Interstate 24 in Tennessee and Georgia

This article is about the section of Interstate 24 in Tennessee and Georgia. For the entire route, see Interstate 24.

Interstate 24 marker

Interstate 24
Route information
Maintained by TDOT and GDOT
Length: 184.26 mi[1][2] (296.54 km)
180.16 miles (289.94 km) located in TN, 4.10 miles (6.60 km) located in GA
Existed: 1962-1978 – present
Major junctions
West end: I-24 at Kentucky state line
 

I-65 in Nashville
I-40 in Nashville
I-440 in Nashville
SR 840 in Murfreesboro

I‑59 in Wildwood, GA
East end: I-75 / US 74 in East Ridge
Location
Counties: Montgomery, Robertson, Cheatham, Davidson, Rutherford, Bedford, Coffee, Grundy, Marion, Dade (GA), Hamilton
Highway system

← SR 23SR 24 →
← SR 23SR 24 →
← SR 408SR 409SR 410 →

Interstate 24 (I-24) runs from Clarksville to Chattanooga via Nashville in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Just west of Chattanooga, I-24 drops into Georgia's Dade County for 4.10 miles (6.60 km) before reentering Tennessee.[2]

In Georgia, exit numbers for I-24 are a continuation of Tennessee's exit numbering scheme, while the mileposts are Georgia's mileposts. It is also designated, but not signed as, State Route 409. The portion east of Interstate 59 runs along the U.S. Route 11 corridor.

Route description

One of the more hazardous stretches of Interstate highway in the United States is located approximately 40 miles (64 km) west of Chattanooga on I-24 in Monteagle, where the highway crosses the Cumberland Plateau. Compared to grades elsewhere, Monteagle's 4–6% grade does not come close to the steepest (Interstate 40 between Nashville and Knoxville features 5% grades in each direction as well as a 5% grade north of Nashville on 24, near Joelton), but the slope is protracted over a distance of several miles. While all motorists need to exercise caution, truckers are particularly vexed by Monteagle, and many have died going through this area. As runaway trucks had been a regular and deadly occurrence, in part of the failure or inability of truckers to slow down to the 35 mph (56 km/h) truck speed limit once on the slope, the eastbound lanes were rebuilt in the late 1980s. This work reduced the grade, widened the road to three lanes each way, added a required stopping area with traffic lights for trucks prior to descending the mountain, and added two runaway truck ramps where a truck whose brakes have failed due to overheating can exit into a long pit full of loose gravel to safely stop. Owing to geography, these two ramps are on the left side of the grade. This stretch of highway inspired Johnny Cash to write a song about Monteagle Mountain. It is also mentioned in "The Legend", the introductory song for Smokey and the Bandit, which touts the protagonist's driving skill in having reportedly navigated his truck down the Monteagle Grade during a heavy rainstorm, despite an airbrake failure. Also of interest on Monteagle Mountain is the steep grade on I-24 north of Monteagle. This steep grade occurs for westbound traffic and features a sharp 45 mph (72 km/h) curve to the right while descending steeply at the same time. This downhill curve also features off-ramp approach style lane dividers, in order to slow both motorists and truckers. Also in Chattanooga is the "Ridge Cut", a 1/4 mile section of Missionary Ridge, between the 4th Avenue exit and the Germantown/Belvoir exit. Accidents and severe congestion are common here.

The Monteagle grade also has one of the three widest medians of any Interstate highway, with the others being I-8 through the In-Ko-Pah grade in California and I-84 through the Cabbage Hill grade east of Pendleton, Oregon. There is more than a mile between the eastbound and westbound lanes at one point. The eastbound lanes descend the mountain on one side of a ridge, while the westbound lanes ascend the other. Another one of the widest medians is also found on I-24 east of Jasper, where the highway splits and passes through a mountain. The median is more than a half mile wide at one point. There are houses, farms, and businesses located within the median of the interstate on the western side of this mountain.

History

On May 18, 2010, it was announced that a sinkhole was found in the eastbound lanes of I-24 in Grundy County near the exit of Tennessee State Route 50. Tennessee Department of Transportation officials stated that hole was growing with traffic diverted onto the westbound lanes.[3] However, emergency repairs commenced and was reopened several days later.[4]

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExit[5]DestinationsNotes
MontgomeryClarksville0.000.00 I-24 westContinuation into Kentucky
1 SR 48 – Clarksville, Trenton
4 US 79 / SR 13 – Clarksville, Guthrie
8 SR 237 (Rossview Road)
11 SR 76 – Adams, Clarksville
RobertsonPleasant View19 SR 256 (Maxey Road) – Adams
24 SR 49 – Pleasant View, Coopertown, Springfield, Ashland City
Cheatham 31 SR 249 (New Hope Road)
DavidsonNashville35 US 431 (SR-65) / Union Hill Road – Springfield, Joelton
40 SR 45 (Old Hickory Boulevard)
43 SR 155 (Briley Parkway) – OprylandSR 155 exits 18A-B
44B I-65 north – LouisvilleWestern end of I-65 overlap, exit 88
87 US 431 (Trinity Lane, SR-65)
46B I-65 south to I-40 west – Memphis, HuntsvilleEastern end of I-65 overlap; south exit 86, north exit 86B
47Jefferson Street
47A US 41 (Ellington Parkway, SR-6) / US 431 / SR 11 to US 31E north / Spring Street
48James Robertson Parkway (US-31, US-41, US-431, SR-6, SR-11) – State Capitol
49Shelby Avenue – LP Field
50B I-40 west – MemphisWest end of I-40 overlap, east exit 210B, west exit 211; formerly the point where I-24, I-40, and I-65 met
212Hermitage Avenue (US-70, SR-24)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
212Fesslers LaneEastbound exit and westbound entrance
52B I-40 east – KnoxvilleEastern end of I-40 overlap, exit 213A
52 US 41 (Murfreesboro Road, US-70S, SR-1)
53 I-440 west – Memphis
54 SR 155 (Briley Parkway)SR 155 exits 3A-B
56 SR 255 (Harding Place)
57Haywood Lane – AntiochSigned as exits 57A (west) and 57B (east) eastbound
59 SR 254 (Bell Road)
60Hickory Hollow Parkway
62 SR 171 (Old Hickory Boulevard)
RutherfordLa Vergne64Waldron Road – La Vergne
Smyrna66 SR 266 east (Sam Ridley Parkway) – SmyrnaSigned as exits 66A (west) and 66B (east) eastbound
70 SR 102 (Lee Victory Parkway, Almaville Road) – Smyrna
Murfreesboro74 SR 840 – Franklin, Lebanon, KnoxvilleSigned as exits 74A (west) and 74B (east); SR 840 west exit 53, east exits 53A-B
76Fortress Boulevard, Medical Center Parkway
78 SR 96 – Franklin, MurfreesboroSigned as exits 78A (west) and 78B (east)
80 SR 99 – Murfreesboro
81 US 231 (SR-10) – Shelbyville, MurfreesboroSigned as exits 81A (south) and 81B (north) eastbound
84AJoe B. Jackson ParkwaySigned as exits 84A (south) and 84B (north) eastbound
89Buchanan Road, Epps Mill Road
Bedford
 No major junctions
Coffee 97 SR 64 (Beechgrove Road) – Shelbyville
 105 US 41 (SR-2) – Manchester
Manchester110 SR 53 – Manchester, Woodbury
111 SR 55 – Manchester, McMinnville
114 US 41 (SR-2) – Manchester, Hillsboro
Arnold Air Force Base117Arnold Air Force Base – Tullahoma
GrundyPelham127 US 64 west / SR 50 – Pelham, WinchesterWest end of US-64 overlap
MarionMonteagle134 US 41A (SR-15) – Monteagle, Sewanee
135 To US 41 north (SR-2 west) – Monteagle, Tracy CityWest end of SR-2 overlap
 143Martin Springs Road (SR-2 east)Eastern end of SR-2 overlap
Kimball152 US 64 east / US 72 (SR-27 west) to US 41 – Kimball, South PittsburgEastern end of US-64 overlap; western end of SR-27 overlap
Jasper155 SR 28 – Jasper, Dunlap
 158 SR 27 east – Nickajack Dam, Powells CrossroadsEastern end of SR-27 overlap
 Interstate 24 Bridge over the Nickajack Lake
Haletown161 SR 156 – Haletown, New Hope
Hamilton
 No major junctions
Dade (GA) 167 I‑59 south (SR-406) – BirminghamLeft exit westbound
 169 SR 299 to US 11 – Wildwood
HamiltonChattanooga174 US 41 / US 64 (US-72, SR-2) to US 11 – Lookout Valley, Lookout Mountain
175Browns Ferry Road – Lookout Mountain
178 US 27 north (I-124 north) Downtown ChattanoogaWestern end of US-27 overlap
178 US 11 / US 41 / US 64 (Broad Street, US-72, SR-2) – Lookout MountainEastbound exit and westbound entrance
178 SR 58 (Market Street) to US 41 – Lookout MountainWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
180 US 27 south (Rossville Boulevard, SR-27 north) to SR 8 north / Central AvenueEastern end of US-27 overlap; signed as exits 180A (north) and 180B (south)
1814th Avenue
181A US 41 south (US-76 east, SR-8 south) – East RidgeEastbound exit and westbound entrance
Missionary Ridge crossing
East Ridge183Germantown Road, Belvoir Avenue
184Moore Road
Chattanooga185 I-75 / US 74 east – Atlanta, KnoxvilleEastbound exit and westbound entrance; eastern terminus and signed as exits 185A (south) and 185B (north); I-75 exit 2
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ Adderly, Kevin (January 19, 2012). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002". Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. OCLC 47914009. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Office of Transportation Data (2003). Interstate Mileage Report as of 12/31/03 (PDF) (Report). Georgia Department of Transportation. 1DPP438. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 18, 2006.
  3. ↑ "Sinkhole Forces I-24 Closure in Grundy County". Nashville, TN: WTVF-TV. May 18, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Sinkhole Repaired, I-24 Reopens". Chattanooga Times Free Press. May 22, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  5. ↑ Official Transportation Map (Map). 1 in≈10 mi. Cartography by Long Range Planning Division-Mapping Section. Tennessee Department of Transportation. 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-21.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

Interstate 24
Previous state:
Kentucky		 Tennessee Next state:
Georgia
Previous state:
Georgia		 Next state:
Terminus
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, January 02, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.