Interstate 24 East - Chattanooga

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Interstate 24 East
Interstate 24 angles northeast from the Georgia state line ahead of a rest area and the Tennessee Welcome Center. 11/03/11
The welcome center serves motorists entering the Volunteer State from Interstate 59 north. 11/03/11
U.S. 41-64-72 combine from Jasper east to Haletown and the northern periphery of Raccoon Mountain to a diamond interchange (Exit 174) with Interstate 24 at Lookout Valley. 11/03/11
U.S. 11 north joins U.S. 41-64-72 east from adjacent Birmingham Highway through Tiftonia and Lookout Valley. The four routes continue to northern reaches of Lookout Mountain and St. Elmo in Chattanooga. 11/03/11
Interstate 24 loops north of Tiftonia to the Tennessee River near Moccasin Bend. A diamond interchange (Exit 175) joins the freeway with Browns Ferry Road in one mile. 11/03/11
Browns Ferry Road stems north from U.S. 11-41-64-72 at Wauhatchie Pike in Tiftonia to suburban areas of Lookout Valley. The road ends at Browns Ferry along the Tennessee River. 11/03/11
Advancing east from Tiftonia, I-24 next meets U.S. 27 [Interstate 124] north at a three-wye interchange (Exit 178) in Southside, Chattanooga. 06/12/17
The freeway hugs a narrow strip of land alongside a CSX Railroad and U.S. 11-41-64-72 (Cummings Highway) between the Tennessee River and Lookout Mountain to St. Elmo, Chattanooga. Exits 178 A/B depart for Southside and Downtown, Chattanooga next. 06/12/17
The Tennessee River turns northward around Moccasin Bend to flow around Westside and Downtown Chattanooga. I-24 remains along the east banks of the river by industrial areas of Alton Park and Southside. 11/03/11
Interstate 124 is the hidden designation for the Dayton Freeway (U.S. 27) leading north 1.97 miles to the P.R. Olgiati Bridge spanning the Tennessee River. I-124 was fully signed until the 1990s, when a TDOT project resigned the route to reference just U.S. 27 due to motorist confusion at the exchange with I-24. 06/12/17
I-24 east expands to four lanes ahead of the separation with Exit 178. The distributor roadway serves U.S. 27 [I-124] north to Downtown and Hill City in addition to the "Big Scramble Interchange" with U.S. 11-41-64-72 (Broad Street) and SR 58 (Market Street) in Southside, Chattanooga. 06/12/17
Exit 178 separates from the I-24 mainline with two lanes for U.S. 27 [Interstate 124] north and the ramps to Broad (U.S. 11-41-64-72) and Williams Streets. 06/12/17
The connection to I-124/U.S. 27 was separated as new Exit 178 B while Exit 178 A combines with an exit from I-124/U.S. 27 south to Broad Street. Broad Street leads U.S. 11-41-64-72 north from Alton Park near Lookout Mountain to Southside in Chattanooga. 06/12/17
2020-23 construction reconfigured the 'Big Scramble Interchange' joining I-24 with I-124/U.S. 27 and adjacent U.S. 11-41-64-72 (Broad Street) and SR 58 (Market Street). The c/d roadway at Exit 178 was replaced with an at-grade service road running east from Broad Street to Market Street. 06/12/17
I-124 commences north from I-24 east along the former c/d roadway. U.S. 27 travels north from Chattanooga along a freeway to Red Bank and Soddy-Daisey. Connections with U.S. 127 lead north to Signal Mountain and Walden. 11/03/11
Ramps previously linked the c/d roadway at Exit 178 with Broad Street (U.S. 11-41-64-72) north directly and Williams Street to 25th Street for Broad Street south.
U.S. 72 ends at the U.S. 41 turn onto Main Street. U.S. 11/64 turn east onto 20th Street to the immediate north. 01/21/13
Interstate 24 East U.S. 27 South
U.S. 27 south combines with Interstate 24 east through the Big Scramble Interchange. The service road linking I-24 east with Broad and Market Streets forms an entrance ramp ahead of Exit 180 A for Central Avenue north. 06/12/17
Exit 180 A loops away from I-24 east to form Central Avenue north at adjacent U.S. 11/64 (23rd Street). Central Avenue continues to Chattanooga National Cemetery while Rossville Boulevard (SR 27) branches southeast from U.S. 11/64 to become U.S. 27 through East Lake / Clifton Hills.
References to SR 8 here are incorrect as the state route travels alongside U.S. 41/76 (Main Street) from Downtown to Highland Park / Oak Grove to the north. 06/12/17
U.S. 27 separates from Interstate 24 east at Exit 108 B to join Rossville Boulevard (SR 27) south to Clifton Hills and East Lake in Chattanooga, and Rossville, Georgia. 06/12/17
Interstate 24 East
Missionary Ridge appears along the eastern horizon as Interstate 24 advances to the diamond interchange (Exit 181) with Fourth Avenue. 06/12/17
Fourth Avenue leads south through the East Lake / Clifton Hills community and north as Kelly Street from parallel U.S. 11/64 (23rd Street) to Highland Park / Oak Grove. 06/12/17
Interstate 24 climbs eastward with eight lanes to the partial interchange (Exit 181 A) with U.S. 41/76 (Westside Drive). U.S. 41 combines with U.S. 76 south from Dodds Avenue to the city of East Ridge while U.S. 11/64 turn north along Dodds Avenue to McCallie Avenue at Glenwood, Chattanooga. 06/12/17
While I-24 traverses Missionary Ridge along a elevated route and viaduct, U.S. 41/76 crosses the hill via the Bachman Tunnels. Built in 1929, the Bachman Tunnels comprise a pair of one-lane tubes with a low clearance. 06/12/17
Guide signs for Exit 181 A omit U.S. 76 east. U.S. 41/76 emerge from the Bachman Tunnels east along the main commercial boulevard through East Ridge. The two routes overlap to Ringgold and Dalton, Georgia. 06/12/17
Interstate 24 makes a sweeping curve across Missionary Ridge. 06/12/17
I-24 proceeds one mile east to a split diamond interchange (Exit 183) with Germantown Road and Belvoir Avenue. 06/12/17
Turning back to the east over Missionary Ridge, Interstate 24 enters the city of East Ridge beyond the S Seminole Drive overpass. 06/12/17
Germantown Road and Belvoir Avenue run south to U.S. 41/76 (Ringgold Road) in East Ridge and north to U.S. 11/64 (Brainerd Road) in the Brainerd section of east Chattanooga. 06/12/17
Spanning Germantown Road, I-24 east reenters the city of Chattanooga. Two miles of the route remain to the three-wye interchange (Exits 185 A/B) with Interstate 75. 01/21/13
Moore Road runs north from U.S. 41/76 in East Ridge to meet Interstate 24 at a split diamond interchange (Exit 184). Frontage roads (N/S Terrace) accompany the freeway along this stretch as it straddles the Chattanooga / East Ridge city line. 01/21/13
Segment of 1 of the Phase 2 of I-75/I-24 Split project switched the location for the entrance ramp from Germantown Road and exit ramp for Moore Road north to Brainard. Work underway from Spring 2023 to 2025 also expands Interstate 24 east to the exchange (Exit 185) with I-75.1 06/12/17
Interests to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) are directed onto I-75 north to the freeway along SR 153 for the passenger terminal. Atlanta is a 109 mile drive to the south. 06/12/17
Segment 1 of the Phase 2 of I-75/I-25 Split project replaces the McBrien Road overpass preceding Exit 185.1 Interstate 75 carries at least six overall lanes from Chattanooga southward to Atlanta and Macon. 06/12/17
The Interstate 75 Interchange at Interstate 24 - Phase II project expands both ramps from the east end of I-24 for I-75 to three lanes.1 I-75 continues through eastern reaches of Chattanooga and Collegedale northeast to Cleveland and 102 miles to combine with I-40 along an eight lane freeway to Knoxville. 06/12/17


 
Sources:
  1. Interstate 75 Interchange at Interstate 24 - Phase II. Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), project web page. Accessed on December 15, 2013.


Photo Credits:

11/03/11, 01/21/13, 06/12/17 by AARoads

Connect with:
Interstate 75
Interstate 124
U.S. 27

Page Updated 12-15-2023.

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