TN 4
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From: 
To: Mississippi State Line Capleville (Memphis) (Shelby County)
Total Length:
17.3 miles
The route continues southeast as AL 4, then GA 8 to end at the South Carolina state line near Hartwell GA
ROUTE LOG
US 51 NB, TN 3: 0 - 0
TN 14: 0.55 - 0.55
TN 1 EB: 0.05 - 0.6
I-40 (exit 1): 0.4 - 1.0
US 51 SB, US 64 EB, US 70 EB, US 78 WB, US 79 NB, TN 3: 0.8 - 1.8
TN 278: 0.3 - 2.1
US 64 WB, US 70 WB, US 79 SB, TN 1 WB: 0.9 - 3.0
US 78 WB, TN 278: 1.4 - 4.4
I-240 (exit 30): 0.2 - 4.6
US 51, TN 3: 0.2 - 4.8
TN 277: 2.6 - 7.4
I-240 (exit 21): 2.5 - 9.9
TN 176: 2.1 - 12.0
TN 175: 3.2 - 15.2
MS STATE LINE: 2.1 - 17.3
Creation: Appeared in 1923 as an original state highway, running from TN 1 (now TN 14 3rd St) downtown Memphis southeast to Mississippi.
Adjustments: In late 1926, US 78 was added to TN 4 throughout
About 1930, TN 4 was removed from Pidgeon Roost Rd at the state line; Tuggle Rd/TN 175 at Capleville; the very discontinuos segments of Pidgeon Roost Rd on both sides of the Perkins Ave interchange (the freeway was built over the original TN 4 alignment decades later); abandoned segment of Pidgeon Roost Rd to the west that has been destroyed by the I-240 interchange and the neighborhood to the northwest.
Between 1952-56, TN 4 was extended west slightly to 2nd St as TN 14 was put on one-way splits downtown.
In response to the 1968 Federal Highway Act, Tennessee requested an interstate corridor along TN 4 from I-240 Jasper to Mississippi. This was not approved.
Around 1968, TN 4 was given, if not officially, at least functionally one-way splits to accomodate the new downtown I-240 interchange. Westbound uses the original routing of Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd to reach Linden. EB started using East St and Crump Blvd.
About 1976, TN 4 was removed from the two Old US 78 segments at the state line area
About 1976, TN 4 was also removed from what are now two disconnected segments of Old Lamar Ave as part of the Perkins Ave interchange.
In 1983, TN 4 was rerouted to follow Crump Blvd from Lamar Blvd (replacing TN 1 Spur), then replacing TN 83 and TN 3 Spur Danny Thomas Blvd north to its current endpoint at Chelsea Ave. The old routing via Linden/Dr. King Blvd became TN 278.
Posting: TN 4 is completely unposted, even on its independent section on Crump Blvd. It is considered primary throughout.
Secret US Route Overlay: US 51 (1.8 mi)
US 64-70-79 (1.2 mi)
US 78 (14.0 mi)
Comment: TN 4 southeast of Memphis is extremely busy. Upgrading it to a full freeway east of the outer I-240 interchange would be terrific but this would be hugely expensive given the urbanization of that part of Memphis.

1923 Official
TN 4
1923 Official
1971 Shelby County
TN 4 ending downtown
1971 Shelby County
2002 Shelby County
TN 4 rerouted and extended
2002 Shelby County


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Page last modified 24 November 2024