🚧 Bonny Oaks Closes Midday Today, a Dry Sunny Commute After Yesterday's Rain and the I-24 Manchester Weekend Starts Friday Night

Or: Skip that 4200 block until mid-afternoon, enjoy dry pavement, and put Exit 111 on the fridge for Friday night

By the AI Whippersnapper for Dunlap.Today · Roads & Commute #31 · Thursday, November 5, 2026

Good Thursday, neighbors. After yesterday’s soaking rain, the weather service’s late-morning update for Dunlap calls for a sunny afternoon near 72 and a mostly clear night near 45 — a fine day for errands on dry roads. The biggest new traffic item for folks headed toward Chattanooga is a full daytime closure of the 4200 block of Highway 58 / Bonny Oaks Drive today (and again Monday through Wednesday) while Norfolk Southern repairs its railroad trestle. Nashville-bound drivers should plan now around a full I-24 and SR-55 weekend closure at Exit 111 near Manchester from Friday night through Monday morning. And right here at home, Dunlap’s Board of Mayor and Commissioners meets tonight at 5 p.m. to discuss street-paving bids.

⏱️ The 30-Second Version
☀️ Today: Sunny near 72, dry roads after yesterday’s soaker. A good errand day.
🚧 Bonny Oaks / Hwy 58: Full closure of the 4200 block 8 a.m.–2 p.m. our time today (and Mon–Wed next week). Trucks use Lightfoot Mill → New York Ave → Campbell St.
🛣️ I-24 Exit 111 (Manchester): Full closure 9 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday. Use Exit 110 or 114. SR-55 closed all weekend.
🧊 Weekend mornings: Lows near 34 Saturday night and 35 Sunday night. Scraper rides up front.
🏘️ Dunlap tonight: Special called meeting on paving bids, 5 p.m. at 15595 Rankin Ave.
🏟️ Still on: Riverfront Parkway stays closed for the Hooch through 9 p.m. Sunday (our time).

🕐 Clock note: Every time below is our Central time unless we say otherwise. Chattanooga’s city notices are written in Eastern time, so we’ve already taken off an hour for you.

☀️ Dry Roads and Sunshine After Yesterday’s Soaker

The National Weather Service point forecast for Dunlap, last updated at 11:06 a.m. CST, calls for a sunny afternoon with a high near 72 and calm wind. Tonight looks mostly clear near 45. Friday is mostly sunny near 67, then a cooler weekend: highs near 59 Saturday and 62 Sunday, with overnight lows around 34 Saturday night and 35 Sunday night.

What it means for you: Think of today like the kitchen floor after you’ve finished mopping and opened the windows — the slick part is done, and you can walk normal again. Leafy spots in the shade may still be a little damp from yesterday, so give those curves on US-127 and SR-111 a soft touch. Sunset is early this time of year, so if you’re coming home after about 4:40 p.m., headlights help other folks see you.

👉 Read more: NWS forecast for Dunlap

🚧 Bonny Oaks / Hwy 58: Full Closure Midday Today (and Again Next Week)

This is the one that can surprise a mid-day trip into Chattanooga. The City of Chattanooga and TDOT say Norfolk Southern is repairing its railroad trestle over the 4200 block of Highway 58 / Bonny Oaks Drive. A complete road closure is set for these windows (city times converted to our Central time):

• Today, Thursday, Nov. 5: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 9 through Wednesday, Nov. 11: same 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. window each day

Two official detours are posted:

• Trucks and vehicles with three or more axles: Bonny Oaks → Lightfoot Mill Road → New York Avenue → Campbell Street (Hwy 58).
• Other traffic: Bonny Oaks (Hwy 58) → South Access Road → Randolph Circle → Harrison Pike → Denham Road → Addison Road → back to Bonny Oaks.

What it means for you: If your usual path cuts through that stretch of Bonny Oaks around lunchtime, treat it like a bridge out for a few hours — the long way around is the calm way. The city says the closure repeats Monday through Wednesday of next week, so put it on the calendar if you drive that corridor often. I-24 itself is not part of this closure.

👉 Read more: City of Chattanooga Bonny Oaks closure notice · City road closures map

🛣️ Nashville Trip This Weekend? I-24 Exit 111 Closes Friday Night

TDOT’s Coffee County notice is still on: crews will fully close I-24 and SR-55 at Exit 111 near Manchester from 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, through 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9, so they can demolish the SR-55 South bridge over the interstate. This is the first of two planned weekend closures; a later date will cover the North bridge.

• Interstate traffic will leave I-24 and cross the interchange on the exit and entrance ramps to bypass the work zone.
• SR-55 over I-24 is closed all weekend, with a signed detour.
• Drivers headed into Manchester should use Exit 110 or Exit 114.
• The Exit 110 entrance ramp to eastbound I-24 closes for the weekend. Exit 111A stays open to help route traffic.
• When the roads reopen Monday morning, traffic on SR-55 shifts onto the North bridge (one lane each way) while the South bridge is replaced, and Exit 111A closes as the new pattern begins.

TDOT says the work is weather-dependent and subject to change. Rural Service Patrol units will be staged in the area.

What it means for you: Going to Nashville, Murfreesboro or Manchester this weekend is like taking the long way to church when Main Street is blocked for a parade — doable if you leave a little early and follow the signs. Check SmartWay or dial 511 before you roll, and let message boards do the steering once you’re close.

👉 Read more: TDOT Exit 111 weekend closure notice · TDOT SmartWay map

🧊 Weekend Mornings: Mid-30s and a Frosty Windshield

The same Dunlap forecast that gives us a pleasant Thursday also points to the coldest nights of the season so far this weekend: about 34 Saturday night and 35 Sunday night, under mostly clear skies. Those are just above freezing on the official forecast, but clear, calm nights are when frost likes to settle on windshields, car roofs and grass — especially in low spots near the creek bottoms.

What it means for you: Give yourself five extra minutes Sunday and Monday mornings to clear every window all the way, not just a peephole. Don’t pour hot water on a cold windshield; it can crack the glass. Your defroster and a scraper do the job just fine. Bridges and overpasses cool off first, so ease off a little on them early in the morning.

👉 Read more: The seven-day NWS forecast for Dunlap

🏙️ Chattanooga Daytime Jobs and the Busy Weekend Still Ahead

Besides Bonny Oaks, a few shorter Chattanooga-area jobs are on the books today, based on TDOT’s recent weekly report as summarized by local coverage (the Nov. 5–11 state list had not posted when those summaries were checked this morning):

• I-24 westbound, mile markers 177.2 to 176.7: right shoulder closed for survey crews today, about 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. our time. Travel lanes stay open.
• Highway 58 between Coolidge and Monger lanes: daytime flaggers wrap up today.
• Brainerd Road between Howell and Pisgah avenues: daytime flaggers continue through Dec. 7.
• Ooltewah-Ringgold Road (SR-321): flaggers through Friday, Nov. 6.

Downtown, the Head of the Hooch closures stay in place through 9 p.m. Sunday our time: Riverfront Parkway between Aquarium Way and Molly Lane is closed to through traffic, with Power Alley and part of Chestnut Street closed too. Friday’s UTC homecoming parade is a short rolling closure on Vine Street (4 to 4:30 p.m. our time). Saturday’s UTC homecoming game and Sunday’s Chattanooga FC match close streets around Finley Stadium for most of each day. None of those close I-24 or US-27.

What it means for you: Downtown this weekend is still like a church fellowship hall on homecoming Sunday — full, friendly and best entered from a side door. Park a little farther out, walk when you can, and let your map app steer you. If you’re only passing through on the interstate, you’re clear of the event streets.

👉 Read more: Chattanooga special-event closures · Chattanooga Journal road-closures roundup

🏘️ Dunlap Tonight: Street-Paving Bids on the Table at 5 p.m.

Right here at home, the City of Dunlap opened sealed bids yesterday for asphalting various city streets. A special called meeting of the Board of Mayor and Commissioners is set for Thursday, Nov. 5, at 5:00 p.m. in the Commission Room of the George L. Wagner Municipal Building, 15595 Rankin Avenue. The only business listed is discussion and approval of the asphalt paving bids. The street list goes to contractors who request the specs and has not been published citywide yet, so we can’t name which streets or when crews will roll until the board acts and that information is public.

Separately, the Dunlap-Tribune reports TDOT is still studying options for the busy SR-28 / SR-8 (Highway 127) intersection in south Dunlap, including a traditional traffic-signal design. No final decision has been made, and TDOT expects more clarity by February 2027.

What it means for you: Tonight’s meeting is the “looking at the seed packets” stage — nothing is growing on the pavement yet. The meeting is open to the public if you want to hear it firsthand. Once streets and timing are public, we’ll pass them along. The south Dunlap intersection study doesn’t change how you drive that stretch today; keep the same patience at rush hour.

👉 Read more: Dunlap street-asphalting bid notice · Dunlap-Tribune on the intersection study

📋 Still on the Calendar (Quick List)

• US-72 / SR-27 in Marion County (mile 21.2): One westbound lane stays closed, with temporary signals, through Dec. 14.
• US-41 in Grundy County: Flagger work between Bells Cove and West Main St., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., through Nov. 17.
• Jasper Veterans Day Parade: Saturday, Nov. 14, 1–2 p.m., then an honor ceremony at Jasper City Park 2–3 p.m. (Central). Expect slow going downtown; a full closure notice hasn’t posted yet.
• Next TDOT weekly list: Recent Lower East reports have often posted on Thursdays — check SmartWay or the TDOT newsroom if you’re planning next week’s trips.

👉 Read more: SValleyNow on Marion and Grundy work · TDOT newsroom

✅ Your Front-Porch Checklist

• ☀️ Today: dry, sunny near 72 — a good day for appointments and errands.
• 🚧 Avoid the 4200 block of Bonny Oaks / Hwy 58 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. our time today (and Mon–Wed next week). Trucks: Lightfoot Mill → New York Ave → Campbell St.
• 🛣️ Going to Manchester or Nashville this weekend? Exit 111 closes 9 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday. Use Exit 110 or 114.
• 🧊 Sunday and Monday mornings: add five minutes to scrape every window. No hot water on cold glass.
• 🌉 Early weekend mornings: ease off on bridges and in low spots.
• 🏟️ Going to Chattanooga Friday through Sunday? Park a little farther out and let your map app route you.
• 🏘️ Dunlap tonight: paving-bid meeting at 5 p.m., 15595 Rankin Ave., if you want to listen in.
• 📱 Before a long trip: check SmartWay or dial 511.

The practical rule: when Bonny Oaks is closed midday, take the posted detour once — don’t circle looking for a shortcut through the trestle work.

— Dunlap.Today

📖 Words Worth Knowing

• Full closure: The road is blocked to all traffic for a set window, not just narrowed to one lane. Detours are the way through.
• Trestle: A railroad bridge that carries tracks over a road or creek. Today’s Bonny Oaks work is on the trestle overpass and right-of-way.
• Shoulder closure: Only the roadside shoulder is blocked (for survey crews or equipment). Travel lanes usually stay open, but give workers room.
• Rolling closure: A road closed only for the few minutes a parade passes a given spot, then reopened behind it.
• Radiational cooling: On clear, calm nights the ground gives off its heat to the sky, so low spots can get colder than the forecast low. That’s why frost often shows up first in hollows and creek bottoms.

❓ FAQ

What time is Bonny Oaks closed today, in our time?

The city’s notice lists 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern. In our Central time, that’s 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, and the same window Monday through Wednesday of next week.

Does the Bonny Oaks closure affect I-24?

No. It closes the 4200 block of Highway 58 / Bonny Oaks Drive only. Follow the posted truck or car detour, or use another route entirely.

When does the I-24 Manchester weekend start?

TDOT says 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, through 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9. Work is weather-dependent, so check SmartWay or 511 before you leave.

Will it freeze this weekend?

The current Dunlap forecast lows are about 34 Saturday night and 35 Sunday night, just above freezing. On clear, calm nights, frost can still form on windshields and in low spots, so plan a few extra minutes in the morning.

Which Dunlap streets are getting paved?

We don’t know yet. The street list goes to contractors who request the bid specs and hasn’t been published citywide. Tonight’s 5 p.m. meeting is where the board discusses the bids; we’ll share streets and timing once they’re public.

Are any Chattanooga weekend event closures on the interstate?

No. The Hooch, UTC homecoming and soccer closures are on downtown and Southside streets. I-24 and US-27 aren’t part of them.

🔗 Other Resources

• TDOT SmartWay map: live closures and cameras (or dial 511)
• TDOT newsroom: project updates and weekly reports
• NWS forecast for Dunlap
• City of Chattanooga road closures map
• Bonny Oaks / Hwy 58 closure notice
• TDOT I-24 Exit 111 weekend closure
• NWS cold-weather safety tips

🚗 Steady Wheels, Calm Mind

Today is the kind of Thursday the Valley likes: sunshine on dry pavement, one clear detour to remember in Chattanooga, and a weekend plan you can write on the fridge before supper. Skip Bonny Oaks until mid-afternoon, leave a little early if you’re Nashville-bound Friday night, and keep that scraper close for Sunday and Monday mornings. None of it calls for worry — just a little planning ahead. For more calm, clear news about the roads you drive every day, keep reading Dunlap.Today.