Interstate 24

Template:Infobox Interstate Interstate 24 (abbreviated I-24) is an interstate highway in the eastern United States. It runs (diagonally) from Interstate 57 (10 miles south of Marion, Illinois) to Chattanooga, Tennessee at Interstate 75.

Route description

Interstate 24 travels through the following states:

Illinois

In the state of Illinois, Interstate 24 is a remote, four-lane freeway that travels through hilly rural southern Illinois and the Shawnee National Forest. Although 37 miles in length, there are only five mainline exits; of those five, four have services. Interstate 24 crosses into Kentucky via the aptly-named Interstate 24 Bridge from Metropolis, Illinois to Paducah, Kentucky.

Kentucky

In the state of Kentucky, Interstate 24 runs from Paducah, Kentucky to the Tennessee border just northwest of Clarksville.

Tennessee

In the state of Tennessee, Interstate 24 runs from Clarksville to Chattanooga by way of Nashville, Tennessee. Just west of Chattanooga I-24 drops into Georgia for 4 miles (6 km).

One of the most notoriously hazardous stretches of Interstate highway in the United States is approximately 40 miles (64 km) west of Chattanooga on I-24 in Monteagle, Tennessee, where the highway goes over the Cumberland Plateau. Compared to grades elsewhere, Monteagle's 4 to 6% grade does not come close to the steepest highway roads (Interstate 40 between Nashville and Knoxville features 5% grades in each direction), but the slope is protracted over a distance of several miles. While all motorists need to exercise caution, truckers are particularly vexed by Monteagle, and many have died going through this area.^{[citation needed]} The east bound lanes feature several runaway truck ramps where a truck with no brakes can exit into a long pit full of loose gravel to safely stop. This dangerous stretch of highway inspired Johnny Cash to write a song about Monteagle Mountain.

Another interesting tidbit about the Monteagle grade is that it sports the widest median of any Interstate highway. There's more than a mile between the eastbound and westbound lanes at one point. The eastbound lanes descend the mountain on one side of a ridge, while the westbound lanes ascend on the other side of the ridge.

Georgia

In the state of Georgia, Interstate 24 runs for 4 miles (6 km), running along the southern flank of Raccoon Mountain before turning back north to the Tennessee River and around the northern flank of Lookout Mountain. The exits remain numbered according to Tennessee's mileposts.

Length


Miles	km	state
38.73	62.33	Illinois
93.37	150.26	Kentucky
180.16	289.94	Tennessee
4.10	6.60	Georgia

316.36	509.13	Total^[1]

Major cities

Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.

St. Louis, Missouri (via Interstate 57 and Interstate 64)
Paducah, Kentucky
Clarksville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Intersections with other interstates

Interstate 24 intersects with the following interstates, from west to east:

Interstate 57 in Pulleys Mill, Illinois (western terminus)
Interstate 65 in Nashville, Tennessee (multiplexed for about 2 miles (3 km))
Interstate 40 in Nashville, Tennessee (multiplexed for about 2 miles (3 km))
Interstate 440 in Nashville, Tennessee
Interstate 59 in Lookout Mountain, Georgia
Interstate 75 in Chattanooga, Tennessee (eastern terminus)

Future Interstate 69 in Eddyville, Kentucky
Future Interstate 66 in Paducah, Kentucky

Spur routes

Template:I-24 aux

Notes

The Olgiati Bridge on former I-124 (now US 27), spanning the Tennessee River in Chattanooga.

I-24 has a very small (four mile) section southwest of Chattanooga that dips south into Georgia to meet I-59. This section maintains the Tennessee mile marker and exit numbering scheme. The Georgia segment is also officially State Route 409.
A spur into Chattanooga, formerly called I-124 (now part of US Highway 27), is designated a secret route. There are no official spurs from I-24.
I-24 makes up a highway between St. Louis, Missouri and Atlanta, Georgia. It links up through links with I-64 and I-57 across Illinois and I-75 in Georgia.
Long-range plans have I-24 being extended from its current terminus at Interstate 57 into the St. Louis metropolitan area.
When completed, the southern extension of I-69 will cross I-24 in Eddyville, Kentucky, and will exit near Calvert City, Kentucky.
When completed, the western extension of I-66 will cross I-24 in Eddyville, Kentucky, and exit near Paducah, Kentucky

External links

Illinois Highway Ends: Interstate 24
Highways: Interstate 24 - contains detailed route description

References

^ United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration (2002-10-31). "Route Log- Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1". Retrieved 2006-07-12.

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Browse numbered routes
← Error: Invalid type: U.S.	IL	→ Error: Invalid type: ILL

[1] United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration (2002-10-31). "Route Log- Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1". Retrieved 2006-07-12.

[1]

v t e Primary Interstate Highways
Signed	2 4 5 8 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 19 20 22 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 35 37 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 49 55 57 59 64 65 66 KS–KY VA–DC 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 CO–NE OH–NJ 77 78 79 80 81 82 WA–OR PA–NY CT–RI 83 84 OR–UT PA–MA 85 86 ID PA–NY CT–MA 87 NC NY 88 IL NY 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 99 H-1 H-2 H-3
Unsigned	A-1 A-2 A-3 A-4 PRI-1 PRI-2 PRI-3
Lists	Primary Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future
Other	Standards Gaps Tolled
Routes in italics are no longer a part of the system. Major Interstates are highlighted.