Fort Massac (or Fort Massiac ) is a French colonial and early National-era fort on the Ohio River in Massac County, Illinois , United States.
155-550: Interstate 24 ( I-24 ) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from I-57 , 10 miles (16 km) south of Marion, Illinois , to Chattanooga, Tennessee , at I-75 . It travels through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. As an even-numbered Interstate, it is signed as an east–west route, though the route follows a more southeast–northwest routing, passing through Nashville, Tennessee . The numbering deviates from
310-535: A concurrency or overlap. For example, I‑75 and I‑85 share the same roadway in Atlanta ; this 7.4-mile (11.9 km) section, called the Downtown Connector , is labeled both I‑75 and I‑85. Concurrencies between Interstate and US Highway numbers are also allowed in accordance with AASHTO policy, as long as the length of the concurrency is reasonable. In rare instances, two highway designations sharing
465-686: A spur route of I-24 to downtown Chattanooga. The road segment has not been signed as I-124 since the late 1980s (it is marked on overhead signs and milemarkers as US 27), and the TDOT official map no longer designates it as I-124, but some TDOT publications still make reference to the designation. Interstate 24 Business ( I-24 Bus. ) is an 11.2-mile (18.0 km) business loop of I-24 that travels through downtown Paducah, Kentucky , that begins at I-24 and US 60 at exit 4 and ends at I-24 and KY 1954 at exit 11. Originally designated as Interstate 24 Downtown ( I-24 Dwtn. ),
620-960: A 120-foot (37 m) deep and 850-foot (260 m) wide cut would be made through the ridge. Engineers also initially recommended that the Interstate cross the Tennessee River onto Moccasin Bend south of downtown, and then again cross the river into Lookout Valley a short distance beyond, but this was rejected by the Bureau of Public Roads in April 1958 as too expensive. In 1957, officials in Tennessee, Kentucky , Illinois , and Missouri began an effort to extend I-24 west of its allocated western terminus in Nashville to St. Louis ; however, each of
775-651: A 28-year-old brevet lieutenant colonel, accompanied the trip "through darkest America with truck and tank," as he later described it. Some roads in the West were a "succession of dust, ruts, pits, and holes." As the landmark 1916 law expired, new legislation was passed—the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 (Phipps Act). This new road construction initiative once again provided for federal matching funds for road construction and improvement, $ 75 million allocated annually. Moreover, this new legislation for
930-476: A change in the numbering system as a result of a new policy adopted in 1973. Previously, letter-suffixed numbers were used for long spurs off primary routes; for example, western I‑84 was I‑80N, as it went north from I‑80 . The new policy stated, "No new divided numbers (such as I-35W and I-35E , etc.) shall be adopted." The new policy also recommended that existing divided numbers be eliminated as quickly as possible; however, an I-35W and I-35E still exist in
1085-597: A concurrency with I-40, traveling southeast-to-northwest with eight throughlanes. Two miles (3.2 km) later, I-40 splits off eastwardly, heading toward Knoxville . Located at this interchange is also a partial interchange with US 41/ US 70S (Murfreesboro Road). Less than one mile (1.6 km) later is an interchange with the eastern terminus of I-440 , which is also accessible from I-40 nearby. Between I-40 and I-440, I-24's eastbound lanes are split into two barrier-separated carriageways to prevent weaving of traffic destined from I-40 to I-440. A short distance later
1240-414: A cost of $ 17 million (equivalent to $ 39.1 million in 2023), the final cost was $ 29.5 million (equivalent to $ 63.1 million in 2023). During this project, both directions of traffic were routed to the westbound lanes of I-24, which were separated by a Jersey barrier , and a temporary runaway truck ramp for eastbound traffic was also provided along this alignment. A truck station to allow for
1395-588: A few miles later. Passing through a mostly wooded area, the Interstate crosses KY 93 without an interchange, and then has an interchange with KY 293 near the Kentucky State Penitentiary . It then crosses an inlet of Lake Barkley a few miles later. Some distance later, the freeway enters a landscape consisting mostly of farmland and dips briefly into the southern tip of Caldwell County , where it has an interchange with KY 139 . The Interstate then enters Trigg County and crosses
1550-549: A major means of access to St. Louis and Chicago to the northwest. Immediately within the eastern outskirts of Clarksville , the fifth-largest city in Tennessee, the Interstate reaches an interchange with State Route 48 (SR 48), less than one mile (1.6 km) later, which provides access to Trenton in Kentucky to the north. About three miles (4.8 km) later the Interstate reaches US 79 , which also provides access to Guthrie and Russellville in Kentucky to
1705-589: A numbering scheme in which primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, and shorter routes which branch off of longer ones are assigned three-digit numbers where the last two digits match the parent route. The Interstate Highway System is partially financed through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself is funded by a combination of a federal fuel tax and transfers from the Treasury's general fund. Though federal legislation initially banned
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#17327946264061860-414: A project that completely closed the northbound span between January 20, 1974, and April 6, 1975, and the southbound span from April 6, 1975, to November 16, 1975. This project also added shoulders to the bridge and removed railings that had been deemed unsafe and were believed to have played a role in multiple fatal accidents on the bridge. A groundbreaking ceremony for the first stretch of I-24 in Kentucky
2015-491: A proposal for an interstate highway system, eventually resulting in the enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 . Unlike the earlier United States Numbered Highway System, the interstates were designed to be all freeways, with nationally unified standards for construction and signage. While some older freeways were adopted into the system, most of the routes were completely new. In dense urban areas,
2170-442: A protracted four-to-six-percent grade over several miles. On this stretch, I-24 is three lanes in each direction and contains two runaway truck ramps . Owing to geography, these two ramps are on the left side of the grade. The westbound downgrade of the plateau is also extremely hazardous and contains several sharp curves. Portions of this downgrade also feature offramp approach style lane dividers in order to slow motorists. Throughout
2325-559: A report called Toll Roads and Free Roads , "the first formal description of what became the Interstate Highway System" and, in 1944, the similarly themed Interregional Highways . The Interstate Highway System gained a champion in President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was influenced by his experiences as a young Army officer crossing the country in the 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy that drove in part on
2480-541: A short distance later. Several miles later, the Interstate reaches an interchange with SR 49 near Pleasant View and Coopertown , which provides access to Springfield to the northeast and Ashland City to the southwest. The route then descends, utilizing another westbound truck lane, before briefly entering Cheatham County . The Interstate then crosses another steep hill over the next several miles, utilizing an eastbound truck lane before crossing into Davidson County . It then has an interchange with US 431 near
2635-409: A single digit prefixed to the two-digit number of its parent Interstate Highway. Spur routes deviate from their parent and do not return; these are given an odd first digit. Circumferential and radial loop routes return to the parent, and are given an even first digit. Unlike primary Interstates, three-digit Interstates are signed as either east–west or north–south, depending on the general orientation of
2790-801: A speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) because it is a parkway that consists of only one lane per side of the highway. On the other hand, Interstates 15, 80, 84, and 215 in Utah have speed limits as high as 70 mph (115 km/h) within the Wasatch Front , Cedar City , and St. George areas, and I-25 in New Mexico within the Santa Fe and Las Vegas areas along with I-20 in Texas along Odessa and Midland and I-29 in North Dakota along
2945-460: A speed limit of 80 mph (130 km/h). Other Interstates in Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming also have the same high speed limits. In some areas, speed limits on Interstates can be significantly lower in areas where they traverse significantly hazardous areas. The maximum speed limit on I-90 is 50 mph (80 km/h) in downtown Cleveland because of two sharp curves with
3100-474: A suggested limit of 35 mph (55 km/h) in a heavily congested area; I-70 through Wheeling, West Virginia , has a maximum speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) through the Wheeling Tunnel and most of downtown Wheeling; and I-68 has a maximum speed limit of 40 mph (65 km/h) through Cumberland, Maryland , because of multiple hazards including sharp curves and narrow lanes through
3255-445: A three-way interchange with US 27 (unsigned I-124 northbound) northbound, which provides access to downtown Chattanooga directly to the north. Forming an unsigned concurrency with US 27, the highways sharply curve 90 degrees to the east, before widening to eight lanes. I-24 then briefly dips to the south, where it has a trumpet interchange with a connector to SR 8 . A short distance later, US 27 splits off to
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#17327946264063410-469: A trumpet interchange. About four miles (6.4 km) later, the Interstate has a partial cloverleaf interchange with US 41 Alternate , which provides access to Hopkinsville to the north and Fort Campbell and Clarksville, Tennessee , to the south. I-24 then crosses into Tennessee about five miles (8.0 km) later. I-24 crosses into Tennessee from Kentucky traveling in a southeasterly-to-northwesterly direction into Montgomery County and serving as
3565-749: Is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States . The system extends throughout the contiguous United States and has routes in Hawaii , Alaska , and Puerto Rico . In the 20th century, the United States Congress began funding roadways through the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , and started an effort to construct a national road grid with
3720-543: Is also commonly believed the Interstate Highway System was built for the sole purpose of evacuating cities in the event of nuclear warfare . While military motivations were present, the primary motivations were civilian. The numbering scheme for the Interstate Highway System was developed in 1957 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The association's present numbering policy dates back to August 10, 1973. Within
3875-558: Is an interchange with US 41A / US 431 (Trinity Lane). About one mile (1.6 km) beyond this point, I-65 splits off and I-24 passes along the east side of downtown Nashville, where it reduces to six lanes and has interchanges with US 41 , US 431, and US 31E , and passes near Nissan Stadium . The interstate then crosses the Cumberland River on the Silliman Evans Bridge and joins in
4030-575: Is at Big Bay Road, which serves the communities of Big Bay and New Columbia . I-24 continues southward, bypassing the community of Round Knob before entering Metropolis . The highway meets US 45 again in Metropolis and passes west of Fort Massac State Park . It leaves Metropolis and crosses the I-24 Bridge over the Ohio River . After that, it continues into Kentucky. I-24 enters
4185-512: Is considered one of the most hazardous stretches of highway in the US, particularly for trucks, due to its steep descents, which measure a maximum of six-percent grade . As proposed by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 , the western terminus of I-24 was originally located in Nashville. Most of the route between Nashville and Chattanooga was constructed in the 1960s, with the final section opening in 1971. After extensive lobbying from local politicians,
4340-422: Is expected to be split into three phases, due to its location within two states and the difficulties of expanding the stretch which is located on a narrow artificial causeway between Lookout Mountain and the Tennessee River. This stretch has long experienced severe congestion issues and is considered a major bottleneck, particularly for trucks. Other stretches of I-24 planned to be widened in the near future include
4495-647: Is once again an interchange with SR 155 (Briley Parkway/Thompson Lane) near Nashville International Airport . Beginning at the next exit, SR 255 (Harding Place), the left lanes operate as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes during rush hour. Over the next few miles, I-24 passes through the Antioch neighborhood, where it has interchanges with Haywood Lane and SR 254 (Bell Road), and crosses Mill Creek . I-24 then continues through southeast Nashville, reaching interchanges with Hickory Hollow Parkway and SR 171 (Old Hickory Boulevard). Continuing through
4650-480: Is to have the highway route extend from Tamaulipas , Mexico to Ontario , Canada. The planned I-11 will then bridge the Interstate gap between Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada , and thus form part of the CANAMEX Corridor (along with I-19 , and portions of I-10 and I-15 ) between Sonora , Mexico and Alberta , Canada. Political opposition from residents canceled many freeway projects around
4805-474: The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas, and an I-35W and I-35E that run through Minneapolis and Saint Paul , Minnesota, still exist. Additionally, due to Congressional requirements, three sections of I-69 in southern Texas will be divided into I-69W , I-69E , and I-69C (for Central). AASHTO policy allows dual numbering to provide continuity between major control points. This is referred to as
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4960-552: The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 into law. Under the act, the federal government would pay for 90 percent of the cost of construction of Interstate Highways. Each Interstate Highway was required to be a freeway with at least four lanes and no at-grade crossings. The publication in 1955 of the General Location of National System of Interstate Highways , informally known as the Yellow Book , mapped out what became
5115-555: The Grand Forks area have higher speed limits of 75 mph (120 km/h). As one of the components of the National Highway System , Interstate Highways improve the mobility of military troops to and from airports, seaports, rail terminals, and other military bases. Interstate Highways also connect to other roads that are a part of the Strategic Highway Network , a system of roads identified as critical to
5270-520: The Hendron and Farley communities adjacent to Paducah, the highway shifts into a direct east–west alignment several miles later and has an interchange with US 68 in Reidland . The route then enters Marshall County and, about seven miles (11 km) later, reaches an interchange with I-69 and a connector road to US 62 and Calvert City to the north. Here, it begins a concurrency with
5425-739: The Jackson Purchase region of western Kentucky on a north–south alignment. Immediately within McCracken County , the route begins gradually veering southeast and enters the western fringes of Paducah a few miles later. The welcome center in Paducah utilizes Whitehaven , the only historic house in the United States used as a rest area . In Paducah, the Interstate continues to shift southeast and has interchanges with US 60 , US 62 , and US 45 . Passing through
5580-639: The Joe B. Jackson Parkway , which serves as an outer beltway around southeast Murfreesboro. Upon leaving Murfreesboro, I-24 enters a rural area, passing through a mix of farmland and woodlands and maintaining a straight alignment. Several miles later, the Interstate begins a gradual, largely unnoticeable, ascent out of the Nashville Basin onto the eastern Highland Rim . A few miles later, the Interstate briefly enters Bedford County and then has an interchange with SR 64 , which connects to Shelbyville, near
5735-524: The Joelton community and begins a gradual descent into the Nashville Basin , containing a westbound truck lane. Passing over the next few miles through dense woodlands, the highway reaches SR 45 ( Old Hickory Boulevard ) about five miles (8.0 km) later. Over the next three miles (4.8 km) beyond this point, the Interstate crosses over another steep hill, utilizing truck lanes on both
5890-529: The Lincoln Highway , the first road across America. He recalled that, "The old convoy had started me thinking about good two-lane highways... the wisdom of broader ribbons across our land." Eisenhower also gained an appreciation of the Reichsautobahn system, the first "national" implementation of modern Germany's Autobahn network, as a necessary component of a national defense system while he
6045-493: The Little Duck River and then has interchanges with SR 53 and SR 55 in short proximity. A short distance later, the highway reaches an interchange with US 41 once again. Leaving Manchester, the Interstate maintains its relatively straight trajectory and passes through the northeastern corner of Arnold Air Force Base over a distance of about three miles (4.8 km). The Interstate then travels over
6200-722: The Nickajack Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River . Beyond this point, the highway travels through a narrow gorge over several miles, crossing the Running Water Creek and traveling under its namesake trestle . This stretch is extremely crooked and can experience potentially strong crosswind . The Interstate then enters Hamilton County and the Eastern Time Zone and then crosses into Georgia less than one-quarter mile (400 m) later. In
6355-576: The Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant . Leaving Smyrna, the route enters an unincorporated urban area, before reaching a three-level interchange with I-840 , the outer southern beltway around Nashville. I-24 then enters Murfreesboro, the largest suburb of Nashville and sixth-largest city in Tennessee. The Interstate first has an interchange with a local thoroughfare (Medical Center Parkway/Fortress Blvd), before reaching SR 96 , which also connects to Franklin . A short distance later,
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6510-455: The Tiftonia neighborhood. About two miles (3.2 km) later, the Interstate curves sharply to the east, traveling on a narrow artificial causeway between the Tennessee River to the north and the northern tip of Lookout Mountain to the south. A short distance later, the Interstate gradually curves 90 degrees to the north, entering Chattanooga . Less than one mile (1.6 km) later is
6665-506: The US Department of Defense . The system has also been used to facilitate evacuations in the face of hurricanes and other natural disasters. An option for maximizing traffic throughput on a highway is to reverse the flow of traffic on one side of a divider so that all lanes become outbound lanes. This procedure, known as contraflow lane reversal , has been employed several times for hurricane evacuations. After public outcry regarding
6820-470: The US Highways , which increase from east to west and north to south). This numbering system usually holds true even if the local direction of the route does not match the compass directions. Numbers divisible by five are intended to be major arteries among the primary routes, carrying traffic long distances. Primary north–south Interstates increase in number from I-5 between Canada and Mexico along
6975-553: The West Coast to I‑95 between Canada and Miami, Florida along the East Coast . Major west–east arterial Interstates increase in number from I-10 between Santa Monica, California , and Jacksonville, Florida , to I-90 between Seattle, Washington , and Boston, Massachusetts , with two exceptions. There are no I-50 and I-60, as routes with those numbers would likely pass through states that currently have US Highways with
7130-481: The Bedford– Coffee county line. I-24 then briefly descends, curves to the south, then the east, before once again resuming its gradual ascent, where it surpasses an elevation of 1,000 feet (300 m) for the first time in Tennessee. Upon reaching the top of the rim several miles later, the interstate has an interchange with US 41. Five miles (8.0 km) later, the highway enters Manchester , where it crosses
7285-675: The Bureau of Public Roads, the predecessor agency to the Federal Highway Administration , approved the I-24 extension; however, they only authorized the westernmost 27 miles (43 km) of the route between Missouri and Tennessee, which was designated as I-155 and terminates in Dyersburg, Tennessee . The first section of I-24 to be completed was the section in Chattanooga between SR 58 (Market Street) and east of
7440-556: The Bureau of Public Roads, the predecessor agency to the Federal Highway Administration , authorized an extension of I-24 to its present-day western terminus in Pulleys Mill, Illinois , in 1964. As a result, I-24 was the last mainline Interstate Highway in Tennessee and Kentucky to be completed, with the last sections in the two states opening in 1978 and 1980, respectively. I-24 runs diagonally from I-57 south of Marion, Illinois , to I-75 at Chattanooga, Tennessee . In Kentucky,
7595-576: The Congress Hotel in Chicago. In the plan, Mehren proposed a 50,000-mile (80,000 km) system, consisting of five east–west routes and 10 north–south routes. The system would include two percent of all roads and would pass through every state at a cost of $ 25,000 per mile ($ 16,000/km), providing commercial as well as military transport benefits. In 1919, the US Army sent an expedition across
7750-515: The Interstate Highway System. Assisting in the planning was Charles Erwin Wilson , who was still head of General Motors when President Eisenhower selected him as Secretary of Defense in January 1953. Some sections of highways that became part of the Interstate Highway System actually began construction earlier. Three states have claimed the title of first Interstate Highway. Missouri claims that
7905-493: The Interstate Highway program. The Interstates of Alaska and Puerto Rico are numbered sequentially in order of funding without regard to the rules on odd and even numbers. They also carry the prefixes A and PR , respectively. However, these highways are signed according to their local designations, not their Interstate Highway numbers. Furthermore, these routes were neither planned according to nor constructed to
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#17327946264068060-513: The Interstate crosses the west fork of the Stones River and reaches SR 99 (New Salem Highway). A short distance later, the highway reaches US 231 , which also connects to Lebanon and Shelbyville . Here, the HOV lane restriction terminates, and the Interstate reduces from eight to four lanes. Leaving Murfreesboro, the Interstate three miles (4.8 km) later has an interchange with
8215-526: The Interstate has an interchange with SR 28 in Jasper and crosses the Sequatchie River . Beyond this point, the east and westbound lanes split more than one-half mile (800 m) apart over a few miles, encompassing farms, homes, and a few businesses in between. The route then crosses a large mountain ridge, has an interchange with SR 27 , and, about one mile (1.6 km) later, crosses
8370-550: The Lakes National Recreation Area . They then cross the Cumberland River about three miles (4.8 km) later into Lyon County a few miles north of Barkley Dam and Lake Barkley . Gradually veering eastward, the two Interstates reach US 62 again near Kuttawa and Eddyville . Less than two miles (3.2 km) later, I-69 splits off to the northeast at a trumpet interchange , and I-24 passes through Mineral Mound State Park , veering southeast
8525-504: The Muddy Fork Little River a short distance later. About five miles (8.0 km) later, the Interstate has an interchange with US 68 and KY 80 between Cadiz and Hopkinsville . The highway then crosses into Christian County a few miles later. Passing over the next several miles through additional farmland and bypassing Hopkinsville to the southwest, the Interstate reaches the southern terminus of I-169 at
8680-701: The Ohio River bridge, opened to traffic. This was also the first stretch of I-24 to open in Kentucky. The final segment of I-24 in Illinois, located between I-57 and US 45 in Vienna, was dedicated and opened to traffic by Governor Walker on January 24, 1976. In October 1977, the stretch between US 68 in Reidland and US 62 east of Calvert City was completed. The 2.5-mile (4.0 km) section between US 62 near Calvert City and KY 453, including
8835-616: The Tennessee River Bridge, which had been completed approximately five years prior, was opened to traffic on October 25, 1979. The section between US 60 in Paducah and US 68 in Reidland was opened and dedicated by Governor Julian Carroll on December 15, 1978. On December 10, 1979, the stretch between KY 453 and US 60/ US 641 in Eddyville, including the Cumberland River Bridge,
8990-542: The US is located where I-24 crosses the Cumberland Plateau on steep grades in Grundy and Marion County near the town of Monteagle and is commonly known as " Monteagle Mountain " or "Monteagle". While all motorists are advised to exercise caution along this stretch, truckers are particularly vexed by Monteagle, and many have died in accidents along this stretch. The eastbound grade is particularly hazardous, with
9145-806: The US to determine the difficulties that military vehicles would have on a cross-country trip. Leaving from the Ellipse near the White House on July 7, the Motor Transport Corps convoy needed 62 days to drive 3,200 miles (5,100 km) on the Lincoln Highway to the Presidio of San Francisco along the Golden Gate . The convoy suffered many setbacks and problems on the route, such as poor-quality bridges, broken crankshafts, and engines clogged with desert sand. Dwight Eisenhower , then
9300-631: The United States, including: In addition to cancellations, removals of freeways are planned: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has defined a set of standards that all new Interstates must meet unless a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is obtained. One almost absolute standard is the controlled access nature of the roads. With few exceptions , traffic lights (and cross traffic in general) are limited to toll booths and ramp meters (metered flow control for lane merging during rush hour ). Being freeways , Interstate Highways usually have
9455-413: The act was signed, and paving started September 26, 1956. The state marked its portion of I-70 as the first project in the United States completed under the provisions of the new Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The Pennsylvania Turnpike could also be considered one of the first Interstate Highways, and is nicknamed "Grandfather of the Interstate System". On October 1, 1940, 162 miles (261 km) of
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#17327946264069610-446: The adjustment of brakes opened in January 1992. After the safety improvements were completed, accidents in the eastbound lanes of this stretch dropped from 54 in 1983 to 3 in 1991. The 4.7-mile (7.6 km) stretch between near SR 255 (Harding Place) and near SR 254 (Bell Road) was widened to six lanes between April 1989 and November 1990. Between November 1994 and November 1995, TDOT made safety modifications to I-24 through
9765-428: The alignment, which included the Nashville-to-Clarksville alignment in Tennessee and extended the route's western terminus to Pulleys Mill, Illinois . The four governors also urged the approval of a new east–west Interstate Highway to run between Hayti, Missouri , and Jackson, Tennessee , incorporating a then-unbuilt bridge across the Mississippi River that had been proposed since the early 1940s. On August 18, 1964,
9920-447: The bottom of the Ridge Cut and east of the Big Scramble was widened from four to six lanes in the mid- to latter 1980s. Between May 1989 and November 1991, the Big Scramble was modified in a project that eliminated left-hand entrance and exit ramps, widened parts of the main carriageway, and converted the westbound lanes of I-24 into the ramp carrying I-24 westbound traffic to US 27 northbound. The original interchange with I-75, which
10075-420: The bottom of the ascent and then to the east again at the top. This stretch is notorious for severe congestion and is especially hazardous to truckers. At the top of the Ridge Cut, the Interstate enters a straight section and begins a gradual descent over a short distance. Traveling roughly along the boundary between Chattanooga and East Ridge , the Interstate has interchanges with multiple local thoroughfares over
10230-399: The bridge over Nickajack Lake, opened on December 18, 1967. The stretch between US 41 in Lookout Valley and the interchange with I-59 in Dade County, Georgia, was jointly opened to traffic by both states on September 10, 1968, along with the eight-northernmost-miles (13 km) of I-59. This was followed by the adjacent section extending west to SR 156 in early November 1968. In Nashville,
10385-399: The cancellation of the Somerset Freeway . This situation was remedied when the construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project started in 2010 and partially opened on September 22, 2018, which was already enough to fill the gap. However, I-70 remains discontinuous in Pennsylvania , because of the lack of a direct interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at
10540-406: The choice of routing destroyed many well-established neighborhoods, often intentionally as part of a program of " urban renewal ". In the two decades following the 1956 Highway Act, the construction of the freeways displaced one million people, and as a result of the many freeway revolts during this era, several planned Interstates were abandoned or re-routed to avoid urban cores. Construction of
10695-538: The city. In some locations, low speed limits are the result of lawsuits and resident demands; after holding up the completion of I-35E in St. Paul, Minnesota , for nearly 30 years in the courts, residents along the stretch of the freeway from the southern city limit to downtown successfully lobbied for a 45 mph (70 km/h) speed limit in addition to a prohibition on any vehicle weighing more than 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) gross vehicle weight . I-93 in Franconia Notch State Park in northern New Hampshire has
10850-401: The collection of tolls, some Interstate routes are toll roads , either because they were grandfathered into the system or because subsequent legislation has allowed for tolling of Interstates in some cases. As of 2022 , about one quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country used the Interstate Highway System, which has a total length of 48,890 miles (78,680 km). In 2022 and 2023,
11005-474: The community of Pulleys Mill . The highway heads southeast into rural Johnson County , bypassing Goreville to the east. It reaches an exit at Tunnel Hill Road, which serves Goreville and Tunnel Hill . The highway continues south to its next exit at US Route 45 (US 45) north of Vienna . It reaches its next exit at Illinois Route 146 (IL 146) in eastern Vienna. I-24 heads southeast from Vienna into Massac County . Its first exit in Massac County
11160-507: The construction and improvement of highways. The nation's revenue needs associated with World War I prevented any significant implementation of this policy, which expired in 1921. In December 1918, E. J. Mehren, a civil engineer and the editor of Engineering News-Record , presented his "A Suggested National Highway Policy and Plan" during a gathering of the State Highway Officials and Highway Industries Association at
11315-407: The contiguous United States, primary Interstates—also called main line Interstates or two-digit Interstates—are assigned numbers less than 100. While numerous exceptions do exist, there is a general scheme for numbering Interstates. Primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, while shorter routes (such as spurs, loops, and short connecting roads) are assigned three-digit numbers where
11470-623: The discontinuity, but they have been blocked by local opposition, fearing a loss of business. The Interstate Highway System has been expanded numerous times. The expansions have both created new designations and extended existing designations. For example, I-49 , added to the system in the 1980s as a freeway in Louisiana , was designated as an expansion corridor, and FHWA approved the expanded route north from Lafayette, Louisiana , to Kansas City, Missouri . The freeway exists today as separate completed segments, with segments under construction or in
11625-448: The dissemination of public information. As a result, the 2005 evacuation of New Orleans, Louisiana, prior to Hurricane Katrina ran much more smoothly. According to urban legend , early regulations required that one out of every five miles of the Interstate Highway System must be built straight and flat, so as to be usable by aircraft during times of war. There is no evidence of this rule being included in any Interstate legislation. It
11780-441: The eastbound and westbound ascent before reaching Nashville at SR 155 (Briley Parkway). Entering Nashville, I-24 has a cloverleaf interchange with SR 155 (Briley Parkway), a northern controlled-access beltway around Nashville. Less than one mile (1.6 km) later, the Interstate joins a concurrency with I-65 , where the combined routes carry eight throughlanes and travel due south. About one mile (1.6 km) later
11935-496: The eastern end of the concurrency near Breezewood . Traveling in either direction, I-70 traffic must exit the freeway and use a short stretch of US 30 (which includes a number of roadside services) to rejoin I-70. The interchange was not originally built because of a legacy federal funding rule, since relaxed, which restricted the use of federal funds to improve roads financed with tolls. Solutions have been proposed to eliminate
12090-482: The eastern terminus with I-440 and the nearby split with I-40, which reconfigured the routes to provide direct access to I-440 westbound from I-40 westbound, splitting I-24's eastbound lanes into two barrier-separated carriageways. The approximately 9.3-mile (15.0 km) segment between Haywood Lane in Nashville and SR 266 in Smyrna was widened from four to eight lanes between June 1997 and December 1998, installing
12245-450: The economy. Not just as a public works measure, but for future growth. Clay's committee proposed a 10-year, $ 100 billion program ($ 1.13 trillion in 2023), which would build 40,000 miles (64,000 km) of divided highways linking all American cities with a population of greater than 50,000. Eisenhower initially preferred a system consisting of toll roads , but Clay convinced Eisenhower that toll roads were not feasible outside of
12400-555: The entire stretch across the Cumberland Plateau, the speed limit reduces to a maximum of 55 mph (89 km/h) and 45 mph (72 km/h) for trucks on both downgrades. At top of the Plateau, the Interstate surpasses 2,000 feet (610 m) in elevation, has interchanges with US 41A and US 41, respectively, and crosses into East Tennessee at the Grundy–Marion county line. The eastern Monteagle grade also has one of
12555-493: The erection of additional roadside dynamic-message signs (DMSs), and upgrades to traffic signals along the corridor. The second phase, which began in March 2022, includes the erection of 67 overhead gantries with signs between mileposts 53 and 70 that will display recommended variable speed limits and variable lane control signs for each lane. The final phase will include the installation of ramp meters on certain onramps and
12710-439: The existing, largely non-freeway, United States Numbered Highways system. By the late 1930s, planning had expanded to a system of new superhighways. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Thomas MacDonald , chief at the Bureau of Public Roads, a hand-drawn map of the United States marked with eight superhighway corridors for study. In 1939, Bureau of Public Roads Division of Information chief Herbert S. Fairbank wrote
12865-426: The federal government, Interstate Highways are owned by the state in which they were built. With few exceptions , all Interstates must meet specific standards , such as having controlled access, physical barriers or median strips between lanes of oncoming traffic, breakdown lanes , avoiding at-grade intersections , no traffic lights , and complying with federal traffic sign specifications. Interstate Highways use
13020-402: The first HOV lanes on I-24. The 8.2-mile (13.2 km) portion between SR 266 and I-840 was widened from four to eight lanes between August 1998 and November 2000. The four-mile (6.4 km) segment between I-440 and Haywood Lane was widened from three to four lanes in each direction between March 2000 and May 2002 in a project that also improved the interchanges on this segment. Widening of
13175-515: The first three contracts under the new program were signed in Missouri on August 2, 1956. The first contract signed was for upgrading a section of US Route 66 to what is now designated Interstate 44 . On August 13, 1956, work began on US 40 (now I-70) in St. Charles County. Kansas claims that it was the first to start paving after the act was signed. Preliminary construction had taken place before
13330-614: The first time sought to target these funds to the construction of a national road grid of interconnected "primary highways", setting up cooperation among the various state highway planning boards. The Bureau of Public Roads asked the Army to provide a list of roads that it considered necessary for national defense. In 1922, General John J. Pershing , former head of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during
13485-561: The former. The two Interstates then shift northeast and have an interchange with US 62 about one mile (1.6 km) later. A short distance later, the Interstates cross the Tennessee River onto the Pennyroyal Plateau and Livingston County just north of Kentucky Dam and its Kentucky Lake impoundment. The highways then have an interchange with Kentucky Route 453 (KY 453) north of Lake City and Land Between
13640-556: The highest speed limits in a given area. Speed limits are determined by individual states. From 1975 to 1986, the maximum speed limit on any highway in the United States was 55 miles per hour (90 km/h), in accordance with federal law. Typically, lower limits are established in Northeastern and coastal states, while higher speed limits are established in inland states west of the Mississippi River . For example,
13795-553: The highly populated coastal regions. In February 1955, Eisenhower forwarded Clay's proposal to Congress. The bill quickly won approval in the Senate, but House Democrats objected to the use of public bonds as the means to finance construction. Eisenhower and the House Democrats agreed to instead finance the system through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself would be funded by a gasoline tax. In June 1956, Eisenhower signed
13950-617: The highway now designated I‑70 and I‑76 opened between Irwin and Carlisle . The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania refers to the turnpike as the Granddaddy of the Pikes, a reference to turnpikes . Milestones in the construction of the Interstate Highway System include: The initial cost estimate for the system was $ 25 billion over 12 years; it ended up costing $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 425 billion in 2006 or $ 618 billion in 2023 ) and took 35 years. The system
14105-459: The inefficiency of evacuating from southern Louisiana prior to Hurricane Georges ' landfall in September 1998, government officials looked towards contraflow to improve evacuation times. In Savannah, Georgia , and Charleston, South Carolina , in 1999, lanes of I-16 and I-26 were used in a contraflow configuration in anticipation of Hurricane Floyd with mixed results. In 2004, contraflow
14260-504: The installation of additional closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and DMS boards and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) improvements along connecting arterials. On July 27, 1973, a station wagon traveling on the northbound span of the Silliman Evans Bridge in Nashville crashed through the bridge's guardrails, exited the roadway, and landed on the ground about 100 feet (30 m) below, killing eight of
14415-527: The interchange, widening two ramps from I-75 to I-24 to three lanes, replacing two overpass bridges, and construction of a collector–distributor facility that carries traffic directly from US 41 and the Tennessee Welcome Center along I-75 northbound, providing direct access to both I-75 northbound and I-24 westbound. Additional space was also provided to widen the remaining ramps between I-75 and I-24 to three lanes, which will be done in
14570-543: The largest suburban corridor in the Nashville metropolitan area , which runs for more than 30 miles (48 km) southeast of the city and is considered the most congested stretch of highway in the state. The stretch through Chattanooga also experiences severe congestion, due to an unusually high volume of truck traffic. The stretch of I-24 across the Cumberland Plateau , commonly known as " Monteagle Mountain ",
14725-431: The last two digits match the parent route (thus, I-294 is a loop that connects at both ends to I-94 , while I-787 is a short spur route attached to I-87 ). In the numbering scheme for the primary routes, east–west highways are assigned even numbers and north–south highways are assigned odd numbers. Odd route numbers increase from west to east, and even-numbered routes increase from south to north (to avoid confusion with
14880-608: The latter replacement utilized accelerated bridge construction by shifting I-24 traffic onto the Germantown Road entrance and exit ramp and adjacent frontage roads. The 28-mile (45 km) stretch of I-24 between I-440 (exit 53) in Nashville and US 231 (exit 81) in Murfreesboro is currently in the process of being developed into the "I-24 SMART Corridor" in an effort to address congestion and mobility issues. In recent years, this stretch of I-24 has become
15035-655: The left. A project began in April 1985 that extensively straightened and rebuilt the eastbound lanes of I-24 on the eastern downgrade of Monteagle Mountain and reduced the grade. The project also added left shoulders and an additional runaway truck ramp, the latter of which was not originally planned. This work was completed in 1989, and the lanes were reopened on July 11 of that year in a ceremony officiated by Governor Ned McWherter . The project experienced many setbacks including geological problems, which caused extensive delays. Originally targeted for completion in December 1987 at
15190-454: The mainline. Some auxiliary highways do not follow these guidelines, however. The Interstate Highway System also extends to Alaska , Hawaii , and Puerto Rico , even though they have no direct land connections to any other states or territories. However, their residents still pay federal fuel and tire taxes. The Interstates in Hawaii, all located on the most populous island of Oahu , carry
15345-753: The maximum speed limit is 75 mph (120 km/h) in northern Maine, varies between 50 and 70 mph (80 and 115 km/h) from southern Maine to New Jersey, and is 50 mph (80 km/h) in New York City and the District of Columbia. Currently, rural speed limits elsewhere generally range from 65 to 80 miles per hour (105 to 130 km/h). Several portions of various highways such as I-10 and I-20 in rural western Texas, I-80 in Nevada between Fernley and Winnemucca (except around Lovelock) and portions of I-15 , I-70 , I-80 , and I-84 in Utah have
15500-403: The most congested highway corridor in the state, due to the rapid growth of the region. The project pairs this stretch with the adjacent paralleling stretch of US 41/US 70S (Murfreesboro Road) and all connecting roads in between. The first phase, which ran from October 2018 to December 2021, included the construction of emergency pull-offs, improvements to multiple entrance and exit ramps,
15655-498: The next 10 miles (16 km) through a wide swath of mostly farmland, before entering Grundy County and reaching an interchange with US 64 and SR 50 near the town of Pelham , where it begins a concurrency with the former route that is largely unsigned. A short distance later, I-24 crosses the Elk River , before reaching the base of the Cumberland Plateau . One of the most hazardous stretches of Interstate Highway in
15810-602: The next several miles. It then reaches its eastern terminus with I-75 at a semi-directional T interchange , known locally as the " 75/24 Split " or simply "The Split". A controlled-access highway between Nashville and Chattanooga was first included in the National Interregional Highway Committee's 1944 report, titled Interregional Highways , and a subsequent 1947 plan produced by the Public Roads Administration of
15965-513: The nine occupants and injuring the other. The accident was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which named a number of unsafe design features of the bridge as contributors to the crash. The report also concluded that the state had been aware of the safety hazards of the bridge's rails prior to the accident, which had played a role in previous fatal accidents on the bridge. This accident
16120-472: The northeast. Bypassing Clarksville to the east, the Interstate next reaches SR 237 . The highway then begins a steep descent, with the westbound lanes utilizing a truck climbing lane to ascend the grade from the east. It then crosses the Red River before reaching SR 76 . Leaving Clarksville, the highway enters a long straight section with several steep grades and crosses into Robertson County
16275-486: The northwest and crossing the Kentucky Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River a few miles before entering Kentucky. This latter alignment was favored by many officials in Tennessee and Western Kentucky, but the federal government preferred the former, due to its proximity to Fort Campbell . On September 17, 1963, the governors of the four states in a meeting with President John F. Kennedy reached an agreement on
16430-547: The now-defunct Federal Works Agency . The route was subsequently part of the original 1,047.6 miles (1,685.9 km) of Interstate Highways authorized for Tennessee by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 , commonly known as the Interstate Highway Act. The numbering was approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on August 14, 1957. While most of
16585-404: The number of fatalities on the Interstate Highway System amounted to more than 5,000 people annually, with nearly 5,600 fatalities in 2022. The United States government's efforts to construct a national network of highways began on an ad hoc basis with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , which provided $ 75 million over a five-year period for matching funds to the states for
16740-420: The official Interstate Highway standards . On one- or two-digit Interstates, the mile marker numbering almost always begins at the southern or western state line. If an Interstate originates within a state, the numbering begins from the location where the road begins in the south or west. As with all guidelines for Interstate routes, however, numerous exceptions exist. Fort Massac State Park Its site
16895-561: The original Interstate Highway System was proclaimed complete in 1992, despite deviations from the original 1956 plan and several stretches that did not fully conform with federal standards . The construction of the Interstate Highway System cost approximately $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 618 billion in 2023). The system has continued to expand and grow as additional federal funding has provided for new routes to be added, and many future Interstate Highways are currently either being planned or under construction. Though heavily funded by
17050-569: The passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 . In 1926, the United States Numbered Highway System was established, creating the first national road numbering system for cross-country travel. The roads were state-funded and maintained, and there were few national standards for road design. United States Numbered Highways ranged from two-lane country roads to multi-lane freeways. After Dwight D. Eisenhower became president in 1953, his administration developed
17205-656: The planning phase between them. In 1966, the FHWA designated the entire Interstate Highway System as part of the larger Pan-American Highway System, and at least two proposed Interstate expansions were initiated to help trade with Canada and Mexico spurred by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Long-term plans for I-69 , which currently exists in several separate completed segments (the largest of which are in Indiana and Texas ),
17360-411: The prefix H . There are three one-digit routes in the state ( H-1 , H-2 , and H-3 ) and one auxiliary route ( H-201 ). These Interstates connect several military and naval bases together, as well as the important communities spread across Oahu, and especially within the urban core of Honolulu . Both Alaska and Puerto Rico also have public highways that receive 90 percent of their funding from
17515-445: The railyard and Fourth Avenue on January 3, 1963. In Nashville, a short segment of the concurrent segment with I-40, located between Fesslers Lane and the eastern interchange with that route, was declared complete on January 11, 1965. The section between the western interchange with I-40 (then also I-65) and Fesslers Lane was partially opened in late December 1963 and fully opened on April 19, 1965. The Silliman Evans Bridge, along with
17670-598: The railyard overpass, which was let to contract on September 18, 1957, and dedicated and opened on December 23, 1958. This was the first section of freeway in Chattanooga and the first section of Interstate in East Tennessee constructed under the Interstate Highway System. The interchange with I-75, along with the segment of I-75 extending to the Georgia state line, were let to contract on July 26, 1959, and dedicated on May 31, 1961. The first major section to be completed
17825-662: The remainder of I-24 between Clarksville and Nashville was underway, the route was projected to be completed in late 1974 or early 1975, but would experience further delays as a result of geological problems. Construction on this approximately 44-mile (71 km) segment, the last segment of mainline Interstate Highway completed in Tennessee, proved to be difficult due to the rugged and hilly terrain. The approximately 32-mile (51 km) segment between US 68 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and US 79 in Clarksville, Tennessee,
17980-430: The road passes through Paducah and Eddyville . Its length in Tennessee is longer than the other three states combined. There are two segments that are separated by the segment in Georgia. Through Georgia, it carries the unsigned State Route 409 (SR 409) designation for internal Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) purposes. I-24 begins at exit 44 on I-57 in southern Williamson County , near
18135-491: The roadway connected to overhead warning signs with flashing lights and horns. The system was the first of its kind in the country but experienced technical problems and was criticized as ineffective, leading to its decommission in July 1980. This segment was widened from six to eight lanes between July 1979 and January 1980 by removing the right shoulders, narrowing the lanes by one foot (0.30 m), and shifting traffic slightly to
18290-563: The route was repurposed as I-24 Bus. in 2002. The highway follows US 60, US 60 Bus. , and KY 1954. Major Intersections The entire route is in McCracken County . Interstate Highway [REDACTED] The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways , commonly known as the Interstate Highway System , or the Eisenhower Interstate System ,
18445-537: The route, without regard to the route number. For instance, I-190 in Massachusetts is labeled north–south, while I-195 in New Jersey is labeled east–west. Some looped Interstate routes use inner–outer directions instead of compass directions, when the use of compass directions would create ambiguity. Due to the large number of these routes, auxiliary route numbers may be repeated in different states along
18600-558: The routing of I-24 proved was chosen without difficulty, the mountainous topography of the Chattanooga area posed a challenged to planners. The route was initially slated to pass near 38th Street through the Alton Park and East Lake neighborhoods, but was moved approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north in August 1955. The route was also planned to pass through a tunnel under Missionary Ridge until October 1960, when planners announced that
18755-419: The same numbers, which is generally disallowed under highway administration guidelines. Several two-digit numbers are shared between unconnected road segments at opposite ends of the country for various reasons. Some such highways are incomplete Interstates (such as I-69 and I-74 ) and some just happen to share route designations (such as I-76 , I-84 , I‑86 , I-87 , and I-88 ). Some of these were due to
18910-503: The same roadway are signed as traveling in opposite directions; one such wrong-way concurrency is found between Wytheville and Fort Chiswell , Virginia, where I‑81 north and I‑77 south are equivalent (with that section of road traveling almost due east), as are I‑81 south and I‑77 north. Auxiliary Interstate Highways are circumferential, radial, or spur highways that principally serve urban areas . These types of Interstate Highways are given three-digit route numbers, which consist of
19065-564: The second phase. The project was completed on August 19, 2021, at a cost of $ 133.5 million, making it the second-most expensive individual contract in state history at the time. The second phase will widen the adjacent segment of I-24 west of the interchange and lengthen auxiliary lanes on I-75 about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the interchange. In preparation for the second phase, the Belvoir Avenue overpass and Germantown Road underpass were replaced between May 2020 and August 2021;
19220-401: The segment between I-840 and SR 96 began in early 2004 and was completed in the summer of 2005. This project added a new interchange at Medical Center Parkway. A project that widened I-24 from four to eight lanes between SR 96 and US 231, and also added a new interchange with SR 99, began in April 2006 and was completed on January 28, 2008. In Chattanooga, the stretch between
19375-515: The segment located between SR 64 near Beechgrove and US 41 northwest of Manchester, was let to contract on January 31, 1969, and opened and dedicated on December 16, 1971. Construction began on I-24 between the Kentucky line and SR 48 in Clarksville on April 12, 1971. In February 1972, the FHWA announced that it was redistributing funds that had been budgeted for Interstate construction in Tennessee to other states which were further behind on their Interstates. I-24 between Nashville and Kentucky
19530-611: The short section between US 431 and the northern interchange with I-65, along with a short stretch of I-65 north of this section, opened to traffic on December 23, 1968. The section between US 41 in northwestern Coffee County and US 41 in Manchester opened on December 3, 1969. On December 9, 1970, I-24 opened between US 231 in Murfreesboro and SR 64 near Beechgrove. The route was opened between SR 171 in Nashville and US 231 in Murfreesboro on December 31, 1970. The last segment of I-24 between Nashville and Chattanooga,
19685-594: The site of the fort at Massac Creek. The fort was rebuilt in 1794, during the Northwest Indian War . In the fall of 1803, the Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped at Fort Massac on its way west, recruiting two volunteers. In 1805, General James Wilkinson and Vice President Aaron Burr held discussions at the fort. It is unclear, what connection this meeting may have had to the unfolding Burr Conspiracy (1806–1807), but as an important river fort in what
19840-411: The south at a near-cloverleaf interchange as Rossville Boulevard, where the Interstate reduces to six lanes. It then travels through the south side of Chattanooga before reaching a partial interchange with US 41/ US 76 . Here, I-24 reaches the "Ridge Cut", a one-quarter-mile (400 m) stretch where the Interstate ascends Missionary Ridge on a steep grade, first curving sharply to the north at
19995-458: The southeastern suburbs of Nashville, I-24 crosses into Rutherford County about two miles (3.2 km) beyond. Immediately within the city of La Vergne , the Interstate has an exit with a connector road to that city. It then enters Smyrna where it first has an interchange with SR 266 (Sam Ridley Pkwy.). The Interstate then enters a long straightaway and reaches an interchange with SR 102 (Almaville Road), which also serves Smyrna and
20150-400: The standard Interstate Highway System grid, lying further north than its number would indicate west of Nashville. The short segment within Georgia bears the unsigned designation State Route 409 ( SR 409 ). I-24 between Nashville and Chattanooga is part of a longer north–south freight corridor which runs between Chicago and Atlanta . The Interstate has facilitated the rapid growth of
20305-479: The state of Georgia , I-24 travels for four miles (6.4 km) in Dade County along the southern flank of Raccoon Mountain . Along this stretch, exits remain numbered according to Tennessee's mileage; however, the roadway mileposts are numbered according to Georgia's mileage. This segment also carries the unsigned SR 409 designation for internal GDOT purposes. About 1.5 miles (2.4 km) after entering
20460-631: The state, the Interstate has an interchange with the northern terminus of I-59 , which provides access to Birmingham, Alabama , to the southwest. The route then shifts north and has an interchange with SR 299 in Wildwood about one mile (1.6 km) later before turning back north and reentering Tennessee about 0.75 miles (1.21 km) later. Upon reentering Tennessee and Hamilton County, I-24 travels through Tiftonia for several miles and has an interchange with US 11 /US 41/US 72 (Lee Highway) about three miles (4.8 km) later near
20615-401: The states had difficulty reaching an agreement on the proposed routing. Eventually, the debate evolved into two proposed alignments for the extension in Tennessee. The first alignment extended I-24 west of Nashville into Kentucky near Clarksville, and the second would have had I-24 run concurrent with I-40 west of Nashville for about 40 miles (64 km) to near Dickson , before splitting off to
20770-410: The stretch extending from US 41 (First Street) and I-40 was dedicated on January 14, 1964. On July 27, 1965, the short section between US 431 (Trinity Lane) and US 41 (First Street) was opened. This section included provisions for the southern interchange with I-65 (then I-265), which had not been built yet. The Ridge Cut section in Chattanooga, which spanned between Fourth Avenue and Germantown Road,
20925-514: The stretch through Clarksville, the stretch between SR 45 and I-65 northwest of Nashville, and the eastern leg of the downtown loop in Nashville between I-65 and I-40. Interstate 124 ( I-124 ) is an unsigned designation for a short segment of a four-lane controlled-access highway located in Chattanooga, Tennessee . During periods where this two-mile-long (3.2 km) segment of US 27 has been signed as I-124, it has served as
21080-629: The three widest medians of any Interstate Highway; the others are I-8 through the In-Ko-Pah grade in California and I-84 through the Cabbage Hill grade east of Pendleton, Oregon . There is more than one mile (1.6 km) between the eastbound and westbound lanes at one point. The eastbound lanes descend the hill on one side of Monteagle Mountain as part of the original three-lane (two ascending and one descending) US 64 alignment, while
21235-495: The war, complied by submitting a detailed network of 20,000 miles (32,000 km) of interconnected primary highways—the so-called Pershing Map . A boom in road construction followed throughout the decade of the 1920s, with such projects as the New York parkway system constructed as part of a new national highway system. As automobile traffic increased, planners saw a need for such an interconnected national system to supplement
21390-504: The westbound lanes ascend the other side of the hill on new roadbed built for that purpose. After descending Monteagle, I-24 travels for several miles through a vast flat gorge within the plateau characterized by long straightaways and few curves before reaching an interchange with US 72 near Kimball and South Pittsburg , where US 64 splits off. This exit is the primary means of access to Huntsville, Alabama , for motorists in East Tennessee. About three miles (4.8 km) later,
21545-507: The westernmost 3.4 miles (5.5 km) of the latter route, was opened. I-24 was completed when the 23-mile (37 km) section opened to traffic from what is now I-69 to US 68 east of Cadiz on May 23, 1980. In November 1977, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) installed a system to detect tailgating vehicles in the westbound lanes of the concurrent segment with I-40, which consisted of sensors embedded in
21700-642: Was a simple directional T design, had repeatedly been ranked as one of the top 10 worst freight bottlenecks in the US by the American Transportation Research Institute and contained several sharp curves and other safety hazards. In December 2018, a contract was awarded to rebuild the interchange, with preliminary work beginning in May 2019. The project consisted of eliminating left-hand entrance and exit ramps from I-75 onto I-24, straightening curves, widening I-75 to six lanes through
21855-539: Was announced that a sinkhole was found in the eastbound lanes of I-24 in Grundy County near the exit to US 64/SR 50 (exit 127). TDOT officials stated that the hole was growing and diverted traffic onto the westbound lanes. Following emergency repairs, the highway was reopened several days later. TDOT and GDOT are jointly making preparations to widen the 10-mile (16 km) stretch of I-24 from I-59 to US 27 in Chattanooga to six lanes. This project
22010-676: Was changed in 1759, to honor of Claud Louis d'Espinchal, Marquis de Massiac , the French Naval Minister . Massiac is a French town in the Cantal department. The French left the fort at the conclusion of the war, and it was destroyed by the Chickasaw sometime after 1763. In 1778, during the American Revolutionary War , Colonel George Rogers Clark led his regiment of " Long Knives " into Illinois near
22165-468: Was cited as the primary event that led to the widening project on the bridge months later. In 1979, structural problems were discovered on the Ohio River Bridge, including 119 cracks as a result of defective welding in the tie girders. The bridge was closed on August 3, 1979, and remained closed to all traffic through October 1980 and all truck traffic until mid-1981. On May 18, 2010, it
22320-498: Was completed on December 16, 1966, at a cost of approximately $ 15 million (equivalent to $ 108 million in 2023), making it one of the most expensive highway projects, per mile, at the time. I-24 was complete in Marion County to Monteagle Mountain in late 1966 and between US 41 in Manchester and US 64 near Pelham on July 27, 1967. The short segment between SR 27 and SR 156 in Marion County, including
22475-576: Was dedicated on December 1, 1965. To construct the segment at the foot of Lookout Mountain west of downtown Chattanooga, engineers shifted the river channel to the north in order to avoid impeding the flow. This was accomplished by dredging out the north bank and filling in along the south bank with approximately 250,000 short tons (230,000 t; 220,000 long tons) of rock from a nearby quarry. This stretch of I-24, which spanned from US 41 in Lookout Valley to 23rd Street near downtown Chattanooga,
22630-551: Was employed ahead of Hurricane Charley in the Tampa, Florida area and on the Gulf Coast before the landfall of Hurricane Ivan ; however, evacuation times there were no better than previous evacuation operations. Engineers began to apply lessons learned from the analysis of prior contraflow operations, including limiting exits, removing troopers (to keep traffic flowing instead of having drivers stop for directions), and improving
22785-497: Was held on December 6, 1967, in Lyon County. The section of I-24 in Illinois was authorized for engineering by 1966 and authorized for construction by 1968. The first section of I-24 in Illinois, located between US 45 in Vienna and US 45 in Metropolis, was dedicated and opened by Governor Dan Walker on January 15, 1974. On October 18, 1974, the stretch between US 45 in Metropolis and US 60 in Paducah, including
22940-481: Was jointly opened to traffic by both states on September 12, 1975. The 15-mile (24 km) section between US 79 and SR 49 in Robertson County was completed in September 1976. The last segment of I-24 in Tennessee, between SR 49 and I-65 in Nashville, was opened to traffic on January 5, 1978, more than two years behind schedule. The Silliman Evans Bridge was widened from six to eight lanes in
23095-572: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his soldiers may have built a fort nearby as early as 1540. Maps from the early 18th century show an "Ancien Fort" ("Old Fort") near this location. Fort Massac was built by the French in 1757, during the French and Indian War and was originally called "Fort de L’Ascension." The name
23250-403: Was one of the sections affected by this cutback, which threatened to delay completion. In response, the state legislature authorized the issuance of $ 100 million (equivalent to $ 553 million in 2023) in bonds to finance the completion of I-24. This allowed for TDOT to let contracts for the remaining sections between Nashville and Clarksville from September to November 1972. Once construction on
23405-493: Was opened. Construction on the bridge began in 1972, but issues caused by unusual rock formations at the site, believed to have been formed by the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes or earlier quakes, delayed completion and resulted in the cost nearly tripling. On March 20, 1980, the 2.7-mile (4.3 km) stretch in Eddyville between US 62/US 641 and the Western Kentucky Parkway (now I-69), along with
23560-422: Was proclaimed complete in 1992, but two of the original Interstates— I-95 and I-70 —were not continuous: both of these discontinuities were due to local opposition, which blocked efforts to build the necessary connections to fully complete the system. I-95 was made a continuous freeway in 2018, and thus I-70 remains the only original Interstate with a discontinuity. I-95 was discontinuous in New Jersey because of
23715-494: Was serving as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II . In 1954, Eisenhower appointed General Lucius D. Clay to head a committee charged with proposing an interstate highway system plan. Summing up motivations for the construction of such a system, Clay stated, It was evident we needed better highways. We needed them for safety, to accommodate more automobiles. We needed them for defense purposes, if that should ever be necessary. And we needed them for
23870-485: Was the western ascent of Monteagle Mountain, which stretched from US 64 near Pelham to US 41 in Monteagle and eliminated a stretch of US 41 with several hazardous hairpin curves. Work began in September 1958, and the stretch opened to traffic on February 6, 1962. The short segment in Chattanooga between Belvoir Avenue and I-75 opened in late October 1962. This was followed by the short stretch between east of
24025-406: Was then the western United States, the fort was connected to several events related to the conspiracy. The Fort was repaired after being damaged in the 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes , but it was decommissioned in 1814. The Fort Massac site became the first Illinois state park in 1908. In the 1970s, a partial reconstruction of the 1794 U.S. Army fort was built, but in 2002, it was torn down, and
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