🚧 Two Chattanooga Weekend Closures, a Sunday Marathon and Paddlers Finishing in Guild: Your Roads & Commute Report

Or: Shallowford Road Ramps Close Tonight, East Brainerd Road Closes Saturday, Downtown Gets Busy With Bluegrass and Runners, and the Valley Stays Dry and Sunny Into Next Thursday

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Friday, October 23, 2026

Friday on the roads is a lot like Friday at the church potluck: everybody’s bringing something, and you just have to know which table to head to first. Close to home, our roads are as quiet as they were yesterday. The busy table this weekend is Chattanooga, with road work and big events stacked up Saturday and Sunday, plus one event that ends right here in Marion County.

Here’s what’s in this report: two I-75 ramps at Shallowford Road near Hamilton Place close in turns starting tonight at 7 p.m. our time. The East Brainerd Road closure is still on for Saturday 4 a.m. to Monday 4 a.m. Downtown has bluegrass and festival closures Saturday and the Seven Bridges Marathon Sunday morning. The Chattajack 31 paddle race finishes near Hales Bar Dam in Guild on Saturday. The weather service keeps us dry through next Thursday, with patchy fog before 8 a.m. Saturday. And we’ve got a quick list of what’s still going on, plus a nine-day countdown to falling back.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Tonight, 7 p.m. our time: The I-75 North exit to Shallowford Road (Exit 5) closes. The Shallowford on-ramp to I-75 South closes next. All open again by 5 a.m. Monday our time.
• Saturday 4 a.m. to Monday 4 a.m.: East Brainerd Road closed from Vance Road to Prosperity Lane. Still on schedule.
• Sunday, about 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. our time: Seven Bridges Marathon closures downtown and on the North Shore.
• Saturday in Guild: Chattajack paddlers finish near Hales Bar Dam. Expect extra cars and shuttles on U.S. 41.
• Saturday before 8 a.m.: Patchy fog. Then sunny all weekend, highs in the low 70s.
• Remember: Chattanooga is on Eastern time. Every time in this report is our Central time unless we say otherwise.

🛣️ New: Shallowford Road Ramps at I-75 Close in Turns This Weekend

If you shop or see the doctor near Hamilton Place, this one’s for you. The City of Chattanooga’s Public Works Department and TDOT say bridge work on the I-75 interchange project means two ramps at Shallowford Road (Exit 5) will close, one after the other:

• First: The I-75 North exit ramp to Shallowford Road closes at 8 p.m. Eastern Friday (7 p.m. our time). It’s expected to reopen Saturday afternoon or evening.
• Next: As soon as that one reopens, the Shallowford Road on-ramp to I-75 South closes, along with both westbound left-turn lanes that feed it. It may reopen late Sunday, but crews have until 6 a.m. Eastern Monday (5 a.m. our time) to have everything open.
• Why: Crews are taking down temporary supports and finishing sections of the new bridge deck over the ramps.
• Detour, I-75 North to Shallowford: Stay on I-75 North to Exit 9 (Volkswagen Drive), loop back onto I-75 South, and take Exit 5.
• Detour, Shallowford to I-75 South: Get on I-75 North, ride up to Exit 9, and use the loop ramp to head south.

What it means for you: It’s a bit like the barn door being blocked while you fix the hinge: you walk around to the side door, and it adds a couple of minutes. Exit 9 is about four miles up the road from Exit 5. With East Brainerd Road closed at the same time, give yourself a few extra minutes anywhere near Hamilton Place this weekend.

👉 Read more (WDEF, TDOT ramp closures and detours) · Times Free Press · Chattanoogan.com

🔁 Reminder: East Brainerd Road Still Closes Saturday Morning

Nothing has changed since yesterday’s report, and with no rain in sight, TDOT’s plan looks set:

• Closed: East Brainerd Road (SR-320) from Vance Road to Prosperity Lane.
• When: 4 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, to 4 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26, our time (5 a.m. to 5 a.m. Eastern).
• Heading west: I-75 North, SR-153 North, then Lee Highway South back to East Brainerd Road.
• Heading east: Lee Highway North, SR-153 South, then I-75 South to Exit 4.

What it means for you: Between this closure and the Shallowford ramps, the Hamilton Place side of town will be a little like a kitchen with two cabinet doors open at once: everything still works, you just have to step around things. Today (Friday) is the easy day for errands out that way. One neighbor told NewsChannel 9 the back way only adds about five minutes, and that’s a good way to think about it.

👉 Read more (WDEF, TDOT’s East Brainerd Road notice) · NewsChannel 9

🏃 Downtown This Weekend: Bluegrass, a Street Festival and a Sunday Marathon

The City of Chattanooga posted its weekend list of event closures. Here are the big ones, with times changed to our Central time:

• Riverfront Parkway (Power Alley to Chestnut Street): closed from 10 a.m. Friday to 9 p.m. Saturday for the Chattajack 31 start at Ross’s Landing. Tractor-trailers detour by W. MLK Boulevard and Chestnut Street.
• IBMA World of Bluegrass, Saturday, 6 a.m.–10:30 p.m.: parts of Cherry Street, MLK Boulevard, Georgia Avenue and E. 10th Street closed, with no street parking inside the closures.
• Fall Frazier Festival, Saturday, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.: Frazier Avenue closed from Market Street to Delmont Street on the North Shore. Through traffic detours by 4th Street.
• Chattanooga Market, Sunday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.: Reggie White Boulevard closed from W. 20th Street to the skate park and dog park entrance.
• Seven Bridges Marathon, Sunday, about 3 a.m.–1 p.m.: full and partial closures on the North Shore, downtown, in Bluff View and Battery Place, and along Riverside Drive. The race starts at 6 a.m. our time on Tremont Street. Officers will let cars cross between runners, and streets reopen as the last runners pass.

What it means for you: If you’re headed to church, the hospital or the airport Sunday morning, think of the marathon like a long parade going by the courthouse: you’ll get across, you just might have to wait your turn. Give yourself an extra 15 to 20 minutes downtown Sunday before about 1 p.m. our time, and follow what the officers at the intersections tell you. Saturday, the bluegrass crowd means parking downtown fills up early.

👉 Read more (Chattanoogan.com, weekend event road closures) · Local 3 News · Seven Bridges Marathon race-day details

🛶 Saturday in Marion County: Paddlers Finish in Guild, Plus a Last Trunk-or-Treat

The Chattajack 31 is a 31-mile paddle race down the Tennessee River Gorge. This is its 15th year. It starts at Ross’s Landing in Chattanooga and finishes just below historic Hales Bar Dam in Marion County. Here’s what matters on the road:

• Race start, Saturday: heats leave Chattanooga at 7:30, 7:40 and 8 a.m. our time (8:30–9 a.m. Eastern).
• New take-out this year: most paddlers come off the water at the River Gorge Ranch take-out, 10639 U.S. 41 in Guild, about a mile past the finish line.
• Parking and shuttles: racers and spectators park at the Riverdance Restaurant lot on The Gorge Drive in Guild, and race shuttles run between there and the take-out. Racer buses leave Riverdance at 5:30 a.m. our time Saturday, so expect early cars there.
• Also Saturday: Shellmound Campground, beside Nickajack Dam near Jasper, holds its final trunk-or-treat at 4 p.m. our time. And Pikeville’s Boo Bash is on Main Street from 6 to 8 p.m.

What it means for you: If you drive U.S. 41 between Jasper and Haletown on Saturday, expect extra cars, shuttle buses and trucks pulling boat trailers, all coming and going. Think of it like the day of a big family reunion down the road: lots of folks turning in and out, and most of them not from around here. Slow down near the turnoffs, and give them a friendly wave. Some of them came a long way to see our river.

👉 Read more (Chattajack, new 2026 finish and parking) · Chattajack schedule · Dunlap.Today, Shellmound trunk-or-treat · Bledsonian-Banner, Boo Bash

🌫️ Update: Dry Weather Now Runs Into Next Thursday

The National Weather Service in Morristown pushed the dry spell out another day. Friday morning’s forecast discussion says high pressure brings “dry weather through the weekend and well into next week,” with rain likely staying “well to our north” and dry weather through next Thursday. Expect cool nights, pleasant afternoons and early fog mainly near rivers and lakes. Forecasters also say the afternoon air stays dry, but light winds help keep fire-weather concerns down.

For Dunlap: sunny today, high near 75. Tonight, clear with patchy fog after 4 a.m. and a low around 44. Saturday: patchy fog before 8 a.m., then sunny, high near 73. Sunday and Monday are sunny, with highs of 72 and 73 and lows in the low to mid 40s. Calm winds all weekend.

What it means for you: Saturday’s fog is the same old story: it sits in the low spots like cream settled at the top of the jar, and the sun stirs it away by mid-morning. Low beams, not high beams, and leave extra room. Today, the sun comes up at about 6:55 a.m. and sets at about 5:56 p.m. Bonus for night drivers: the moon is nearly full this weekend, and it’s full late Sunday night, so the back roads will look a little brighter.

👉 Read more (National Weather Service, Morristown forecast discussion) · Dunlap forecast · U.S. Naval Observatory, sun and moon

🏈 Friday Night Road Trips and Coming Down the Road

• Football tonight: SValleyNow says Sequatchie County plays at Walker Valley in Cleveland, Marion County is at Cascade, South Pittsburg makes the long trip to Copper Basin, Bledsoe County travels to Huntland and Whitwell is home against Jo Byrn. Grundy County is off this week. Cleveland and Copper Basin are on Eastern time, so check your ticket for the kickoff time.
• Planning ahead in Apison: Hamilton County plans a single-lane roundabout at East Brainerd Road and London Lane, near East Hamilton Middle and High, at an estimated cost of about $3.46 million, paid with federal disaster recovery money. It’s still in the paperwork stage, and the county is taking written comments through Nov. 5. No construction dates have been set.

What it means for you: Football traffic is like the Sunday dinner rush at the meat-and-three: it comes in a wave right before and right after. If you’re headed home late from Cleveland or Copper Basin, take it slow on the mountain roads, and remember you’ll gain back an hour when you cross into Central time. The Apison roundabout is just something to tuck away for later. You don’t need to do anything now.

👉 Read more (SValleyNow, Friday football) · Chattanoogan.com, Apison roundabout

📌 Still Going On: A Quick List

We checked TDOT’s newsroom around noon Friday. The new weekly report for our region (Lower East and Upper Cumberland) still hadn’t posted. TDOT’s East Tennessee (Knoxville) report for Oct. 22–28 did post. Until ours is out, these are the jobs we know about:

• Sequatchie County: flaggers for resurfacing on U.S. 127 (Marion County line to Wilson Road), SR-111, SR-399 and SR-8.
• Grundy County: resurfacing with flaggers on SR-50 (Hideaway Cabin Road to SR-56) and SR-399. Daytime flaggers on U.S. 41 between Bells Cove and West Main Street, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., through Nov. 17.
• Marion County: I-24 resurfacing Sunday through Thursday nights (mile markers 152.2 to 156), 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. SR-108 stays at one lane with a temporary signal. Popular Springs Road’s paving closure ended Thursday.
• Chattanooga: lane shifts on I-75 at Hamilton Place, night lane-marking on SR-17 and daytime milling on U.S. 41/64/74 through Oct. 31.
• Statewide, if you’re headed to Knoxville: Neyland Drive closes between Jacob Drive and Joan Cronan Way from 3 a.m. Saturday to about 11 p.m. Sunday our time to replace a railroad crossing. The I-275 South ramp to I-40 East is closed Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m.–6 p.m. our time (use I-40 West to I-640 East). And Wednesday, Oct. 28, the I-40 East Exit 388 ramp to Western Avenue closes 8 a.m.–2 p.m. our time (use Exit 387).

👉 Read more (SValleyNow, area road projects) · TDOT report for our region, Oct. 15–21 · WBIR, Neyland Drive · 865 Daily, Knoxville ramp closures Oct. 22–28

✅ Your Valley Driving Checklist

• ✅ Hamilton Place errands? Do them today. Shallowford ramps start closing at 7 p.m. tonight, and East Brainerd Road closes at 4 a.m. Saturday.
• ✅ Shallowford detour: use Exit 9 (Volkswagen Drive) to turn around on I-75.
• ✅ Downtown Chattanooga Saturday: bluegrass and Frazier Avenue closures. Park early.
• ✅ Sunday until about 1 p.m.: Seven Bridges Marathon. Add 15 to 20 minutes downtown.
• ✅ U.S. 41 in Guild on Saturday: extra cars, shuttles and boat trailers for Chattajack.
• ✅ Saturday 4 p.m.: Shellmound trunk-or-treat near Jasper. 6–8 p.m.: Boo Bash in Pikeville.
• ✅ Saturday before 8 a.m.: patchy fog. Low beams, more room.
• ✅ Close to home: flaggers on U.S. 127, SR-111, SR-399 and SR-8. Slow down and wave.
• ✅ Halloween night, Oct. 31: set the clocks back one hour before bed. That’s nine days away.
• ✅ Check TDOT SmartWay or call 511 before longer trips.

Practical rule: When a weekend has more closures than usual, run your city errands on Friday and save Saturday for the porch.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Roads Glossary

• Off-ramp and on-ramp: The short roads that take you off the interstate (off-ramp) or onto it (on-ramp).
• Loop ramp: A ramp that curls around in a circle so you can turn and head the other way on the interstate.
• Falsework: Temporary supports that hold up a new bridge while it’s being built. Crews take it down once the bridge can stand on its own.
• Signed detour: A different route, marked with signs, that takes you around a closed road.
• Roundabout: A round intersection where traffic flows one way around a center island, and you yield to cars already in the circle.
• Take-out: The spot where paddlers pull their boats out of the water at the end of a trip.
• Eastern vs. Central time: Chattanooga, Cleveland and Knoxville are on Eastern time. Dunlap, Jasper, Guild and Pikeville are on Central, one hour earlier.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Which Shallowford Road ramps close, and when?

First, the I-75 North exit to Shallowford Road (Exit 5) closes at 7 p.m. our time Friday and should reopen Saturday afternoon or evening. Then the Shallowford on-ramp to I-75 South closes. Everything should be open by 5 a.m. our time Monday.

Is East Brainerd Road still closing this weekend?

Yes. It’s closed from Vance Road to Prosperity Lane from 4 a.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Monday, our time. TDOT says the work depends on the weather, and the forecast is dry.

Will the marathon block my way to church or the hospital on Sunday?

Probably not for long. Officers will let cars cross between runners at major intersections, and streets reopen as the last runners pass. Closures run from about 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. our time. Allow extra time and follow the officers’ directions.

Will Chattajack close any roads in Marion County?

We didn’t find any road closures announced for Marion County. Expect more traffic, shuttle buses and boat trailers on U.S. 41 near the Riverdance Restaurant and the River Gorge Ranch take-out in Guild on Saturday.

Has TDOT posted its new weekly report for our area?

Not as of noon Friday. TDOT’s Knoxville-area report for Oct. 22–28 is out, but the one for our region isn’t yet. We’ll share what’s new when it posts.

Any rain coming?

Not through next Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Expect sunny days, cool nights and some patchy fog early.

When do the clocks change?

At 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Set clocks back one hour before bed on Halloween night.

🔗 Other Resources

• TDOT SmartWay: Live traffic map and cameras
• National Weather Service: Dunlap forecast
• Chattanooga weekend event road closures
• Seven Bridges Marathon: Race weekend details
• Chattajack 31: Course map
• TDOT Newsroom: Weekly roadway reports
• SValleyNow: Sequatchie Valley local news
• Dunlap.Directory: Local businesses and services

🚗 Busy in the City, Easy at Home

Here’s all you need to remember: Chattanooga is the busy one this weekend. Shallowford ramps start closing tonight, East Brainerd Road closes Saturday morning, and the marathon fills downtown Sunday morning. Paddlers finish in Guild on Saturday, so take U.S. 41 easy. Close to home, it’s just our usual flaggers, a little early fog and plenty of sunshine. None of it is cause for worry. A weekend like this is like a full church parking lot: you’ll still find a spot, it just pays to come a little early.

Drive easy, wave at the flaggers and enjoy the sunshine. Read Dunlap.Today for road and weather updates as they come in.