🚧 Everything Reopens by Monday, TDOT’s New List Is Out and Halloween Week Gets a Road Plan: Your Roads & Commute Report

by Tom Seest | Oct 24, 2026 | Accidents & Road Closures | 0 comments

🚧 Everything Reopens by Monday, TDOT's New List Is Out and Halloween Week Gets a Road Plan: Your Roads & Commute Report

Or: Chattanooga’s Weekend Closures Wrap Up Before the Monday Commute, Night Paving Returns to I-24 Near Jasper, a Big Bridge Job Starts on the Road to Nashville, and Eight Days Until We Fall Back

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Saturday, October 24, 2026

Saturday on the roads is like Saturday on the porch: the busy part of the week is behind us, and we get a minute to look down the road at what’s coming. The good news first. The two big Chattanooga weekend closures we told you about are both set to be open again before the Monday morning commute. And TDOT has now posted its new weekly list for our region (Oct. 22–28), so we finally have fresh details on the jobs close to home.

Here’s what’s in this report: East Brainerd Road and the Shallowford Road ramps reopen by early Monday. The Seven Bridges Marathon is still on for Sunday morning downtown. TDOT’s new list keeps our usual flaggers on U.S. 127, SR-111, SR-399 and SR-8, and adds fresh pavement markings at SR-111 and SR-8. Night paving on I-24 in Marion County picks back up Sunday night, with short daytime lane closures Wednesday. If you head toward Nashville, a bridge demolition at I-24 Exit 117 in Coffee County starts Monday night. We’ve also got a Halloween-week driving plan, a fog-and-sunshine forecast, and an eight-day countdown to falling back.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds
By 4 a.m. Monday (our time): East Brainerd Road reopens. By 5 a.m. Monday: all Shallowford Road ramps at I-75 reopen.
Sunday, about 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. our time: Seven Bridges Marathon closures downtown and on the North Shore.
Sunday through Thursday nights, 7 p.m.–6 a.m.: I-24 night paving near Kimball and Jasper. One lane closed.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.: short, one-lane-at-a-time I-24 closures near mile marker 160.5 in Marion County.
Monday night on: I-24 Exit 117 near Manchester. Nighttime traffic goes up and over the ramps for two to three weeks.
Every morning this week: patchy fog near rivers and lakes, then sunny and dry. No rain in sight through Friday.
Remember: Chattanooga is on Eastern time. Every time in this report is our Central time unless we say otherwise.

🌅 Update: Chattanooga’s Two Weekend Closures Wrap Up Before the Monday Commute

We covered both of these yesterday. Today’s update is the part early risers care about most: when they open back up. TDOT’s new weekly list confirms the plan:

East Brainerd Road (SR-320), Vance Road to Prosperity Lane: closed now, and set to reopen at 5 a.m. Eastern Monday, Oct. 26 (4 a.m. our time). The signed detour uses I-75, SR-153 and Lee Highway.
Shallowford Road ramps at I-75 (Exit 5): the I-75 North exit closes first, then the Shallowford on-ramp to I-75 South. TDOT says all ramps reopen by 6 a.m. Eastern Monday (5 a.m. our time). Until then, use Exit 9 (Volkswagen Drive) to turn around.
New detail: The Times Free Press reports that repaving on East Brainerd Road between I-24 and Lee Highway should wrap up by Halloween. The separate job to replace the bridge over the CSX railroad runs until June 30, 2028, so expect daytime flaggers out there off and on for a while.

What it means for you: Think of it like a neighbor borrowing your truck for the weekend: it’s gone Saturday and Sunday, but it’s back in the driveway before you need it Monday. If you have an early Monday doctor’s visit or shift near Hamilton Place, you should find things back to normal. If you’re out there before 5 a.m., give yourself a few extra minutes just in case.

🏃 Still On for Sunday Morning: The Seven Bridges Marathon

If you’re headed into Chattanooga Sunday for church, a hospital visit or the Chattanooga Market, here’s what the City of Chattanooga lists, with times changed to our Central time:

Seven Bridges Marathon, about 3 a.m. to 1 p.m.: closures and lane closures on the North Shore (River Street, Fehn Street, Tremont Street), downtown (right lanes on Market Street and 4th Street), across the Veterans Bridge, and along Riverside Drive. Runners share the road in the Bluff View Art District and Battery Place.
Officers will be at major intersections to let cars cross between groups of runners, and streets reopen as the last runners pass.
Chattanooga Market, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Reggie White Boulevard closed between W. 20th Street and the skate park/dog park entrance.

What it means for you: A marathon morning is a bit like a parade through the middle of a family reunion: everybody still gets fed, it just takes a little longer to cross the yard. Add 15 to 20 minutes if you’re going downtown or to the North Shore before about 1 p.m. our time, and follow the officers’ directions.

🆕 TDOT’s New List Is Out: Close to Home, It’s Our Usual Flaggers Plus Fresh Paint

Yesterday at noon, TDOT’s weekly report for our region (the Lower East and Upper Cumberland) still hadn’t posted. It came out Friday afternoon. Here’s what it says for Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Grundy and Van Buren counties:

SR-111 (Sequatchie County): resurfacing with single-lane closures and flaggers between Lewis Chapel Road and East Valley Road.
U.S. 127 / SR-28 (Sequatchie County): flaggers for resurfacing from the Marion County line to Wilson Road.
SR-8 (Sequatchie County): flaggers for resurfacing from south of Whitlow Road to north of Sherman Road.
SR-399 (Sequatchie and Grundy counties): single-lane closures with flaggers from SR-108 in Grundy County to near SR-111.
New: fresh pavement markings. A striping crew with a slow-moving truck may work at SR-111 at SR-8 in Sequatchie County, SR-30 at U.S. 127 in Bledsoe County (Pikeville), and SR-111 in Van Buren County. Expect short lane closures or traffic shifts.
Grundy County: daytime flaggers on U.S. 41 between Bells Cove and West Main Street, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., through Nov. 17, and resurfacing on SR-50 from Hideaway Cabin Road to SR-56.

What it means for you: This is the same pot of beans on the back burner, just with a little more seasoning. The flaggers are working on the same stretches they’ve been on, and the new paint crew means brighter, easier-to-see lines at a few busy crossroads. A striping truck moves slow, like a tractor on the shoulder. Give it room, don’t pass it in a hurry, and wave at the crew.

🛣️ I-24 in Marion County: Night Paving Picks Back Up, Plus a Short Wednesday Check

If you take I-24 from Jasper or Kimball toward Chattanooga, two items from TDOT’s new list are worth a sticky note:

Night paving, Sunday through Thursday nights, 7 p.m.–6 a.m.: resurfacing from near U.S. 72 (the Kimball/South Pittsburg area) to just east of SR-28 near Jasper. Single-lane closures, with some ramps closing off and on. TDOT says one ramp in each direction always stays open, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol is helping out.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.: TDOT bridge crews will check the bridge deck (they call it “deck sounding”) near mile marker 160.5. They’ll close one lane at a time for about an hour each: eastbound lanes at 7 and 9 a.m., westbound lanes at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Times may shift a little.
Still going on: SR-108 in Marion County stays at one lane with a temporary signal for slide repair, and a paint crew is restriping SR-422.
Over the mountain: night crack-sealing on I-24 in Grundy County near Monteagle (mile markers about 127 to 129), 7 p.m.–6 a.m.

What it means for you: Daytime drivers won’t notice much. If you drive I-24 after dark, it’s like walking through the house at night while somebody’s mopping: you go single file and take it slow. On Wednesday, a one-hour lane closure is a short wait, not a long one.

🌉 New: Headed to Nashville? A Big Bridge Job Starts Monday Night at I-24 Exit 117

This one isn’t in the Valley, but plenty of us drive I-24 toward Manchester, Murfreesboro and Nashville. TDOT says that starting Monday night, Oct. 26, crews begin tearing down the old Wattendorf Memorial Highway (AEDC Road) bridge over I-24 at Exit 117 in Coffee County, near Manchester:

Nightly, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., for about two to three weeks. That area is on Central time, same as us.
Monday through Wednesday nights (Oct. 26–28): I-24 East traffic goes up the Exit 117 off-ramp, across, and back down the on-ramp.
Thursday and Friday nights (Oct. 29–30): the same for I-24 West.
The ramps at Exit 117 have a 12-foot width limit, and the Wattendorf Highway bridge is closed to through traffic during the work.
Looking ahead: TDOT’s list also shows weekend I-24 closures with ramp detours at Exit 111 (SR-55, Manchester) starting the weekend of Nov. 6, Friday 7 p.m. to Monday 6 a.m.
Farther along, statewide: TDOT’s Middle Tennessee list shows overnight single-lane closures on I-24 in Davidson County Monday through Thursday nights, 8 p.m.–5 a.m., and nightly lane closures near Murfreesboro (Exits 66–70) the weekend of Oct. 30.

What it means for you: It’s like the preacher detouring the Sunday school class around a fresh-mopped hallway: you still get where you’re going, you just take the side door. Daytime trips aren’t affected. If you’ll be coming home late from Nashville, plan on a few extra minutes at Exit 117, and slow down on those ramps.

🔧 Coming Up in Chattanooga Next Week

Bonny Oaks Drive (SR-17) near Hickory Valley Road: TDOT bridge inspections at the railroad overpasses, Tuesday–Thursday, Oct. 27–29, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern (7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. our time), with flaggers.
City paving, Oct. 26–30: Fagan Street (Workman Road to E. 37th Street) and W. 14th Street (Market Street to Cowart Street). Single lanes with flaggers; no full closures planned.
Flaggers on the way to Signal Mountain: Suck Creek Road (SR-27) and Signal Mountain Road (SR-8) between Runyan Drive and Glendale Drive, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Eastern (8 a.m.–1 p.m. our time). Campbell Street also has resurfacing flaggers.
Through Oct. 31: daytime milling and paving on U.S. 41/64/74 and night lane-marking on SR-17 between Campbell Street and SR-153.
Friday, Oct. 30: the 600 block of Hamilton Avenue closes 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern for a crane lift.

What it means for you: Nothing big, just the usual fall tune-up. If you’re driving to Signal Mountain or Hixson for an appointment, go a little earlier or after about 1 p.m. our time to miss most of the flaggers.

🎃 Halloween Week Road Plan: Slow Streets and Happy Goblins

Halloween is next Saturday, Oct. 31, and most of the Valley fun is around sunset. Here’s a quick reminder list, with times as organizers posted them:

Fri., Oct. 30, 5–8 p.m.: free Trunk or Treat at White Oak Ranch, 568 Reynolds Road, Dunlap.
Sat., Oct. 31, from 4 p.m.: Trunk or Treat at Miners Memorial Park, 6395 Highway 108, Whitwell.
Sat., Oct. 31, 5–7 p.m.: Hot Rod Halloween Trunk-or-Treat on Cherry Street in downtown Dunlap, hosted by Game Shack. The city closes off side streets so families can walk safely among the classic cars.
Sat., Oct. 31, 5–8 p.m.: Halloween in the Park at Marion County Park in Jasper.
Halloween sunset in Dunlap is about 5:47 p.m., and it’s full dark by about 6:15.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s standing Halloween tips for drivers are simple: slow down and watch for children on roads, medians and curbs; be extra careful pulling in and out of driveways; watch for kids stepping out from between parked cars; don’t pass a car stopped in the road, since it may be letting children out; and if you’re going to a costume party, put the mask on after you park.

What it means for you: Halloween driving is like carrying a full pie across a crowded kitchen: slow and steady, eyes up. If you’re not going out, it’s a good night to finish errands before 5 p.m. and leave the streets to the little ones.

🌫️ Fog in the Hollows, Sunshine by Mid-Morning, and Eight Days to Fall Back

The forecast: The National Weather Service in Morristown says we stay dry through next Friday. Dunlap highs run 72 to 77, with lows in the mid-40s.
Fog: The weather service expects patchy early-morning fog over the next several days, mainly near rivers and lakes. That means the Sequatchie River bottoms, Nickajack Lake and the creek crossings.
Daylight right now: sunrise about 6:55 a.m. and sunset about 5:54 p.m. By Halloween, sunrise slides to about 7:02 a.m.
Fall back: Clocks go back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. That’s eight days away. Set them back before bed on Halloween night.
After the change: sunrise jumps to about 6:03 a.m., and sunset comes at about 4:46 p.m. Morning drives get brighter, but the evening drive home will be in the dark.

What it means for you: Fog is like steam on the bathroom mirror: it’s thick for a bit and then it’s gone. Use low beams (high beams just bounce back at you), leave extra room and slow down until it lifts. And with dark evenings coming after Nov. 1, now’s a good week to wipe off your headlights and windshield.

📌 Still Going On: A Quick List

Chattanooga: lane shifts and a lower speed limit through the I-75 work zone at Hamilton Place, with nightly lane closures allowed 8 p.m.–6 a.m. Eastern.
Lookout Mountain: flaggers on Scenic Highway (SR-148) between Crandell Avenue and Stonedge Road, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Eastern.
St. Elmo Avenue: flaggers between 56th and 57th streets, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Eastern, through Dec. 18.
Statewide, if you’re headed to Knoxville: on 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).

✅ Your Valley Driving Checklist

✅ Monday morning: East Brainerd Road reopens by 4 a.m. and the Shallowford ramps by 5 a.m. our time.
✅ Sunday before 1 p.m.: marathon downtown. Add 15 to 20 minutes.
✅ Sunday–Thursday nights: I-24 night paving near Kimball and Jasper. Single file, slow down.
✅ Wednesday, Oct. 28: one-hour I-24 lane closures near mile marker 160.5.
✅ Late drive from Nashville? Exit 117 nighttime ramp detour starts Monday night.
✅ Close to home: flaggers on U.S. 127, SR-111, SR-399 and SR-8, plus a paint crew at SR-111 and SR-8.
✅ Foggy mornings: low beams, more room, slower speed near the river.
✅ Halloween, Oct. 31: Cherry Street in Dunlap, 5–7 p.m. Drive slow, watch for kids, don’t pass stopped cars.
✅ Halloween bedtime: set the clocks back one hour. That’s eight days away.
✅ Check TDOT SmartWay or call 511 before longer trips.

Practical rule: Before a big week, check three things on Sunday night: what reopens Monday, what’s working after dark, and when the sun goes down.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Roads Glossary

Deck sounding: Crews tap or drag tools across a bridge’s driving surface and listen for hollow spots, like knocking on a melon. It’s a routine checkup.
Cold in-place recycling: A machine grinds up the old road surface, mixes it with new binder, and lays it right back down. Less hauling, same smooth road.
Thermoplastic markings: Long-lasting road paint that’s melted on hot and dries hard and reflective, so lines show up better at night.
Ramp diversion: Instead of driving under a bridge being worked on, interstate traffic goes up the off-ramp, across the crossroad and back down the on-ramp.
Width restriction: A limit on how wide a vehicle can be to fit through the work zone. It matters mostly for big trucks and wide loads.
Log mile vs. mile marker: Mile markers are the green signs along the interstate. Log miles are TDOT’s own count within each county.
Eastern vs. Central time: Chattanooga and Knoxville are on Eastern time. Dunlap, Jasper, Pikeville and Manchester are on Central, one hour earlier.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Will East Brainerd Road and the Shallowford ramps be open for Monday’s commute?

That’s the plan. TDOT says East Brainerd Road reopens at 4 a.m. our time Monday, and all Shallowford Road ramps at I-75 reopen by 5 a.m. our time. Work depends on weather, and the forecast is dry.

Did TDOT ever post its new weekly report for our area?

Yes. It came out Friday afternoon and covers Oct. 22–28. Close to home, it lists the same resurfacing flaggers on U.S. 127, SR-111, SR-399 and SR-8, plus new pavement-marking work at SR-111 and SR-8.

When is I-24 night paving in Marion County?

Sunday through Thursday nights, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., from near U.S. 72 to just east of SR-28 near Jasper. Expect one lane closed and some ramps closing off and on, with at least one ramp in each direction open.

What’s happening on I-24 Wednesday?

TDOT bridge crews will check the bridge deck near mile marker 160.5 in Marion County from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. They’ll close one lane at a time for about an hour each.

Will the Exit 117 bridge work slow down my trip to Nashville?

Only at night. From Monday night, Oct. 26, for about two to three weeks, I-24 traffic gets routed over the Exit 117 ramps from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Daytime trips aren’t affected.

Is the weather going to cause any trouble?

Not much. The weather service expects dry weather through next Friday, with patchy fog early in the morning near rivers and lakes.

When do the clocks change?

At 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Set clocks back one hour before bed on Halloween night. After that, sunset is about 4:46 p.m., so the drive home gets dark earlier.

🔗 Other Resources

🚗 Open by Monday, Easy at Home, Ready for Halloween

Here’s all you need to remember: Chattanooga’s weekend closures are open again before Monday’s commute. Close to home, it’s our usual flaggers and a little fresh paint. I-24 near Jasper goes back to night paving starting Sunday, and the road to Nashville gets a nighttime ramp detour at Exit 117 starting Monday. Mornings are foggy by the river, afternoons are sunny, and we fall back in eight days. None of it is cause for worry. A week like this is like a well-stocked pantry: you know what’s on the shelf, so you can cook without fretting.

Drive easy, wave at the flaggers and watch for little goblins next Saturday. Read Dunlap.Today for road and weather updates as they come in.

Sources

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← Free Concert for Veterans and First Responders in Silver Point - Saturday, October 24th 🎵 29-House Yard Sale at The Canyons at Falling Water in Hixson - October 24 🛍️ →

Written By Tom Seest

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

Oct 24, 2026 | Accidents & Road Closures

Chattanooga is the busy one this weekend: Shallowford Road ramps at I-75 start closing tonight, East Brainerd Road closes Saturday morning, and the Seven Bridges Marathon fills downtown Sunday. Paddlers finish in Guild on Saturday, and close to home it stays dry and sunny.

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Oct 22, 2026 | Accidents & Road Closures

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