A mess at I-75 / I-24 split in Chattanooga

#3
#3
That's crazy. There was a police chase on I-75 yesterday. Was southbound and then northbound.
 
#5
#5
LouderVol said:
crazy

looks like it just fell. wasn;t knocked off
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The local reporting on this has been awful and not many details, but it does appear that there was a wreck on the overpass that caused the left side of it to fall off.

Hoosier_Vol said:
Thank God it missed any cars!
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Also, a car did hit the piece of the overpass that collapsed. That person was hurt, but reportedly not life-threatening:

Bridge railing falls, blocks I-75 north near I-24 split Monday morning
 
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#6
#6
05_never_again said:
The local reporting on this has been awful and not many details, but it does appear that there was a wreck on the overpass that caused the left side of it to fall off.


Also, a car did hit the piece of the overpass that collapsed. That person was hurt, but reportedly not life-threatening:

Bridge railing falls, blocks I-75 north near I-24 split Monday morning
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ah, I was just going off the photos.

its a crazy bend, with a lot of people trying to change lanes in the middle of that turn.
 
#7
#7
Another example of how fragile our infrastructure is in this country. 70 year old dams, 50/60 year old bypasses. Things we travel on daily, I'm surprised we do not see more of this.
 
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#8
#8
LouderVol said:
ah, I was just going off the photos.

its a crazy bend, with a lot of people trying to change lanes in the middle of that turn.
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The flyover that takes you from 75 North to 24 West is bad - it cuts down to a single lane about halfway over the overpass, and you merge onto 24 on the left side of the interstate. They are going to be redoing the split in some $100m+ project starting later this year (for one thing, the flyover will shoot over further and merge on the right side of 24), but while they are working on it I expect it to be nothing less than a total disaster.
 
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#9
#9
05_never_again said:
The flyover that takes you from 75 North to 24 West is bad - it cuts down to a single lane about halfway over the overpass, and you merge onto 24 on the left side of the interstate. They are going to be redoing the split in some $100m+ project starting later this year (for one thing, the flyover will shoot over further and merge on the right side of 24), but while they are working on it I expect it to be nothing less than a total disaster.
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I'm so glad I don't have to travel that part of town.
 
#10
#10
05_never_again said:
The flyover that takes you from 75 North to 24 West is bad - it cuts down to a single lane about halfway over the overpass, and you merge onto 24 on the left side of the interstate. They are going to be redoing the split in some $100m+ project starting later this year (for one thing, the flyover will shoot over further and merge on the right side of 24), but while they are working on it I expect it to be nothing less than a total disaster.
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its already drops you off pretty close to another bridge, I doubt there is room to expand the interstate right there.

TDOT is the worst at their jobs. I lived out on East Brainerd road growing up. they started the work on expanding it from 2 lanes (1 each way) to 5, and it took them 10+ years. It started in high school, and then continued until like a year and a half ago. nothing crazy, no bridges, didn't have to demolish that much. they just have zero work flow.
 
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#11
#11
vollygirl said:
I'm so glad I don't have to travel that part of town.
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The split can get bad, but the really bad part as far as interstate traffic goes is 24 from Lookout Valley all the way to the split. For a city of our size, the traffic through there on a daily basis is incredible. The amount of trucks in particular that go through there is staggering, and there really isn't an alternative because I'm not sure where/how a bypass could be built. The geography is tricky, to say the least.

If you have to go through the split but are remaining on 75, it actually isn't awful. Especially 75 North coming out of Georgia and continuing on towards Knoxville. It sucks if you're getting off 24 to get onto 75, or vice versa.
 
#12
#12
LouderVol said:
its already drops you off pretty close to another bridge, I doubt there is room to expand the interstate right there.

TDOT is the worst at their jobs. I lived out on East Brainerd road growing up. they started the work on expanding it from 2 lanes (1 each way) to 5, and it took them 10+ years. It started in high school, and then continued until like a year and a half ago. nothing crazy, no bridges, didn't have to demolish that much. they just have zero work flow.
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They aren't necessarily expanding it - they are just taking the merge from the left side of the road to the right. They should have room to make the ramp come over and join 24 on the right side, especially if they take where the merger is now and make that the left traffic lane, and make the current far right lane the merge lane.
 
#13
#13
05_never_again said:
The split can get bad, but the really bad part as far as interstate traffic goes is 24 from Lookout Valley all the way to the split. For a city of our size, the traffic through there on a daily basis is incredible. The amount of trucks in particular that go through there is staggering, and there really isn't an alternative because I'm not sure where/how a bypass could be built. The geography is tricky, to say the least.

If you have to go through the split but are remaining on 75, it actually isn't awful. Especially 75 North coming out of Georgia and continuing on towards Knoxville. It sucks if you're getting off 24 to get onto 75, or vice versa.
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the issue with staying on 75 is a wreck at the split stops all traffic. and the traffic going to 24 impacts those staying on 75. so you are sitting there knowing the problem isn't going to actually effect you besides the number of people.
 
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#14
#14
05_never_again said:
They aren't necessarily expanding it - they are just taking the merge from the left side of the road to the right. They should have room to make the ramp come over and join 24 on the right side, especially if they take where the merger is now and make that the left traffic lane, and make the current far right lane the merge lane.
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I don't think they can add the left lane there as a travel lane. because of the split back at 75. two lanes go left, two go right. you would be adding a third going right.

and my comment on the expansion wasn't necessarily width related but rather the distance from the 75 ramp to where the next overpass is. IIRC its pretty close.
 
#15
#15
LouderVol said:
I don't think they can add the left lane there as a travel lane. because of the split back at 75. two lanes go left, two go right. you would be adding a third going right.

and my comment on the expansion wasn't necessarily width related but rather the distance from the 75 ramp to where the next overpass is. IIRC its pretty close.
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I think they can squeeze it in before the Spring Creek Rd bridge. They'll have to shoot it out straighter and perhaps have that be wider turn back to the left. They have had plans for years to do it - I imagine if it just couldn't be built it never would have gotten beyond that stage.

Also, and let me preface this as I have no idea what the finished product will look like, but they wouldn't have to extend the left lane all the way back to the split. On 75 you'd still have 2 lanes going left and 2 lanes going straight (to 24), and a 3rd lane could simply be added once you've come off on 75 and onto 24.

According to this the project includes a new bridge for Spring Creek Rd, so I'm assuming it'll address that.

I-75 Interchange at I-24
 
#18
#18
pismonque said:
Just following links from 05's link, here is an ultimate build plan pdf.
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oh I hate when they do these type of fly overs.

Going north on 75 and want to head to downtown Chattanooga that is too your left? Get in the far right lanes.
Going north on 75 and want to head to Knoxville, that is too your right? Get in the far left lane.

dumb dumb dumb.

it looks like that plan is to keep the merge from 75N to 24W on the left side of the interstate.
 
#19
#19
05_never_again said:
Maybe I'm missing something, but that looks like the split as it exists today. The flyover from 75 North to 24 West still joins 24 on the left, for example.
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no they messed with how 75N continues. it makes no sense now. they have it going over the lanes that go to 24W
 
#20
#20
LouderVol said:
no they messed with how 75N continues. it makes no sense now. they have it going over the lanes that go to 24W
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Ok, I do see that now. In order to go from 75 North to 24 West, you get in the 2 right lanes on 75 North, but the map still shows that ramp joining 24 West on the left side, which is a big part of why traffic is so bad there to begin with.

This design looks like they simply changed which side of 75 North you need to be on. What's the point of that? The single biggest problem of the split at the moment is how 75 N merges onto 24 W...on the left side.

This kind of reminds me of when you're on 75/85 North through downtown Atlanta. If you want to go to Chattanooga, that is north and to your left, but you have to get in the right lanes. If you want to go to Greenville/Charlotte, that is north and to your right, but you have to get in the left lanes. The left lanes then shoot over the right lanes to actually head to the right, and the right lanes turn left underneath the left lanes to go left.
 
#21
#21
05_never_again said:
Ok, I do see that now. In order to go from 75 North to 24 West, you get in the 2 right lanes on 75 North, but the map still shows that ramp joining 24 West on the left side, which is a big part of why traffic is so bad there to begin with.

This design looks like they simply changed which side of 75 North you need to be on. What's the point of that? The single biggest problem of the split at the moment is how 75 N merges onto 24 W...on the left side.

This kind of reminds me of when you're on 75/85 North through downtown Atlanta. If you want to go to Chattanooga, that is north and to your left, but you have to get in the right lanes. If you want to go to Greenville/Charlotte, that is north and to your right, but you have to get in the left lanes. The left lanes then shoot over the right lanes to actually head to the right, and the right lanes turn left underneath the left lanes to go left.
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yup. I have no idea why they do that.

It can't be more efficient or cost less.
It isn't easier to traverse.
 
#24
#24
Is this area still a problem? Driving to ATL tomorrow, not sure if I need to budget more time to the drive.
 
#25
#25
DrRosenRosen said:
Is this area still a problem? Driving to ATL tomorrow, not sure if I need to budget more time to the drive.
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You coming to Atlanta from Nashville or Knoxville?

If coming from Nashville on 24 East, it isn't really a problem. You just keep right onto 75 South no problem, avoiding the bridge that collapsed. If coming from Knoxville on 75 South, the traffic starts building up at Hamilton Place (exit 3) and lasts all the way until the split. The traffic is also bad on 75 North coming up from Georgia, starting around the Battlefield Parkway exit (350) and lasting all the way until the split. It's a mess.
 
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