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A 13 mile stretch of Interstate 24 East in Coffee County near the Grundy County line will remain closed through at least Saturday after a massive sinkhole opened up in the roadway Tuesday morning.
Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesperson Jennifer Flynn said the sinkhole developed at mile marker 127 but before exit 127, near Ruthledge Hill and northwest of Monteagle, around 8 a.m.
The sinkhole, estimated to be 25 feet wide and 25 feet deep, consumes about one and a half of the two eastbound lanes and part of the left shoulder.
TDOT Tuesday afternoon awarded an emergency contract to Highways, Inc. to immediately begin repairs to the damaged section.
Officials hope to have the repairs completed and the road reopened by Saturday, May 22.
Until then, eastbound traffic will be detoured off I-24 at exit 114 to Highway 41 to State Route 50 and then back onto I-24 at exit 127.
Several alternate routes are available for motorists traveling from Nashville to the Chattanooga area including I-65 South to U.S. 64, exit 14, east to I-24; I-40 east to State Route 111, exit 288, south to U.S. 27 to Chattanooga or I-24 east to U.S. 231, exit 81, south/west to US-41A south/east to I-24 at MM-134.
Motorists traveling to Atlanta may also take I-65 South to Birmingham then I-20 to Atlanta.
