Tennessee State Route 20
Encyclopedia
State Route 20 is a 143.04 miles (230.2 km) long west–east primary state route beginning in Dyersburg
and ending near Summertown
. SR 20 is unsigned and overlapped with US 412
, except a short section between Hohenwald
and Summertown.
at the route's junction with US 51
, SR 211
, and hidden SR 3. SR 20 begins as a four-lane expressway with partial access control
and continues east traversing mostly farmland through rural Dyer, Crockett, and Madison counties. At Jackson, Tennessee
, SR 20 remains hidden and follows US 412 Business through the city while US 412 is overlapped with Interstate 40
between Exit 79 and Exit 87. SR 20 follows Hollywood Drive and North Parkway through the city of Jackson and is briefly overlapped with US 70
in east Jackson. The route is a two-lane highway on Hollywood Drive and US 70 and is a mix of four-lane divided or five-lane undivided on North Parkway inside Jackson. Beyond Jackson, SR 20 resumes its hidden overlap with US 412 and continues east toward Lexington
as a two-lane highway. Construction is in progress to expand this route to a four-lane highway on a section between the Madison County Line and Crucifer. SR 20 between Chesterfield and Summertown
is largely a narrow two-lane rural route carrying a 55 mi/h speed limit. State Route 20 is designated as part of the Delta Development Highway System throughout West Tennessee and carries a Tennessee Scenic Parkway designation from Lexington to Linden and again from Hohenwald to Summertown.
, US 51
, SR 211
and SR 104 to Heloise, Tennessee on the Mississippi River
in extreme western Dyer County.
currently has plans to expand existing SR 20 from two-lane to four-lane or completely reconstruct the route on a new alignment from Interstate 40 in Madison County to the Tennessee River
near Perryville. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2008 to widen a portion of SR 20 to four-lanes from the Madison County line to Crucifer Road.
Dyersburg, Tennessee
Dyersburg is a city in and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States, north-northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 17,145 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dyersburg is located at...
and ending near Summertown
Summertown, Tennessee
Summertown is an unincorporated community in Lawrence County, Tennessee, USA. Summertown is surrounded by 4 counties: Lawrence, Lewis, Maury, and Giles...
. SR 20 is unsigned and overlapped with US 412
U.S. Route 412
U.S. Route 412 is an east–west United States highway, first commissioned in 1982. Its route number is a "violation" of the usual AASHTO numbering scheme, as it comes nowhere near its implied "parent", US 12. U.S...
, except a short section between Hohenwald
Hohenwald, Tennessee
Hohenwald is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,754 at the 2000 census. The name "Hohenwald" is a German word that means "High Forest". The town was founded in 1878 and later merged with a town named "New Switzerland" to the south. New...
and Summertown.
Route description
SR 20 begins in Dyersburg at an expansive parclo interchangeParclo interchange
A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The parclo interchange was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a replacement for the cloverleaf on 400-Series Highways, removing the dangerous weaving patterns and allowing for more...
at the route's junction with US 51
U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 51 is a north–south United States highway that runs for 1,286 miles from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana to within of the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Much of the highway in Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or overlaps Interstate 39...
, SR 211
Tennessee State Route 211
State Route 211 is a long secondary state route in Dyer County, Tennessee and, formerly, Obion County, Tennessee. SR 211 is a two-lane highway throughout its length except for a short section in northern Dyersburg, Tennessee....
, and hidden SR 3. SR 20 begins as a four-lane expressway with partial access control
Access control
Access control refers to exerting control over who can interact with a resource. Often but not always, this involves an authority, who does the controlling. The resource can be a given building, group of buildings, or computer-based information system...
and continues east traversing mostly farmland through rural Dyer, Crockett, and Madison counties. At Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
, SR 20 remains hidden and follows US 412 Business through the city while US 412 is overlapped with Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
between Exit 79 and Exit 87. SR 20 follows Hollywood Drive and North Parkway through the city of Jackson and is briefly overlapped with US 70
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
in east Jackson. The route is a two-lane highway on Hollywood Drive and US 70 and is a mix of four-lane divided or five-lane undivided on North Parkway inside Jackson. Beyond Jackson, SR 20 resumes its hidden overlap with US 412 and continues east toward Lexington
Lexington, Tennessee
Lexington is a city in Henderson County, Tennessee, United States. Lexington is midway between Memphis and Nashville, lying ten miles south of Interstate 40, which connects the two cities. The population was 7,393 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Henderson County...
as a two-lane highway. Construction is in progress to expand this route to a four-lane highway on a section between the Madison County Line and Crucifer. SR 20 between Chesterfield and Summertown
Summertown, Tennessee
Summertown is an unincorporated community in Lawrence County, Tennessee, USA. Summertown is surrounded by 4 counties: Lawrence, Lewis, Maury, and Giles...
is largely a narrow two-lane rural route carrying a 55 mi/h speed limit. State Route 20 is designated as part of the Delta Development Highway System throughout West Tennessee and carries a Tennessee Scenic Parkway designation from Lexington to Linden and again from Hohenwald to Summertown.
History
Prior to 1981 and dating back as far as 1958, SR 20 at its western end extended beyond Dyersburg following what is now SR 210Tennessee State Route 210
State Route 210 is a secondary state highway in West Tennessee. SR 210 begins in Halls, Tennessee at its junction with Tennessee State Route 88. Tennessee State Route 88 continues south beyond this junction. SR 210 runs northerly out of Halls, Tennessee running parallel to the Canadian National...
, US 51
U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 51 is a north–south United States highway that runs for 1,286 miles from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana to within of the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Much of the highway in Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or overlaps Interstate 39...
, SR 211
Tennessee State Route 211
State Route 211 is a long secondary state route in Dyer County, Tennessee and, formerly, Obion County, Tennessee. SR 211 is a two-lane highway throughout its length except for a short section in northern Dyersburg, Tennessee....
and SR 104 to Heloise, Tennessee on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in extreme western Dyer County.
Future
Tennessee Department of TransportationTennessee Department of Transportation
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is a multimodal agency with statewide responsibilities in aviation, public transit, waterways and railroads...
currently has plans to expand existing SR 20 from two-lane to four-lane or completely reconstruct the route on a new alignment from Interstate 40 in Madison County to the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
near Perryville. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2008 to widen a portion of SR 20 to four-lanes from the Madison County line to Crucifer Road.