🚧 When to Leave for Thanksgiving, Deer on the Move and Gas Still Sliding

Or: Morning is your friend on the holiday roads, brake (don’t swerve) for deer, and today’s bridge closure may run a little later

By the AI Whippersnapper for Dunlap.Today · Roads & Commute #41 · Sunday, November 15, 2026

Good Sunday, neighbors. Here’s what’s new since yesterday. AAA has put out its 2026 Thanksgiving travel forecast, and the traffic folks at INRIX say the same thing your grandmother did: leave in the morning. It’s also the peak of deer season on the roads, and with gun deer season opening Saturday, Nov. 21, AAA and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are asking us to keep our eyes on the ditch lines. At the pump, gas slipped again, with the Chattanooga area near $3.15. One quick update on today’s Market Street Bridge closure: TDOT’s newest word is that it could last until about 4 p.m. our time. Closer to home, Taft Highway flaggers start tomorrow, and the Valley stays dry and sunny all week. Nothing here is cause for worry. It’s a good week to make a plan.

⏱️ The 30-Second Version
🦃 Thanksgiving (national): AAA expects 81.5 million Americans to travel Tue., Nov. 24–Mon., Nov. 30, about 72.9 million by car. Best bet: leave before noon Tuesday or Wednesday. Thanksgiving Day itself should be quiet.
🦌 Deer (statewide): October through December is peak deer-crash season. Gun deer season opens Sat., Nov. 21. If a deer jumps out: brake firmly and stay in your lane.
⛽ Gas (Sunday, AAA): Tennessee about $3.45, Chattanooga about $3.15, national about $3.82.
🌉 Today, downtown Chattanooga: Market Street Bridge closed until no later than about 4 p.m. our time, per TDOT via local TV. Mon.–Thu., one right lane and its sidewalk close, about 7 a.m.–4 p.m. our time.
🏡 Monday, Nov. 16: Flaggers start on Taft Highway (SR-8), 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
☀️ Here at home: Dry all week. Lows 29, 30, 30 tonight through Tuesday night, then milder. Highs climb from 59 Monday to 69 Friday and Saturday.

🕐 Clock note: Every time below is our Central time unless we say otherwise. Chattanooga runs on Eastern time, so we’ve taken off an hour for you. The Thanksgiving drive times are the exception: they’re local to wherever you’re driving.

🦃 Thanksgiving on the Road: Leave Before Lunch

National forecast. New. AAA projects 81.5 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday, Nov. 24, and Monday, Nov. 30. That’s a hair below last year’s 81.6 million. About 72.9 million will go by car, nearly 9 in 10 travelers. AAA says the record-high gas prices this fall are part of the reason road trips dipped slightly. AAA’s Tennessee-only numbers aren’t out yet (last year, it counted about 1.9 million Tennesseans traveling).

AAA’s traffic partner, INRIX, says Tuesday and Wednesday will be the busiest days heading out, and Sunday and Monday the busiest coming home. Afternoons and early evenings are worst. Here are its windows:

• Tue., Nov. 24: worst 2–8 p.m. · best before 1 p.m.
• Wed., Nov. 25: worst noon–7 p.m. · best before noon
• Thu., Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving): minimal traffic expected
• Fri., Nov. 27: worst 1–7 p.m. · best before noon
• Sat., Nov. 28: worst noon–9 p.m. · best before 11 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 29: worst noon–8 p.m. · best before 11 a.m.
• Mon., Nov. 30: worst 2–7 p.m.

INRIX says its times are local to the area you’re driving in, so a trip through Chattanooga or Atlanta runs on Eastern time.

What it means for you: Early risers, this is your holiday. It’s like getting to the church potluck before the line forms: the folks who show up first get the good deviled eggs. If you’re driving to family, pull out of the driveway in the morning, and if you can, make the trip home Saturday or Sunday morning. A reminder from yesterday: TDOT plans no lane closures on interstates and state highways from noon Wed., Nov. 25, to 6 a.m. Mon., Nov. 30. AAA also suggests checking tires, battery and fluids before you go.

👉 Read more: AAA’s 2026 Thanksgiving travel forecast and INRIX drive times

🦌 Deer on the Move: Brake, Don’t Swerve

Statewide. New for this week. AAA says Tennessee had more than 8,000 deer crashes in 2024, and that October, November and December are among the riskiest months, because fall is breeding season and deer move more. The Tennessee Highway Patrol said in a Nov. 10 statement that 49% of deer collisions happen between October and December, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported. And TWRA’s statewide gun deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 21, so more folks will be up and about in the woods at first light.

AAA’s advice, in plain words:

• Slow down on rural, wooded and two-lane roads, especially at dawn and dusk.
• Use your high beams when it’s safe and legal.
• If one deer crosses, expect another right behind it.
• If you can’t avoid it, brake firmly and stay in your lane. Swerving can put you into a tree, a pole or another car.
• Damage from hitting a deer is usually covered by comprehensive insurance, not collision. AAA says it’s worth checking your policy.

What it means for you: Think of the deer like the neighbor’s grandkids at a ball game: where there’s one, there’s three more. Sunrise Monday is about 6:18 a.m. and sunset about 4:35 p.m., so both the early drive and the drive home happen in deer-moving light. Taft Highway, SR-111 and the back roads through the Valley are prime spots. A few miles an hour slower gives you the extra second you need.

👉 Read more: AAA on Tennessee deer crashes · Times Free Press: THP, AAA warn drivers · TWRA deer season dates

⛽ Gas: Another Few Cents Off, Chattanooga Near $3.15

Statewide and regional. Update. AAA’s numbers for Sunday, Nov. 15: Tennessee regular averages about $3.45, down from about $3.61 a week ago and about $3.89 a month ago. The Chattanooga (Tennessee side) average is about $3.15, and Cleveland about $3.24. Tennessee diesel is about $5.72. The national average is about $3.82. We’re still paying more than a year ago, when Tennessee averaged about $2.69.

What it means for you: Prices are coming down like leaves in a light breeze, a few at a time. There’s no need to rush to the pump. If a trip to Chattanooga is already on your list this week, that’s a fine place to top off before the holiday driving starts. Prices vary by station, so the sign in Dunlap may read a little different.

👉 Read more: AAA Tennessee gas prices with metro averages · AAA state averages

🌉 Today’s Market Street Bridge Closure: It May Run a Bit Later

Regional — Hamilton County. Update. We’ve told you the Market Street Bridge is closed today, Sunday, Nov. 15, to cars and people on foot. Earlier notices said 8 a.m. to no later than 3 p.m. Eastern. Saturday evening, NewsChannel 9 and WDEF reported that TDOT now says the closure runs 8 a.m. until no later than 5 p.m. Eastern, which is about 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. our time. TDOT says it’s combining the bridge’s quarterly maintenance with its every-two-years routine inspection. Use the Olgiati or Veterans bridge.

New detail for the week: from Monday through Thursday, Nov. 16–19, about 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. our time, one right lane and the sidewalk on that side close: northbound Monday and Tuesday, southbound Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, Nov. 20, is held in reserve if weather slows things down.

What it means for you: If you’re downtown this afternoon, plan on the Olgiati or Veterans bridge until about 4. If you walk the bridge this week, you’ll be sent to the other side’s sidewalk.

👉 Read more: NewsChannel 9 on the Market Street Bridge · WDEF

☀️ Weather at Home: Dry, Sunny and Warming All Week

Local — Dunlap forecast from the National Weather Service, updated about 11 a.m. today. Update. No weather alerts were posted for Tennessee when we checked.

• Today: Sunny, high near 57. Tonight: mostly clear, low around 29.
• Monday and Tuesday: Sunny, highs near 59 and 63. Lows around 30 both nights.
• Wednesday: Sunny, high near 65. Wednesday night, low around 34.
• Thursday through Saturday: Mostly sunny to sunny, highs near 67, 69 and 69, with nights in the upper 30s to low 40s.

What it means for you: Keep the scraper handy for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Bridges and shady curves frost first, like the north side of the barn roof. After that, it’s about as easy a driving week as November gives us, and a sunny, mild Saturday for the deer-season opener.

👉 Read more: NWS forecast for Dunlap

📋 Still on the Calendar (Quick List)

• Taft Highway (SR-8), Sequatchie County: flaggers between Walden’s Farm Road and Browns Chapel, starting Monday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., through Dec. 18.
• Signal Mountain Road and Suck Creek Road: flaggers about 8 a.m.–1 p.m. our time, through Dec. 4.
• US-41 in Grundy County: flaggers between Bells Cove and West Main Street, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., last scheduled day Tuesday, Nov. 17.
• Sequatchie County closeout work: intermittent flaggers possible on SR-111, US-127/SR-28, SR-399 and SR-8 (Whitlow to Sherman roads).
• I-24 in Marion County: closeout work Sunday–Thursday nights, 7 p.m.–6 a.m., miles 152.2–156. Westbound shoulder work, miles 140.5–135, through Nov. 24.
• US-72 / SR-27 in Marion County: westbound lane closed with temporary signals through Dec. 14.
• Chattanooga this week: Gadd Road closed Mon.–Fri.; Stringer’s Ridge Tunnel closed Wed. night and the Bachman Tubes Thu. night, about 7 p.m.–5 a.m. our time.

👉 Read more: TDOT roadway activity report, Nov. 12–18 · Chattanooga closure list

✅ Your Front-Porch Checklist

• 🦃 Thanksgiving trip? Leave before noon Tue. or Wed., and come home Sat. or Sun. before 11 a.m.
• 🔧 This week: check tires, battery and fluids before the holiday rush.
• 🦌 Dawn and dusk: slow down, high beams when safe, brake and stay in your lane.
• 📄 Look over your auto policy for comprehensive coverage (that’s what covers a deer hit).
• ⛽ Gas is still sliding. Chattanooga about $3.15. No need to rush.
• 🌉 Downtown this afternoon: Market Street Bridge closed until about 4 p.m.
• 🏡 Monday: Taft Highway flaggers 9 to 2.
• 📱 Before any long trip: check SmartWay or dial 511.

The practical rule: the early bird beats the traffic, and the slow driver beats the deer.

— Dunlap.Today

📖 Words Worth Knowing

• INRIX: A traffic-data company. AAA uses its forecasts to predict the busiest holiday driving times.
• Travel period: AAA’s seven-day Thanksgiving window, Tuesday before through Monday after.
• Comprehensive coverage: The part of car insurance that covers things other than crashing into another car, like hitting a deer, hail or a falling limb.
• Rut: Deer breeding season in the fall, when bucks roam more and cross roads more often.
• Biennial inspection: A required bridge check done every two years.

❓ FAQ

What’s the best time to drive for Thanksgiving?

INRIX says mornings: before 1 p.m. Tuesday, before noon Wednesday, and before 11 a.m. Saturday or Sunday coming home. Thanksgiving Day itself should have minimal traffic. Its worst windows are afternoons and early evenings.

How many people are expected to travel?

AAA projects 81.5 million Americans nationwide from Nov. 24 to Nov. 30, with about 72.9 million driving. Tennessee’s own numbers haven’t been released yet.

What should I do if a deer runs in front of me?

AAA says brake firmly and stay in your lane. Don’t swerve. Afterward, move somewhere safe, turn on your hazards, stay away from the animal, take photos and call your insurance company.

When does gun deer season open?

TWRA’s statewide gun deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026.

How long is the Market Street Bridge closed today?

Local TV, citing TDOT, says until no later than about 4 p.m. our time (5 p.m. Eastern). Earlier notices said 3 p.m. Eastern, so it may reopen sooner. Use the Olgiati or Veterans bridge.

🔗 Other Resources

• TDOT SmartWay map: live closures and cameras (or dial 511)
• AAA 2026 Thanksgiving travel forecast
• AAA Tennessee newsroom: watch for the Tennessee Thanksgiving numbers
• AAA Tennessee gas prices: daily state and metro averages
• TWRA deer season dates
• NWS forecast for Dunlap
• TDOT newsroom: weekly roadway reports and holiday notices

🚗 Steady Wheels, Calm Mind

Here’s the short list to remember: leave in the morning for Thanksgiving; brake, don’t swerve, for deer, with gun season opening Saturday; gas keeps easing; the Market Street Bridge may stay closed until about 4 p.m. today; and Taft Highway flaggers start tomorrow, 9 to 2. The week ahead is sunny and dry, with a little frost early on. None of it is cause for worry, just good to know before you turn the key. For more calm, clear news about the roads you drive every day, keep reading Dunlap.Today.