I-75 CLOSED near KY/TN Border -- Detours could be in place for weeks!

[thenetwork]

Only posting it here since this incident straddles at least two regional boards in the forum, and will be affecting spring break traffic coming from other regional areas as well and I haven't seen any mention of it as yet:

Rockslides & falling rocks have necessitated major highway I-75 just below the KY/TN border and could last for weeks...

http://www.wtol.com/story/31332773/web-update-interstate-75-shut-down-in-tennessee?clienttype=generic&mobilecgbypass

[GaryV]

Is this the same area where the SB lanes slumped?  That would have been about 2008, plus or minus.

EDIT:  Saw the detour map in the story and I believe this rockslide location is a bit south of where the lanes slumped down the side of the hill.

I love this geographically challenged quote from the story:

Truck drivers are suggesting the following route if you are traveling southbound through Tennessee:

Take 71 south into Louisville then pick up I-65 south to Nashville, take 24 south out of Nashville to avoid Tennessee completely.

(emphasis mine)   

[roadman65]

Nashville is in Tennessee!  I-65 and I-24, according to this, is in that state as well.

[KEVIN_224]

Yes! Even this Connecticut native has been on a tiny piece of I-24. I think it was where it was concurrent with I-40. That was on a visit back in 2010.

[Kacie Jane]

I love this geographically challenged quote from the story:

Truck drivers are suggesting the following route if you are traveling southbound through Tennessee:

Take 71 south into Louisville then pick up I-65 south to Nashville, take 24 south out of Nashville to avoid Tennessee completely.

(emphasis mine)   

Not quite sure what exactly that was trying to say, but the grammar throughout the article is even worse.

[hotdogPi]

Not quite sure what exactly that was trying to say, but the grammar throughout the article is even worse.

That route does not avoid Tennessee.

[CtrlAltDel]

Wow. The area of this rockslide and the Colorado one are roads that I've been on fairly recently.

[cl94]

Damn. Looking at Google Maps traffic, traffic is backing up quite a bit in the area. The I-65 route might be the way to go if your travels take you anywhere on I-75 that isn't between Chattanooga and Cincinnati. I've been following it for a few hours now and there have been a bunch of accidents along the detour route.

[Kacie Jane]

Not quite sure what exactly that was trying to say, but the grammar throughout the article is even worse.

That route does not avoid Tennessee.

No, I knew what Gary meant, I just have no idea what the article actually meant to say there.

[hbelkins]

I drove TN 297 a few years ago after I-75 across what's commonly known as Jellico Mountain had been closed. It's a fairly easy drive. It parallels I-75 down in the valley, then has a gentle climb up to TN 63. US 25W isn't as bad of a road as it looks on the map. But if all of I-75's traffic gets shunted onto those two roads, there will be quite a bit of congestion. The original commercial vehicle detour was US 25E from Exit 29 in Kentucky to TN 63, which is an improved APD corridor down to I-75, but now they're saying to use I-81 and I-40.

My suggestion for avoiding the delay would be to exit I-75 at Exit 62 at Mt. Vernon and then take KY 461 and KY 80 to Somerset. From there, take US 27 south into Tennessee and then TN 63 to I-75. With the exception of a few miles in Tennessee, US 27 is an improved road, and TN 63 over to I-75 has been rebuilt and is a modern road. For true long-distance Lexington-to-Chattanooga traffic, follow KY 90, US 127 and TN 111 out of the Somerset/Burnside area. It ties into the US 27 freeway north of Chattanooga and is all a modern route. I can't really recommend staying on US 27 because there are some bad spots between the state line and I-40.

[thenetwork]

UPDATE:  With the luck of the Irish, I-75 may be partially opened by St. Patrick's Day (3/17/16).

http://www.wtol.com/story/31404094/reopening-dates-set-for-i-75-after-rock-slide?sf22151347=1

[ysuindy]

Southbound lanes reopened March 10 per this report

http://www.wlwt.com/news/I-75-SB-reopens-in-TN-after-weeks-long-rockslide-cleanup/38438098

[hm insulators]

Is this the same area where the SB lanes slumped?  That would have been about 2008, plus or minus.

EDIT:  Saw the detour map in the story and I believe this rockslide location is a bit south of where the lanes slumped down the side of the hill.

I love this geographically challenged quote from the story:

Truck drivers are suggesting the following route if you are traveling southbound through Tennessee:

Take 71 south into Louisville then pick up I-65 south to Nashville, take 24 south out of Nashville to avoid Tennessee completely.

(emphasis mine)   

[jbnati27]

Southbound lanes reopened March 10 per this report

http://www.wlwt.com/news/I-75-SB-reopens-in-TN-after-weeks-long-rockslide-cleanup/38438098

Confirmed by driving through on 3/18. Southbound was wide open. It was mentioned on the Tennessee thread the scoreboards are indicating one lane is now open. That's what the Tennessee Department of Transportation website says, too.