Interstate 24

Interstate 24 is an interstate highway in the eastern United States. It runs (diagonally) from Pulleys Mill, Illinois (near Paducah, Kentucky) at Interstate 57 to Chattanooga, Tennessee at Interstate 75.

Length

Major cities along the route

• Paducah, Kentucky
• Clarksville, Tennessee
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Chattanooga, Tennessee

Intersections with other Interstates

• Interstate 57 in Pulleys Mill, Illinois
• Interstate 65 in Nashville, Tennessee
• Interstate 40 in Nashville, Tennessee
• Interstate 59 in Lookout Mountain, Georgia
• Interstate 75 in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Monteagle

One of the most notoriously hazardous stretches of Interstate highway in the United States is approximately 40 miles (64 km) west of Chattanooga on I-24 in Monteagle, Tennessee, where the highway goes over the Cumberland Plateau. Compared to grades elsewhere, Monteagle's 4 to 6 percent grade doesn't sound like much, but the slope is protracted over a distance of several miles. While all motorists need to exercise caution, truckers are particularly vexed by Monteagle, and many have died going through this area. The east bound lanes feature several runaway truck traps where a truck with no brakes can exit into a long pit full of loose gravel to safely stop. This dangerous stretch of highway inspired Johnny Cash to write a song about Monteagle Mountain.

Notes

• I-24 has a very small (four mile) section southwest of Chattanooga that dips south into Georgia to meet I-59. This section uses mile markers indicating the elapsed distance in Georgia, but maintains the Tennessee exit numbering and resumes the Tennessee mileage markings (with the indicated mileage including the four mile stretch in Georgia) upon returning north of the border approaching Chattanooga. The Georgia segment is also officially Georgia State Highway 409.
• A spur into Chattanooga, called I-124, is designated a secret route. There are no official spurs from I-24.
• I-24 makes up a highway between St. Louis, Missouri (or Chicago, Illinois) and Atlanta, Georgia. It links up through links with I-64 and I-57 across Illinois.

Reference

• 2005 Rand McNally "The Road Atlas 2005" – newest feature- interstate mileage by state