🚧 TDOT's New List Goes Quiet in the Valley, a Temporary Signal Comes to US-72 in Marion County and Halloween Night Looks Dry: Your Roads & Commute Report

Or: Fewer Orange Cones on Paper, One New Work Zone Starting Monday, Fog Before Breakfast and What Falling Back Does to Your Drive Home

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Thursday, October 29, 2026

Thursday is the day the fresh list comes out, kind of like the church bulletin: you flip through it to see what’s changed. TDOT posted its new weekly report this morning, and the Valley part of it is shorter than it’s been all month. Here’s what changed since yesterday, and what to stick on the fridge for the days ahead.

Here’s what’s in this report: TDOT’s new list for Oct. 29–Nov. 4 has no Sequatchie County projects on it, for the first time in weeks. One new job starts Monday in Marion County: one westbound lane of US-72 closes, with temporary traffic signals, through Dec. 14. The weather service now shows a dry Halloween night, patchy fog tonight and early Friday, and Sunday’s rain mostly in the morning. We cover what falling back Saturday night means for your morning and evening drives, the Exit 117 night work and a weekend I-24 closure at Exit 111 next week for Nashville trips, and the Chattanooga flagger jobs that end Friday and start next week.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• At home: TDOT’s new list shows no Sequatchie County road jobs this week. Still slow down for any orange signs you see.
• Starting Monday, Nov. 2: US-72 in Marion County drops to one lane at a work spot, with temporary signals, through Dec. 14. Red means wait.
• Tonight after 11 p.m. and Friday before 9 a.m.: patchy fog. Low beams and a slower pace.
• Halloween, Saturday: mostly cloudy, high near 73, and no rain in the forecast until after 1 a.m. Headlights on early, speed down in neighborhoods.
• Saturday bedtime: clocks fall back one hour. Starting Sunday, sunset comes a little before 4:50 p.m. our time.
• Sunday: showers likely (60%), mainly before 1 p.m. Wipers on, headlights on.

A quick note on clocks: Chattanooga runs on Eastern time, one hour ahead of us. We give Chattanooga-area work times the way they’re posted there.

📋 TDOT’s New Weekly List: A Quiet Week on Paper for Sequatchie County

TDOT posted its Roadway Activity Report for Oct. 29–Nov. 4 this morning. Last week’s list had flagger work for resurfacing on SR-111, U.S. 127/SR-28, SR-8 and SR-399 in Sequatchie County, plus striping in Pikeville, night paving on I-24 in Marion County and the slide repair on SR-108 near Whitwell. None of those appear on this week’s list, and there are no Sequatchie or Bledsoe County entries at all.

Something to remember: a job dropping off the list doesn’t always mean it’s finished. TDOT didn’t say whether the Sequatchie County paving is done, and earlier reports gave the SR-108 slide repair a completion date of Aug. 31, 2027, so that one-lane signal near Whitwell is likely still there. Treat any orange sign as real, list or no list.

What it means for you: It’s like the week after the big family reunion: fewer cars in the yard, but somebody might still be parked in the drive. Your everyday runs on 127, 111 and 8 should feel easier. Just keep your eyes open on the curves and be ready to stop for a flagger.

👉 Read more (TDOT weekly report, Oct. 29–Nov. 4) · Last week’s report (Oct. 22–28) · SValleyNow, SR-108 project

🚦 New in Marion County: A Temporary Signal on US-72 Starting Monday

The new TDOT list has one fresh item close to home. A TDOT contractor will close the westbound lane of SR-27 (US-72) in Marion County, at TDOT log mile 21.2, for soil-nailing work. Here’s the plan as TDOT posted it:

• When: starting Monday, Nov. 2, and running until Monday, Dec. 14.
• How: the westbound lane is closed, and temporary traffic signals take turns sending each direction through.
• What’s soil nailing? Crews drill steel bars into a hillside or bank to hold the earth in place, a common fix for slopes beside a road. (More in the glossary below.)

TDOT’s notice gives a log mile, not a street name, so watch for the signs as you travel US-72 between South Pittsburg, Kimball, Jasper and the Hamilton County line.

What it means for you: A work-zone signal is like the one-at-a-time rule at the kitchen sink on canning day: everybody gets a turn, you just wait yours. Stop on red even if no one’s coming, since the other side may be on its way through. Allow a few extra minutes for six weeks.

👉 Read more (TDOT weekly report, Marion County section) · TDOT SmartWay live map

🎃 Halloween Night Looks Dry: Headlights On Early, Speed Down in Neighborhoods

Good news for costumes and candy bags: in the National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap, updated late this morning, Saturday is mostly cloudy with a high near 73, and the first rain chance doesn’t arrive until after 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

AAA notes that Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so more folks will be out driving to parties and weekend plans while kids are walking. AAA says popular trick-or-treat hours run about 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Tennessee Highway Patrol says it is posting safety reminders on social media this week, too. Their shared driver tips:

• Slow down in neighborhoods and along roads with no sidewalks.
• Look twice at driveways, curbs and between parked cars.
• Don’t pass a car stopped in the road; it may be letting children out.
• Put the mask on after you park, if you’re wearing one to a party.
• Plan a sober ride before the fun starts.

What it means for you: Drive through a trick-or-treat street the way you’d walk through a room full of grandkids playing on the floor: slowly, looking down and around, ready to stop. Five extra minutes on Halloween night costs nothing.

👉 Read more (AAA, Saturday Halloween tips) · Local 3 News, THP reminders · THP Halloween driver tips

🌫️ Weather Update: Fog Before Breakfast, and Sunday’s Rain Shrinks to a Mostly Morning Thing

Yesterday, the forecast gave Sunday an 80% chance of rain. The National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap, updated at 11:51 a.m. today, has eased that off:

• Tonight: patchy fog after 11 p.m., low around 48.
• Friday: patchy fog before 9 a.m., then sunny, high near 78.
• Saturday night: 40% chance of showers after 1 a.m., low around 53.
• Sunday, Nov. 1: showers likely, mainly before 1 p.m., 60% chance, high near 65.
• Monday: partly sunny, high near 71. Tuesday and Wednesday: 20% and 50% shower chances.

What it means for you: Fog in the Valley is like steam on the bathroom mirror: it clears once the sun gets to work. Early risers, use low beams (high beams bounce right back at you), slow down and leave more room. Sunday morning, wipers on means headlights on; that’s Tennessee law. By Sunday afternoon, the roads should be drying out.

👉 Read more (National Weather Service, Dunlap forecast)

🕰️ Fall Back Saturday Night: Brighter Mornings, Darker Drives Home

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Set clocks back one hour before bed Saturday. Using sunrise and sunset times for Chattanooga, converted to our Central time (Dunlap runs within a minute or so of these):

• Sunday: sunrise about 6:02 a.m., sunset about 4:46 p.m.
• By Friday, Nov. 6, sunset slides to about 4:42 p.m.

What it means for you: It’s like moving supper an hour earlier: the day feels the same, but the dark sneaks up faster. Monday morning’s drive will be lighter than this week’s. The drive home from work or the Pikeville and Chattanooga stores will be in the dark for many folks. That’s when deer move, too, so check your headlights this weekend and slow down on back roads at dusk.

👉 Read more (sunrise and sunset, November 2026)

🚗 Nashville Runs: Exit 117 Night Work Keeps Going, and Exit 111 Gets a Weekend Closure Next Week

If you drive I-24 through Coffee County toward Murfreesboro and Nashville, two jobs are on TDOT’s new list:

• Exit 117 (AEDC Road/Wattendorf Highway): bridge demolition continues nightly, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. I-24 drops to one lane and is looped across the ramps, one direction at a time. This week’s list doesn’t say which direction on which night. There’s a 12-foot width limit on all ramps there.
• Exit 111 (SR-55, Manchester): for the SR-55 bridge replacement, TDOT lists I-24 closures using ramp diversions the weekend of Nov. 6, from Friday at 7 p.m. to Monday at 6 a.m.
• Headed toward Franklin? TDOT has daytime lane closures on I-840 in Williamson County between near US-31 and east of Arno Road this Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m., for resurfacing.

What it means for you: A ramp loop is like going out the back door and around the porch to get to the front: a little slower, but you still get there. Daytime trips this week skip both I-24 jobs. If you’re coming home late from Nashville, or planning a trip the weekend of Nov. 6, add some extra time and check SmartWay before you leave.

👉 Read more (TDOT weekly report, Coffee County) · TDOT, I-840 closures

🏙️ Chattanooga: A Few Flagger Jobs Wrap Up Friday, New Ones Start Next Week

Most of these are daytime utility jobs with flaggers, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. local time, from TDOT’s new list:

• Ending Friday, Oct. 30: the EPB work on Suck Creek Road between River Canyon and Signal Mountain Road, and utility work on St. Elmo Avenue between 43rd and 44th streets.
• Brainerd Road between Howell and Pisgah avenues: Nov. 4–Dec. 7.
• Lee Highway at Tyner Road: Nov. 2–4.
• Rossville Boulevard between E. 39th and E. 49th streets: Nov. 3–4.
• Hwy. 58 between Coolidge and Monger lanes: through Nov. 5.
• I-24 westbound, mile markers 177.2 to 176.7: survey crews close the right shoulder only, Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Thursday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Travel lanes stay open.
• Extended: paving on U.S. 41/64/74 (7 a.m.–6 p.m.) and night pavement markings on Campbell Street/SR-17 and SR-58 now run through Nov. 15.

What it means for you: The banker’s-hours rule still works: most of these crews start at 9 and quit at 2, so a doctor’s visit or shopping trip before 9 or after 2 (Chattanooga time) slides right past them.

👉 Read more (TDOT weekly report, Hamilton County) · Chattanooga Journal, city closures

📌 Still Going On: A Quick List

• Chattanooga Saturday (from yesterday’s report): streets near Finley Stadium close 6 a.m.–9 p.m. for UTC vs. VMI, and several Halloween block parties close streets downtown and in neighborhoods.
• Head of the Hooch: Riverfront Parkway closes to through traffic Nov. 4–8.
• I-75 at Hamilton Place: lane shifts, a lower speed limit and nightly lane closures, 8 p.m.–6 a.m.
• Mountain routes: daytime flaggers on Signal Mountain Road (Runyan to Glendale) and the upper part of Suck Creek Road through Dec. 4, and on Scenic Highway on Lookout Mountain.
• U.S. 127 north to Crossville: daily flagging for resurfacing from the Bledsoe–Cumberland line to north of SR-419, and more work north of I-40.
• Grundy County: flaggers on U.S. 41 between Bells Cove and West Main Street, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., through Nov. 17.
• Chattanooga city: the 600 block of Hamilton Avenue closes Friday, 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., for a crane lift.

👉 Read more (Chattanooga Journal) · City of Chattanooga notice

✅ Your Valley Driving Checklist

• ✅ Tonight and early Friday: patchy fog. Low beams, slow down, more room.
• ✅ Around home: fewer listed jobs this week, but stop for any flagger or orange sign you see.
• ✅ US-72 in Marion County, from Monday: one lane with temporary signals through Dec. 14. Stop on red.
• ✅ Halloween evening: dry. Headlights on early, slow down in neighborhoods, phone down, sober ride planned.
• ✅ Saturday bedtime: set the clocks back one hour.
• ✅ Sunday morning: showers likely. Wipers on, headlights on.
• ✅ Starting Sunday: dark by about 4:45 p.m. Check your headlights and watch for deer at dusk.
• ✅ Nashville at night? Expect the Exit 117 loop. Weekend of Nov. 6: plan for the Exit 111 closure.
• ✅ Check TDOT SmartWay or call 511 before longer trips.

Practical rule: A shorter list doesn’t mean an empty road. Slow down for every orange sign, and stop for every red light, even the temporary ones.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Roads Glossary

• Roadway Activity Report: TDOT’s weekly list of planned work zones for our region (Region 2), usually posted on Thursday or Friday.
• Log mile (LM): TDOT’s mile count along a state route inside one county, starting at zero at the county line. It’s not the same as an interstate mile marker.
• Soil nailing: Drilling steel bars into a slope and grouting them in place so the dirt and rock stay put. It’s used to steady hillsides and banks beside roads.
• Temporary traffic signal: A portable stoplight that lets one direction at a time use a single open lane.
• Ramp diversion (ramp loop): Interstate traffic goes up the off-ramp, across the road at the top and right back down the on-ramp, so crews can work on the main lanes or a bridge.
• Patchy fog: Fog in some spots but not others. You can drive from clear air into thick fog in a few seconds, especially near creeks and low ground.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is the road work in Sequatchie County finished?

TDOT hasn’t said. The Sequatchie County resurfacing jobs aren’t on the new Oct. 29–Nov. 4 list, but TDOT didn’t announce them as complete. Earlier reports set the SR-108 slide repair near Whitwell to finish Aug. 31, 2027. Slow down for any signs you see.

Where exactly is the new US-72 work in Marion County?

TDOT lists it on SR-27 (US-72) at log mile 21.2, with the westbound lane closed and temporary signals from Nov. 2 to Dec. 14. The notice doesn’t name a nearby street, so watch for the work-zone signs.

Will it rain on trick-or-treaters?

As of late Thursday morning, no. The National Weather Service shows a mostly cloudy Saturday with a high near 73, and the first rain chance (40%) comes after 1 a.m. Sunday. Check again Friday, since forecasts can shift.

When do the clocks change?

At 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, clocks fall back one hour. Most folks set them back before bed Saturday. Sunset Sunday is about 4:46 p.m. our time.

Which way is the Exit 117 loop on I-24 this week?

TDOT’s new list says the night work continues 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., one direction at a time, but doesn’t give a night-by-night schedule. Daytime trips aren’t affected. Check SmartWay before a late trip.

What’s happening at Exit 111 in Manchester?

TDOT lists I-24 closures using ramp diversions the weekend of Nov. 6, from Friday at 7 p.m. to Monday at 6 a.m., for the SR-55 bridge replacement over I-24.

🔗 Other Resources

• TDOT SmartWay: Live traffic map and cameras
• TDOT Newsroom: Weekly roadway reports
• TDOT: Middle Tennessee lane closures, Nov. 1–7
• National Weather Service: Dunlap forecast
• Chattanooga Journal: Road construction and closures
• TN Highway Safety Office: Halloween 2026, party with a plan
• SValleyNow: Sequatchie Valley local news
• Dunlap.Directory: Local businesses and services

🚗 Fewer Cones, a Dry Halloween and an Earlier Dusk: You’ve Got This

Here’s all you need to remember: the Valley’s road list is short this week, US-72 in Marion County gets a temporary signal Monday, Halloween looks dry, and after Saturday night the dark comes an hour sooner. Fog tonight, a damp Sunday morning, then easier days. Change is like a new church pew cushion: odd for a Sunday or two, then you forget it was ever different.

Drive easy and keep a wide eye out. Read Dunlap.Today for road and weather updates as they come in.