Two Tennessee roadways are now nationally recognized as National Scenic Byways. The Federal Highway Administration designated the Great River Road Tennessee and the East Tennessee Crossing as National Scenic Byways during an official ceremony in Washington, D.C. The two byways have been added to the collection of 151 distinctive and diverse roads designated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
"Tennessee has some of the most beautiful corridors in the country," said Gov. Phil Bredesen. "Receiving these national designations will have a significant impact on our tourism industry and economic development efforts along each of the designated byways."
The National Scenic Byways designations recognize those roads across America that exhibit one or more of six core intrinsic qualities: archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational or scenic qualities that contribute to a visitor's unique traveling experience. The Tennessee Byways Program facilitates local grassroots collaborative efforts by helping communities discover the story of their local area and sharing its treasured people and places.
"This is a very exciting time for our Tennessee Byways Program," said Commissioner Gerald Nicely. "The process to become part of America's Byways is a lengthy one that can take many years. We celebrate with all those who work tirelessly to assemble stakeholders, host countless meetings, write grants to fund the project and finally to submit a nomination to become a National Scenic Byway."
The National Scenic Byways program was created by Congress in 1991 to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the U.S. The creation of the program met widespread demand that the nation's unique places should be preserved and shared while at the same time promoting tourism and economic development by bringing tourists to rural America and much-needed dollars to small communities.
