The remaining Sullivan County portions were contracted for construction in December 1970 and March 1971, and sections in Washington and Greene Counties were let in November and December 1971. The last construction contract for I-81 in Tennessee, which was for the northernmost  in Greene County, was awarded in March 1972.
Subsequent to initial agreements, Sullivan County's remaining sections were built between December 1970 and March 1971, while Washington and Greene Counties' sections were awarded contracts in November and December 1971. The final I-81 construction contract for Tennessee, spanning the northernmost segment of Greene County, was issued in March 1972.