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.
