Tennessee State Route 71

SR 71 begins concurrent with US 441 within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the North Carolina state line on Newfound Gap. SR 71 is known as Newfound Gap Road within the park, and follows along a valley carved by the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River as a narrow and curvy 2-Lane highway. Newfound Gap Road then becomes concurrent with SR 73 Scenic (Little River Road) before having an interchange with the Gatlinburg Bypass and entering the city of Gatlinburg, where US 441/SR 71/SR 73 Scenic leaves the park and becomes Parkway, a 4-lane undivided highway as it passes through the city. Parkway then has an intersection with US 321/SR 73 (East Parkway), where SR 73 Scenic ends and US 321/SR 73 joins Parkway. Parkway heads north to have another interchange with the Gatlinburg Bypass before leaving Gatlinburg and becoming a divided highway known as the Foothills Parkway Spur (more commonly known as The Spur). Parkway then enters the city of Pigeon Forge and widens to a 6-lane. It passes through the city and has an intersection with SR 449 (Dollywood Lane/Veterans Boulevard) before US 321/SR 73 head north along Wears Valley Road. US 441/SR 71 (Parkway) then crosses a bridge over the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River to enter Sevierville. They pass by several tourist attractions and a Tanger Outlets before again crossing the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River and turning of the Parkway and north onto Forks of the River Parkway at the southern edge of downtown. They bypass downtown on the west side as an undivided highway before coming to an intersection with SR 66 (Winfield Dunn Parkway) and US 411/SR 35 (W Main Street), where US 441/SR 71 turns left to become concurrent with US 411/SR 35 as a 4-lane undivided highway known as Chapman Highway. Chapman Highway then crosses a bridge over West Prong of the Little Pigeon River and leaves Sevierville as a divided highway through rural areas. It then passes through some mountainous areas as an undivided highway before entering Seymour. Chapman Highway passes by several homes and businesses before coming to an intersection with SR 338 (Boyds Creek Highway), where US 411/SR 35 heads south along Maryville Highway. US 441/SR 71 (Chapman Highway) continues north to pass through a small portion of Blount County before leaving Seymour and crossing into Knox County.

In 1964, the City of Knoxville released a transportation study suggesting the construction of a controlled-access highway connecting downtown Knoxville to South Knoxville and John Sevier Highway (SR 168). Originally known as the South Knoxville Boulevard, the freeway planned for a crossing of the Tennessee River and two design alternatives, with Alternative A starting further east and passing through the Sevierville Pike area, and Alternative B starting at the end of Neyland Drive through Colonial Village. Both alternatives were to end at SR 168 and serve as a bypass of Chapman Highway.[3]

At this time, South Knox Boulevard (SR 71) ends at Sevierville Pike, although there are current plans to extend the road to meet US 441 (Chapman Highway) or SR 168 (Governor John Sevier Highway).[4]

• List of Tennessee state highways