion of Lake County, Tennessee and travels across low-lying areas that are subject to flooding from the Mississippi River. SR 79 from its western terminus to mile 6.66 has been repeatedly damaged by seasonal flooding and as a result TDOT uses gravel, crushed stone, sand and dirt to rebuild the road surface when it has been damaged from flooding. This section is unsigned in the field. At mile 6.66, SR 79 crosses the federal levee to its eastern terminus near Ridgely, Tennessee.

History

SR 79 was known as Powell Ferry Road prior to its designation as a state route and served the Powell Ferry that crossed the Mississippi River to Caruthersville, Missouri. This ferry began service in 1895 and was operated by Lee Line Steamers. The roadway geometry of SR 79 has been changed very little since its designation as a state highway with the only major change being at the junction of SR 79 and SR 181.

Major intersections