These traffic-tangling projects will tie up commuters in the coming year

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By Judy Walton December 12, 2015 2 min read

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The gift of paving: U.S. 27 rebuild just one of the traffic-tangling projects tieing up commuters in the coming year

Electricians with Triad Electrical Contractors install new lights in the Wilcox Tunnel on Monday, August 17, 2015.

(The employees were informed not to talk to media by the City of Chattanooga so hence no ID's)

A car travels toward Shallowford road on Gunbarrel Road near McCutcheon Road Friday, October 30, 2105.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 12/7/15. Roadwork continues on widening Apison Pike near Collegedale on Monday, December 7, 2015.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 12/7/15. John Henley, left, levels land for a sidewalk as roadwork continues on widening Apison Pike near Collegedale on Monday, December 7, 2015.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 12/7/15. Roadwork continues on widening East Brainerd Raod on Monday, December 7, 2015.

Concrete barriers are stored in a lot near Finley Stadium, seen on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., as work has begun to rebuild Highway 27 in the downtown area between the north end of the Olgiati Bridge and the junction with I-24.

Trevor Glover builds a guard rail at the end of a line of concrete barriers on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., as work has begun to rebuild Highway 27 in the downtown area between the north end of the Olgiati Bridge and the junction with I-24.

Seen Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., one lane is closed as work has begun to rebuild Highway 27 in the downtown area between the north end of the Olgiati Bridge and the junction with I-24.

A truck carrying orange barrels travels on Fourth Street toward southbound Highway 27 on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., as work has begun to rebuild Highway 27 in the downtown area between the north end of the Olgiati Bridge and the junction with I-24.

Southbound Highway 27 traffic passes over Fourth Street on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., as work has begun to rebuild Highway 27 in the downtown area between the north end of the Olgiati Bridge and the junction with I-24.

Orange barrels line the entrance ramp from Fourth Street to Highway 27 southbound on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., as work has begun to rebuild Highway 27 in the downtown area between the north end of the Olgiati Bridge and the junction with I-24.

Traffic travels south on Highway 27 on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., as work has begun to rebuild Highway 27 in the downtown area between the north end of the Olgiati Bridge and the junction with I-24.

Survey markers are seen Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., as work has begun to rebuild Highway 27 in the downtown area between the north end of the Olgiati Bridge and the junction with I-24.

For many Chattanooga-area commuters, 2016 is going to be a year of going nowhere fast.

Or maybe it will be a year when they seize the opportunity to learn about those little byways and back streets that can lead them around, behind, over or beside the big, messy-but-necessary roadbuilding projects starting or continuing in the coming year.

Commuters, truckers and business travelers will be threading their way through the major rebuild of U.S. Highway 27 between Interstate 24 and the north bank of the Tennessee River, and ongoing, multiyear widening work on East Brainerd Road and Apison Pike, as well as smaller projects around the area.

Here are the details:

Where: U.S. Highway 27 from Interstate 24 to north end of Olgiati Bridge