U.S. Route 51 in Tennessee

US 51 enters Tennessee at Memphis and runs north through the cities of Millington, Munford, Atoka, Brighton, Covington, Henning, Ripley, Halls, Dyersburg, Troy, Union City, and South Fulton.

Routings of US 51 and SR 3 in Memphis

This highway crosses four interstate highways on its journey through the state and actually crosses Interstate 240 twice within the City of Memphis but interchanges with it only at Union Avenue. US 51 is the westernmost south–north United States Highway in the State of Tennessee. US 51 is an interstate standard facility[1] from Dyersburg to South of Troy and then resuming interstate standard status north of Union City to South Fulton. US 51 is a four-lane or larger facility throughout the state with some sections north of Dyersburg carrying a 70 mph (110 km/h) speed limit.

Near Henning is also the site of the Hatchie River Bridge collapse on April 1, 1989 that killed 8 motorists when 3 spans of the structure collapsed. The 54-year-old bridge was 45 miles (72 km) north of Memphis and carried the northbound lanes of US 51. Its collapse was the result of pier scour and movement of the river channel.[3][4]

US 51 carries the Tennessee Scenic Parkway designation from its junction with SR 385 in Millington to SR 104 in Dyersburg and also carries the Great River Road designation from US 64/US 70/US 79 in Memphis to SR 88 in Halls.[1]

"Welcome to Memphis" sign on US 51 (2008)

Historic two-lane alignments of this highway from Henning north are represented by State Route 209, a portion of State Route 88, State Route 210, State Route 211, a portion of State Route 183 and State Route 184. From Memphis to Henning, most of the original two lane road was widened to four lane expressway in the 1960s.

Most of US 51 north of Dyersburg is expected to be converted to Interstate standards as part of future Interstate 69. Plans currently call for Interstate 69 to run along the existing US 51 freeway from Dyersburg to Troy and from Union City to South Fulton. This section is part of SIU 7 for Interstate 69 and will require few changes beyond resigning the existing highway, however, a bypass route around Troy and Union City will need to be built before this section of future Interstate 69 is completed.[5][6]

U.S. Route 51 Business (US 51 Bus.) is a 3.9-mile-long (6.3 km) business route of US 51 located entirely in the city of Dyersburg in Dyer County. It has the unsigned designation of State Route 211 (SR 211) for its entire length.

The highway begins as South Main Avenue at a large three-way intersection with US 51/SR 3 on the southern edge of the city. It heads north, concurrent with SR 211, as a two-lane road through a business district before traveling through wooded areas and crossing a bridge over the North Fork of the Forked Deer River into downtown. US 51 Bus./SR 211 pass by the Dyer County Courthouse and becomes concurrent with SR 104 (East Court Street) as the road becomes North Main Avenue shortly before making an abrupt left turn onto McGaughey Street. US 51 Bus./SR 211 then split before heading through neighborhoods along Troy Avenue before turning right onto Gordon Street. The highway then makes a left turn onto North Sampson Avenue and passes through more neighborhoods before merging onto St. John Avenue. They then travel through a business district before widening to a four-lane highway and coming to an end at an intersection with US 51/SR 3, where US 51 Bus. ends and SR 211 follows northbound US 51/SR 3 north on St. John Avenue.

The entire route is in Dyersburg, Dyer County.

mi	km	Destinations	Notes
0.0	0.0	US 51 (51-Bypass South / SR 3) – Halls, Union City	Southern end of unsigned SR 211 concurrency; southern terminus of US 51 Bus. and SR 211
1.7	2.7	Bridge over the North Fork of the Forked Deer River
1.9	3.1	SR 104 east (East Court Street) – Trenton	Southern end of SR 104 concurrency
2.1	3.4	SR 104 west (McGaughey Street) – Finley	Northern end of SR 104 concurrency
3.9	6.3	US 51 (US 51 Bypass / Saint John Avenue / SR 3 / SR 211 north) to I-155 – Halls, Union City	Northern end of unsigned SR 211 concurrency; northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

•  U.S. roads portal
• List of highways numbered 51

• Media related to U.S. Route 51 in Tennessee at Wikimedia Commons