Interstate 24 in Tennessee

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
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Tennessee State Routes Interstate US State ← SR 23 SR 24 → ← SR 23 SR 24 → ← SR 408 SR 409 SR 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

I-24 near Nashville

One of the most 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 (I-40 between Nashville and Knoxville features 5% grades in each direction as well as a 5% grade north of Nashville on I-24, near Joelton), but the slope is protracted over a distance of several miles with twists and turns. While all motorists need to exercise caution, truckers are particularly vexed by Monteagle, and many have died going through this area. On this section the speed limit reduces to 55 mph (89 km/h) for all vehicles, and 45 mph (72 km/h) for trucks on the down grades. It is suggested that some trucks over certain weights travel as slowly as 35 and 25 mph (56 and 40 km/h). The route is three lanes each way on the eastern side of the plateau, and contains 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. As runaway trucks had been a regular and deadly occurrence, in part of the failure or inability of truckers to slow down to the 45 mph (72 km/h) truck speed limit once on the slope, the eastbound lanes were rebuilt in the late 1980s. 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 (0.40 km) 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. 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 (0.8 km) wide at one point. There are houses, farms, and businesses located within the median of the interstate on the western side of this mountain.

Another hazardous section is found on I-24 in Chattanooga, and is known as The Ridgecut, where the Interstate crosses Missionary Ridge. The route makes a sharp turn to the north at the foot of the ridge, followed by another sharp turn at the top about a half mile later. Many accidents and traffic backups occur on this section.

History

The route originally ascended up the western side of the Cumberland Plateau where the westbound lanes are located currently. Throughout the 1980s, the route underwent major safety improvements. This included moving the eastbound lanes over to reduce the grade, widening to six lanes, and the addition of two runaway truck ramps. The project took nearly ten years.

Much of the route was widened from four to eight lanes between Davidson County and Smyrna in the latter 1970s. The route was further expanded out to Interstate 840 in the early 2000s and to exit 81 in Murfreesboro, with completion in 2007. The left lanes in this portion function as HOV lanes on weekdays during rush hour. This portion of road has been reported as the heaviest traveled corridor in Tennessee.

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

County	Location	mi	km	Exit[5]	Destinations	Notes
Montgomery	Clarksville	0.00	0.00		I-24 west	Continuation into Kentucky
				1	SR 48 – Clarksville, Trenton
				4	US 79 / SR 13 – Clarksville, Guthrie
				8	SR 237 (Rossview Road)
				11	SR 76 – Adams, Clarksville
Robertson	Pleasant View			19	SR 256 (Maxey Road) – Adams
				24	SR 49 – Pleasant View, Coopertown, Springfield, Ashland City
Cheatham				31	SR 249 (New Hope Road)
Davidson	Nashville			35	US 431 (SR-65) / Union Hill Road – Springfield, Joelton
				40	SR 45 (Old Hickory Boulevard)
				43	SR 155 (Briley Parkway) – Opryland	SR 155 exits 18A-B
				44B	I-65 north – Louisville	Western end of I-65 overlap, exit 88
				87	US 431 (Trinity Lane, SR-65)
				46B	I-65 south to I-40 west – Memphis, Huntsville	Eastern end of I-65 overlap; south exit 86, north exit 86B
				47	Jefferson Street
				47A	US 41 (Ellington Parkway, SR-6) / US 431 / SR 11 to US 31E north / Spring Street
				48	James Robertson Parkway (US-31, US-41, US-431, SR-6, SR-11) – State Capitol
				49	Shelby Avenue – LP Field
				50B	I-40 west – Memphis	West end of I-40 overlap, east exit 210B, west exit 211; formerly the point where I-24, I-40, and I-65 met
				212	Hermitage Avenue (US-70, SR-24)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
				212	Fesslers Lane	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				52B	I-40 east – Knoxville	Eastern 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)
				57	Haywood Lane – Antioch	Signed as exits 57A (west) and 57B (east) eastbound
				59	SR 254 (Bell Road)
				60	Hickory Hollow Parkway
				62	SR 171 (Old Hickory Boulevard)
Rutherford	La Vergne			64	Waldron Road – La Vergne
	Smyrna			66	SR 266 east (Sam Ridley Parkway) – Smyrna	Signed as exits 66A (west) and 66B (east) eastbound
				70	SR 102 (Lee Victory Parkway, Almaville Road) – Smyrna
	Murfreesboro			74	SR 840 – Franklin, Lebanon, Knoxville	Signed as exits 74A (west) and 74B (east); SR 840 west exit 53, east exits 53A-B
				76	Fortress Boulevard, Medical Center Parkway
				78	SR 96 – Franklin, Murfreesboro	Signed as exits 78A (west) and 78B (east)
				80	SR 99 – Murfreesboro
				81	US 231 (SR-10) – Shelbyville, Murfreesboro	Signed as exits 81A (south) and 81B (north) eastbound
				84	Joe B. Jackson Parkway	Signed as exits 84A (south) and 84B (north) eastbound
				89	Buchanan Road, Epps Mill Road
Bedford	No major junctions
Coffee				97	SR 64 (Beechgrove Road) – Shelbyville
				105	US 41 (SR-2) – Manchester
	Manchester			110	SR 53 – Manchester, Woodbury
				111	SR 55 – Manchester, McMinnville
				114	US 41 (SR-2) – Manchester, Hillsboro
	Arnold Air Force Base			117	Arnold Air Force Base – Tullahoma
Grundy	Pelham			127	US 64 west / SR 50 – Pelham, Winchester	West end of US-64 overlap
Marion	Monteagle			134	US 41A (SR-15) – Monteagle, Sewanee
				135	To US 41 north (SR-2 west) – Monteagle, Tracy City	West end of SR-2 overlap
				143	Martin Springs Road (SR-2 east)	Eastern end of SR-2 overlap
	Kimball			152	US 64 east / US 72 (SR-27 west) to US 41 – Kimball, South Pittsburg	Eastern end of US-64 overlap; western end of SR-27 overlap
	Jasper			155	SR 28 – Jasper, Dunlap
				158	SR 27 east – Nickajack Dam, Powells Crossroads	Eastern end of SR-27 overlap
				Interstate 24 Bridge over the Nickajack Lake
	Haletown			161	SR 156 – Haletown, New Hope
Hamilton	No major junctions
Dade (GA)				167	I‑59 south (SR-406) – Birmingham	Left exit westbound
				169	SR 299 to US 11 – Wildwood
Hamilton	Chattanooga			174	US 41 / US 64 (US-72, SR-2) to US 11 – Lookout Valley, Lookout Mountain
				175	Browns Ferry Road – Lookout Mountain
				178	US 27 north (I-124 north) Downtown Chattanooga,Harriman	Western end of US-27 overlap
				178	US 11 / US 41 / US 64 (Broad Street, US-72, SR-2) – Lookout Mountain	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				178	SR 58 (Market Street) to US 41 – Lookout Mountain	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
				180	US 27 south (Rossville Boulevard, SR-27 north) to SR 8 north / Central Avenue	Eastern end of US-27 overlap; signed as exits 180A (north) and 180B (south)
				181	4th Avenue
				181A	US 41 south (US-76 east, SR-8 south) – East Ridge	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				Missionary Ridge crossing
	East Ridge			183	Germantown Road, Belvoir Avenue
				184	Moore Road
	Chattanooga			185	I-75 / US 74 east – Atlanta, Knoxville	Eastbound 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       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

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. 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. Long Range Planning Division-Mapping Section (2013). Official Transportation Map (Map). 1 in≈10 mi. Tennessee Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 21, 2013.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google