Interstate 24 in Tennessee

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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 23 SR 24
x20px 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[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] 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 Lua error in Module:Convert at line 452: attempt to index field 'titles' (a nil value). 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

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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

References

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External links

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Interstate 24
Previous state:
Kentucky
Tennessee Next state:
Georgia
Previous state:
Georgia
Next state:
Terminus