Starting at the intersection of US 17/SR 25 in Brunswick, US 25 goes northwest to Jesup then northeast to Ludowici. It then stays at a general north route through the cities of Statesboro, Millen, Waynesboro and finally Augusta, where it crosses the Savannah River into South Carolina. As it led south from Augusta, the predecessor thoroughfare was known as the “Southeastern Plank Road” which later became “Peach Orchard Road” which name is still in use in South Richmond County. The plank road likely connected with the Florida-Georgia Plank Road from Brunswick to Jacksonville. Currently, the overall majority of Route 25 is four-lane.
Traversing a from Newport, Tennessee, to North Corbin, Kentucky, US 25W goes west connecting Dandridge, Knoxville and Clinton. Going north in parallel or in concurrency with I-75, it goes through Caryville, Jacksboro, La Follette and Jellico, before crossing the Tennessee/Kentucky line. Continuing north, it goes through Williamsburg before going through downtown Corbin and then reconnecting with US 25E in North Corbin.
US 25 overlaps with three corridors that are part of the Appalachian Development Highway System, which is part of Appalachian Regional Commission. Passed in 1965, the purpose of ADHS is to generate economic development in previously isolated areas, supplement the interstate system, connect Appalachia to the interstate system, and provide access to areas within the Region as well as to markets in the rest of the nation.
Corridor S: From I-81, near Morristown, Tennessee, to SR 63, in Harrogate, Tennessee. The entire section of US 25E is authorized for ADHS funding. As of 2013, is still slated for construction along the route. Cutting through various mountain ridges, US 25E provides a four-lane limited-access road with interchanges at major intersections.
Corridor W: From I-85, in Greenville, South Carolina, to I-26/US 74, near East Flat Rock, North Carolina. Of the section of US 25, only was authorized for ADHS funding. In 2013, both states have completed Corridor W. US 25 in South Carolina provides a four-to-six-lane limited-access road, with interchanges at major intersections; while US 25 in North Carolina is a four-lane controlled-access highway.
History
US 25 was established on November 11, 1926, as part of the original United States Numbered Highway System; it was routed along the Dixie Highway from North Augusta, South Carolina, to Port Huron, Michigan, with two divides through Tennessee and Kentucky, with US 25E having also a short section in Virginia. In 1928, one divided section between Richmond and Newport, Kentucky, was removed; US 25 followed the US 25W routing, while US 25E was mostly replaced by US 27. In 1929, US 25 was extended south into Georgia, ending at US 80 near Statesboro, Georgia. In 1933, US 25 was extended north from Port Huron to Port Austin, Michigan. In 1936, US 25 was extended south again to its current terminus at US 17 in Brunswick, Georgia. In 1974, US 25 was eliminated in Ohio and Michigan, establishing its northern terminus on the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge in Covington, Kentucky. Its former alignment was replaced by Interstate 75 between Cincinnati and Detroit, and Interstate 94 between Detroit and Port Huron. M-25 continues as the designation of former US 25 between Port Huron and Port Austin. In 2000, US 25E was rerouted through the Cumberland Gap Tunnel, making a direct link between Tennessee and Kentucky, eliminating Virginia's short section. Its old alignment that went through historic Cumberland Gap was handed over to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, and the former roadbed through the park restored to an early 19th-century wagon path.
