E/W alternate to Chattanooga rush hour madness?

TundraTower wrote:


WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON ? Is it construction or what? AND, why in the world doesn't Chattanooga have a bypass AROUND (not thru) the town ????

It's not construction. Just to much traffic. Some of it is people from the flat states that wont pass in a corner, and will NOT get out of the left lane. But mostly just to much traffic.
I've lived in and around Chattanooga all my adult life. Unless they tunnel under Lookout Mountain a bypass just wont happen. Has been suggested, but TN has the problem and GA wont spend the $$$. If you want to bypass Chattanooga you have go around the north side, and before you cross the river at Nickajack.

We run the Scottsboro route Jayco mentioned all the time and its good road.

I know this is an old posting, but we did this trip last week and had to invent a bypass going to WNC last Saturday, and again coming home yesterday.

7/25/15 the I-24 eastbound was dead stopped at I-59 exchange. MapQuest indicated the blockage was all the way to Moccasin Bend about 10 miles away, so we went south on 59 to Trenton GA. We then picked up 136 and eventually 201 up to I-75 and back on to I-24. Cost me about 60 miles and probably 90 minutes, but I would have been on I-24 for days.

Coming back yesterday, we checked from Cleveland TN and saw I-24 WB was also blocked before and after I-75 exchange. We took 60/71 from Cleveland to Dalton Ga, then got 201 and 136 back over to I-59.

Yesterday when we got back on I-24 WB from I-59, the I-24 EB lanes were stacked up all the way back to South Pittsburg, TN.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON ? Is it construction or what? AND, why in the world doesn't Chattanooga have a bypass AROUND (not thru) the town ????

I'm done with Chattanooga. Next time we'll get off 72 at Scottsboro as someone suggested, and just go over to Cleveland or Murphy thru Georgia. It wasn't a bad drive, just not quite as fast as moving on an interstate like you are supposed to.

jaycocamprs your directions made me dizzy but darned if I could come up with anything better. Those pesky rivers just keep getting in the way. Don't know where the OP is starting from but he mentioned hanging out in South Pittsburg. Could he take TN 28 north to Pikeville and head back east on 30 to 411 at Etowah? Then drop back to 64/74 on 411 or 68. We have towed all of this with no problem but it would be a long way out of the way. I think I had rather chance the traffic. lizzie

Sorry, there just isn't a good alternate route. There are only a few bridges over the river, and going over the mountains doesn't save time. There are only 2 roads into Chattanooga from the SW, I-24 and US-41. US-41 has 2 low RR underpasses, one is 13'1" the other is 10'4"
As for going around way south? You have to cross the river at Scottsborro AL. Scottsborro to Henager, Valley Head and Mentone. Down thru Summerville GA. US-27 south to GA-140 to I-75 north on I-75 to GA-136 at Resaca GA and east to US-411. Here you can go north to US-64 near Benton TN. Or keep going east to GA-515. Take 515 north up past Blue Ridge GA. Take GA-60 to Mineral Bluff and GA-60 spur to Ranger NC and US-64. Ranger is just west of Murphy NC
Edit: (West of Murphy NC)