Truckers and drivers crossing Tennessee this weekend need a new plan for Manchester. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) says its contract crews will fully close Interstate 24 and State Route 55 at Exit 111 in Coffee County from 9:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6, 2026, until 6:00 a.m. on Monday, November 9, so crews can demolish the SR 55 South bridge over the interstate.
Source: TDOT release via The Rooster 101.5
The work is part of TDOT's SR 55 bridge replacement project at Exit 111, where the highway known locally as McMinnville Highway crosses I-24 near Manchester, close to Coffee County Raider Academy. TDOT says this is the first of two planned weekend closures at the interchange: a second weekend closure, on a date still to be announced, will be needed to demolish the SR 55 North bridge.
How traffic will move during the closure
Through traffic on I-24 is not being sent on a long detour. Instead, TDOT says vehicles in both directions will be routed up and over the Exit 111 interchange, using the exit and entrance ramps to bypass the demolition zone before rejoining the interstate. Drivers should still expect slowdowns at the ramps, especially at peak weekend hours, because all interstate traffic must squeeze through the interchange.
SR 55 itself will be fully closed over I-24 for the entire weekend, and TDOT says a signed detour will guide local drivers around the closure. Drivers whose destination is Manchester are advised to use Exit 110 or Exit 114 instead of Exit 111, and message boards across the area will carry advance notice and directions.
The ramp changes, step by step
Two ramp details matter most. First, the Exit 110 entrance ramp onto I-24 East will be closed for the whole weekend and will reopen on Monday morning. Second, Exit 111A will stay open throughout the weekend, because eastbound I-24 traffic will use it to climb up and over SR 55 before re-entering the interstate.
That arrangement flips on Monday morning. When I-24 and SR 55 reopen at 6:00 a.m. on November 9, Exit 111A will close and eastbound drivers heading for SR 55 will use what is currently Exit 111B. Local reporting of TDOT's plan says the Exit 111A closure is expected to last roughly eight to ten months during this phase of construction.
Source: Whiskey Country Radio (TDOT plan)
A new traffic pattern from Monday
The weekend is also being used to set up the next long phase of the project. When SR 55 reopens on Monday, all of its traffic will be shifted onto the SR 55 North bridge, with one lane of travel maintained in each direction on that single structure, while the South bridge is removed and replaced. Drivers on McMinnville Highway should expect that one-lane-each-way pattern, and the delays that come with it, to be the normal setup for months.
TDOT says additional Rural Service Patrol units will be staged in the area to help motorists, and permit restrictions for large and oversize loads will be in place throughout the closure. I-24 is a major freight route between Nashville and Chattanooga, so heavy vehicles should build extra time into weekend runs, follow the ramp routing at Exit 111 exactly as signed, and check conditions before rolling.
Why this interchange, and why now
The Exit 111 project is a full bridge replacement, not a resurfacing job: TDOT is replacing both SR 55 bridges over I-24, and the wider project is scheduled for completion in May 2029. Demolishing a bridge that stands directly over a live interstate cannot be done under traffic, which is why TDOT has chosen two full weekend shutdowns, with the interstate kept moving over the ramps, rather than weeks of nightly lane closures.
TDOT stresses that all of the work is weather-dependent and subject to change. The department urges drivers to plan ahead, expect delays and use alternate routes where possible, to check the TDOT SmartWay map or call 511 for statewide travel information before leaving, and to stay alert and follow posted signs in the work zone. Its release also reminds drivers of Tennessee's Move Over Law, passed in 2006, which carries a possible penalty of up to 30 days in jail and a maximum fine of $500.
What happens next
If the schedule holds, the closure lifts at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, November 9, the new SR 55 traffic pattern begins the same morning, and Exit 111A stays closed for most of the coming year. A second full weekend closure of I-24 at Exit 111 will be announced later for the demolition of the SR 55 North bridge. Until then, the safest rule for anyone crossing Coffee County this weekend is simple: leave earlier, use Exit 110 or 114 for Manchester, and check SmartWay or 511 before you go.