In Claiborne County, the byway first enters the unincorporated community of Springdale, winding through the rolling hills of rural Claiborne County before entering Tazewell. In Tazewell, the byway bypasses the town's central business district and heads north. It crosses over the Powell River and enters Harrogate. The byway offers views of the Cumberland Gap, and access to Lincoln Memorial University before exiting Harrogate. It then bypasses the downtown area of Cumberland Gap, and enters the Cumberland Gap Tunnel, where the East Tennessee Crossing Byway ends.