If you are planning to go through Chattanooga on your way to the SOS
gathering in Dillard, GA, watch out. There is SERIOUS construction
on I-24 east of Chattanooga, and also on I-75 in Chattanooga near the
airport. Here are the details and some alternate routes.
If you are coming into Chattanooga on I-24 eastbound, there is no
problem. The problem will come when you are going home on I-24 west.
The Nickajack Lake bridge is sometimes down to one lane, and
sometimes it is closed completely. If you take the marked detour (TN
Hwy 156) you will be in for some long delays. What you want to do is
take the previous exit, number 174. This is the 2nd exit out of
Chattanooga after you round the big bend in the river (Moccasin
Bend). The exit is TN 41/US 64/US 72. Turn right (US 72 west) and
follow that road for 10 miles or so. (This is not a problem since
it's a great sports car road!) You must ignore the first sign you
come to for I-24, because you are still on the wrong side of the
river. You will see the traffic coming in from your left on the
detour. Fortunately you'll have the right of way. Just keep going
straight and follow the detour signs back to I-24 west.
Once you get into Chattanooga, there is another big construction
problem near the aiport on I-75, both northbound and southbound.
Huge delays are possible. If you are going north on I-75, here's a
fairly easy way around the congestion. Exit at Moore Road. Turn left
at light. Go about 1 mile, turn right on Brainerd Road. Go several
miles (& several traffic lights) until you get to Shallowford Road.
Turn right, go until you come to I-75. The southbound detour is just
the reverse. I just did this a couple of weekends ago and although
there were a lot of traffic lights, it was a heckuva lot better than
sitting in stalled traffic on the Interstate, all the while watching
the temperature guage heading for a bad place.
Hope Hurricane Floyd stays away! Hurricane Dennis washed out Progday
in Chapel Hill, NC a couple of weekends ago. :^(
Since my Alpine is still in a billion pieces, I'm driving my Jensen
Interceptor to SOS. If you see a maroon Interceptor broken down on
the side of the road (my route is US-72, I-24, I-75, US-64), please
take pity! Stop and lend a hand. I'll do the same for any Sunbeams
that I might come across. Hopefully we will all get there and get
home with no problems.
See you there,
--
T.J. Higgins
tjhiggin@ingr.com
Huntsville, AL
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