Commenced the final day of this trip from Jeffersonville, Indiana, just outside of the Interstate 65, I-265, and Indiana 265 interchange. Avoiding the bulk of traffic along Interstate 65 into Louisville, we opted for I-265 west to I-64 and out of the Falls City area.

Currently I-265 does double duty, as the Sherman Minton Bridge over the Ohio River of Interstate 64 was closed for emergency repairs on September 9. Alternate Interstate 64 shields are posted to guide motorists along Interstate 265 between I-64 and I-65. Exit 0 of Interstate 265 west remains open as the I-64 ramps to Spring and Main Streets at New Albany remain in service.

Interstate 64 reduces to four overall lanes beyond the Exit 118 diamond interchange with Indiana 62 and 64 west. The road remains rural from this point west to Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

The only state-named shield for Interstate 64 posted in Indiana that we are aware.

Traffic counts are somewhat low along Interstate 64 across southern Indiana, ranging between 10,200 vehicles per day (vpd) and 23,950 vpd from I-164 at Evansville to Exit 113 near Lanesville. This scene looks at the hills along the westbound freeway ahead of Exit 63.

A ten mile exit less stretch lies ahead of the full-cloverleaf interchange of Interstate 64 west with Interstate 164 & Indiana 57 south and Interstate 69 & Indiana 57 north (Exits 29B/A).

A 1.77-mile stretch of Interstate 69 between Interstate 64 and SR 68 opened to traffic on October 1, 2009.¹ This segment is the first to be completed between Evansville to Bloomington. The greened out exit number displayed “22″ in 2009, continuing the mileage of Interstate 164 northward. Since I-69 will be shorter than that to Kentucky, the number was premature. See a photo of the sign before the greenout on the AARoads Forum.

Construction is well underway as part of Governor Mitch Daniels’ Major Moves initiative to extend Interstate 69 southwest from Indianapolis. Currently traffic must depart for the Indiana 57 northbound ramp to SR-68. Work continues on the next segments of new Interstate 69 from Indiana 68 to Indiana 64 near Oakland City (Section 2) and SR 64 to Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center (Section 3) with a completion dated set for December 2012. Section 4, Crane to Bloomington, has yet to break ground but is slated for a 2014 opening.²

The first southbound shield of Interstate 164 coincides with an Indiana 57 marker south of the interchange with Interstates 64 and 69. Interstate 69 will run in tandem with I-164 to a point where the Evansville spur turns west. A new bridge is planned across the Ohio River for Interstate 69. Estimates put the new span and a 13-mile stretch of roadway from the river to the Pennyrile Parkway at $1.4 billion.³

The Lloyd Expressway opened officially in 1988 as a controlled access route from downtown Evansville east to Interstate 164 and west to the University of Southern Indiana and Posey county line. The divided highway doubles as SR 66 east of U.S. 41 and SR 62 west of U.S. 41. See Thomas Decker’s Lloyd Expressway guide at AARoads for photos.

Interstate 164, completed August 2, 1990, draws to a close at the full-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 41 (Exit 0). The freeway transitions into Veterans Memorial Parkway, a controlled-access roadway west to Riverside Drive at Sunset Park. U.S. 41 continues south from the end to Henderson, Kentucky.

U.S. 41 passes by Ellis Park from Interstate 164 to enter the state of Kentucky at the Ohio River. A pair of cantilever bridges span the river: the northbound bridge opened in 1932, the southbound in 1965.

A congested stretch awaits southbound motorists along U.S. 41 between the Ohio River and the Pennyrile Parkway beginning. Numerous traveler services and other businesses line the arterial through to the freeway beginning at Exit 81 (junction U.S. 60).

The Audubon Parkway joins Henderson with Owensboro via Exit 77 of the Pennyrile Parkway. Some Chamber of Commerce suggestions for the Audubon upgrade the route as a spur of Interstate 69 to bring Owensboro onto the Interstate system.

Pennyrile Parkway doubles as the Future Interstate 69 corridor from Henderson south to the Western Kentucky Parkway. Signs such as this are posted periodically along the route.

Future Interstate 69 turns west along the Western Kentucky Parkway at Exit 34B of the Pennyrile Parkway. A full-cloverleaf interchange currently joins the two roadways, with Interstate 69 southbound utilizing a single lane ramp to make the transition.

Interstate 69 was officially designated in Kentucky on October 18, 2011. Signs went up along the Western Kentucky Parkway between the Pennyrile and junction Interstate 24 after a ceremony at Nortonville. Some shield assemblies include “Formerly Western Kentucky Parkway” markers as well. Our drive along the I-69 stretch west to I-24 revealed only stand-alone shields and guide signs were not updated to reflect the Interstate status yet.

Interstate 69 south joins Interstate 24 west for 17-mile overlap to the Purchase Parkway. Signs for Interstate 69 were not posted along I-24 yet and the Purchase Parkway is only signed as a Future Interstate 69 corridor at this time.

Interstate 24 draws to within one half mile of the Exit 81 trumpet interchange with the Pennyrile Parkway northbound beginning. The Parkway was extended southward six miles from U.S. 68 at Hopkinsville on March 1, 2011.

Heading south to the merge of Interstate 24 east and 65 south at Nashville. The two share 1.8 miles.

With the downtown Nashville skyline in view, Interstate 65 south parts ways with Interstate 24 east at a directional interchange. I-24 & 65 originally continued together to junction Interstate 40 at the Cumberland River. The northern arc of the Nashville inner belt was originally signed as Interstate 265, but replaced in 1999 when Interstate 65 was realigned to the west in an effort to split through traffic.

A look at downtown Nashville and the Korean Veterans Boulevard and Shelby Avenue Bridges over the Cumberland River from Interstate 24 east (south).

Interstate 24 and 40 share a brief stretch of pavement leading away from central Nashville.

Continuing south, Interstate 24 leaves Interstate 40 and quickly meets the east end of Interstate 440. Ramps from Interstate 40 form separate carriageways through to the I-440 (Exit 53) directional interchange.

Interstate 24 constitutes an eight-lane suburbanized freeway from Nashville southeast toward Murphreesboro.

Tennessee 840 reassurance marker posted after Exit 34 (Peytonsville-Trinity Road). Tennessee 840 currently exists in two segments, from I-40 to SR 46 in Williamson County and from U.S. 31 to I-40 in Wilson County. Construction is underway to join the two portions into a seamless beltway on the south side of Nashville by December 2012.

South of TN-840, Interstate 65 meets the east end of Tennessee 396 (Saturn Parkway). Named for the original General Motorists Saturn Plant at Spring Hill, the TN-396 expressway connects I-65 with U.S. 31 (Main Street). Interstate 65 transitions into a rural freeway beyond Spring Hill.

See photos from the rest of this day’s drive on our updated Interstate 65 southbound guides for Alabama.

Sources:

1. “Southbound Indiana 57 traffic diverting onto new stretch of I-69.” Evansville Courier & Press, September 29, 2009.
2. “Portions of Interstate 69 ready for traffic by end of 2012.” Evansville Courier & Press, August 29, 2011.
3. “Lobbyists being hired to push for I-69 bridge.” Evansville Courier & Press, February 12, 2011.

Work associated with the Progress 65 project in Montgomery is now complete. Despite the presence of construction barrels in this scene taken November 3, 2011, there was no active work. Interstate 65 was widened to six lanes on a 4.613-mile stretch through Montgomery and speed limits increased to 60 mph. All final guide signs are in place.

Shelby County widening of Interstate 65 from Exit 242 (CR 52) north to the Jefferson County line is near completion. The freeway carries six lanes on this stretch with increased ramp capacity at the suburban interchanges of Alabama 119 (Cahaba Valley Road), CR 52 and CR 17 (Valleydale Road). Future expansion will focus on the freeway south from Exit 242 to Exit 238, and eventually the Shelby County Airport interchange (Exit 234).

Work continues on the reconstruction of Interstate 65 from the Jefferson County line northward to U.S. 31 (Exit 252) at Vestavia Hills. When we passed through in June, northbound traffic was partitioned between a single lane and two-lane carriageway split and no signs were left for Interstate 459. Now southbound utilizes that configuration while northbound continues with three overall lanes and new Highway Gothic font based signs are in place. Work on this aspect of the Progress 65 project is slated for completion this upcoming winter.

Many cities and metro areas in the country have an interchange nicknamed "Malfunction Junction", the Birmingham example of this is the junction where Interstate 65 meets Interstates 20-59 northwest of downtown. Large diagrammatical signs went up in 2003 to accompany a reconstruction of the junction. Left-hand ramps remain in use in all directions as both sets of carriageways intertwine.

The only remaining button copy shields for Interstates 20 and 59 remain on the ramp from Interstate 65 north to the eastbound overlapped freeway. These signs date from the completion of Malfunction Junction in 1972.

Turn east and cross a viaduct and one quickly meets U.S. 31 and the eastbound beginning of U.S. 280, otherwise known as the Elton B. Stephens Expressway. Constructed between 1962 and the 1980s, the urban freeway varies from an elevated highway southward through a rock cut at Red Mountain. U.S. 280 follows the roadway southward to Rosedale Drive at the Birmingham Zoo and travels 392 miles overall to Blitchton, Georgia (west of Savannah).

Interstate 20 east and 59 north part ways at Woodlawn and northeast Birmingham. Interstate 20 resumes an eastward course to Atlanta and Columbia while Interstate 59 travels northeast to Gadsden and the Chattanooga area.

Interstate 459 ends at Exit 137 of Interstate 59. Interstate 459 was completed in 1985 and provides a high speed bypass for Interstate 59 between Tuscaloosa and Gadsden. The planned North Beltline (Interstate 422) will tie into Interstate 59 at a point further north.

Most of Interstate 59 consists of asphalt pavement, but the stretch between Exit 183 and near Stephen Gap Road in Etowah County utilizes a concrete surface. A 10.91-mile progress, dubbed Progress 59, is underway to rehabilitate the pavement. Currently travelers in both directions utilize the southbound carriageway with one lane per direction. Concrete resumes as the surface for I-59 throughout Dekalb County.

A new alignment was constructed for 49th Street between U.S. 11 and Gault Avenue on the north side of Fort Payne in 2010. The roadway ties into Interstate 59 at the Exit 224 diamond interchange, opened July 30, 2010, to provide access to Fort Payne Industrial Park. ¹

The northernmost 20.67 miles of Interstate 59 travels through Georgia to end at Interstate 24. Raccoon Mountain rises in the background.

Exit 178 partitions into ramps for hidden Interstate 124 & U.S. 27 north to downtown Chattanooga, U.S. 11-41-64 (and U.S. 72 too) along Broad Street northbound and Williams Street southbound.

Lowering toward the split with U.S. 11 north & 64 east at Exit 11. A loop ramp was added recently from US 11 south/64 west onto Interstate 75.

Interstate 75 enters a "Fog Advisory Area" between Exits 27 and 42. Sign bridges with dynamic message signs are posted at Exits 27 and 33 to advise motorists of speed limit changes and weather conditions during periods of dense fog. A similar configuration exists along the Interstate 10 Bayway in Alabama. Both are a result of tragic car pile ups induced by dense fog conditions (1990 in Tennessee, 1995 in Alabama).

Interstate 40 and 75 combine and share an eight-lane freeway through to Knoxville. Occasionally auxiliary lanes swell the freeway to ten lanes. Though in the early afternoon during inclement weather in this scene, traffic was already moderate. Traffic counts have risen steadily from 128,308 vehicles per day (vpd) in 1995 to a peak of 166,054 vpd in 2009.

Interstate 75 drops from six to four lanes on the exit of the Knoxville area at Exit 112.

Approaching Exit 83 with Kentucky 2872 at the crossing of Silver Creek along Interstate 75 northbound. A diamond interchange opened in 2005 with Duncannon Lane, a multilane connector leading northeast to U.S. 25 at the Blue Grass Army Depot. The exit replaced a rest area that previously resided south of Duncannon Lane.

A recent change sees all Interstate shields along Interstate 75 northbound, including the overlap with Interstate 64 west, replaced with state-named shields in Fayette County.

There was little let up to the rain through to the merge with Interstate 71 and into the Covington and Newport area. 2.26 inches of rain fell at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport no less…

Sources:

1. "New interchange opens in Dekalb County." WAFF-TV, July 30, 2010.

We begin our day at Mt. Sterling, Kentucky and discover one of a handful of state named shields for Interstate 64. This particular assembly is found along Kentucky 686 (Indian Mound Drive), a circumferential arterial around the city. KY-686 is signed as east-west, even on the north-south routing of the state route.

This Kentucky 11 shield includes the rarely seen Highway Gothic Series A.

Kentucky 2 north at the beginning of Kentucky 59 near Exit 156 of Interstate 64.

Delaware 1 & 7 at Christiana? No, Kentucky 1 & 7 at Grayson. Kentucky 9 begins nearby and follows the John Y. Brown, Jr. AA Highway west to Interstate 275 near Covington. The AA Highway derived its original name for its intended connections between Alexandria and Ashland. Governor John Y. Brown’s name was added to honor his efforts to get the road built.

Kentucky 67 (Industrial Parkway) nears its southbound end at junction Interstate 64 (Exit 179). Kentucky 67 was built as a new corridor between Interstate 64 and U.S. 23 between 2002 and 2003. Right of way accommodations exist to four-lane the highway should capacity needs demand it. Additionally it appears provisions for a possible southern extension were built into the interchange design with Interstate 64.

U.S. 52 merges with Interstate 64 between Exits 1 and 6 from Kenova to West Huntington. Construction along their cosigned section is underway involving the replacement of the Twelve Police Creek Bridge near milepost 2. Traffic currently utilizes the eastbound span while a new westbound span is under construction. Drivers will shift to the new span on December 1 as crews dismantle and build a new eastbound bridge.

U.S. 52 leaves Interstate 64 and travels an expressway north through West Huntington to the Nick Joe Rahall II Bridge over the Ohio River. Known as the West Huntington Expressway, the alignment of U.S. 52 to Ohio was constructed in 1965 initially between I-64 and Jefferson Avenue and signed as West Virginia 94 until 1979. The Ohio River bridge was built in 1968 and reconstructed in 1998. Tolls were collected on the span until the mid 1980s.

Interstate 64 based sign posted along Ohio 7 at the trumpet interchange with U.S. 52 north of the Nick Joe Rahall II Bridge. Ohio 7 was extended to replace the original U.S. 52 alignment from the original 6th Street Bridge west when the highway shifted to the Rahall Bridge in 1979. This section of freeway opened in 1961; old U.S. 52 across the Ohio River was renumbered as Multi-state Route 527.

U.S. 35 shifted to a new expressway alignment emanating from Exit 44 of Interstate 64 northward 12 miles to a point north of Fraziers Bottom. This roadway is part of an overall plan to four-lane U.S. 35 from Putnam County to the Ohio state line at Henderson. Sections of the southern section of U.S. 35 opened from south to north between Fall 2008 and June 2009. Work is ongoing from Beech Hill west to a 1997-completed section of expressway at Henderson. Construction on the new U.S. 35 alignment between Fraziers Bottom and Beech Hill was unfunded, but a recent approval by Putnam County commissioners may see the remaining 14.6-mile stretch completed as a toll road. Mason County commissioners passed a resolution approving tolls as well, so the new road, when completed, will carry a $4 toll for passenger vehicles. Old U.S. 35 from Fraziers Bottom to U.S. 60 at Nitro is now signed as West Virginia 817.

A new eastbound Interstate 64 bridge over the Kanawha River, between Dunbar and South Charleston, opened on September 9, 2010. Construction started on the 2,950 foot span in June 2007. The concrete box girder span is the longest in North America.

The second Kanawha River crossing of Interstate 64 takes the freeway east with U.S. 119 onto a viaduct through to the merge with Interstate 77 (Exit 59).

Scenery along the West Virginia Turnpike southbound after Exit 79. Cabin Creek Road winds from Dawes to Giles nearby. Just east of this scene is the Memorial Tunnel bypass section near Standard.

Heading south toward the massive William C. Brown Bridge over the Piney Creek on the East Beckley Bypass. The East Beckley Bypass joins U.S. 19 (Eisenhower Drive) in southeast Beckley currently, but is slated to end at West Virginia 41 (Stanaford Road) by summer 2011. ARRA money helped pushed the stalled project forward.

Clearview based signs posted at the Interstate 77 southbound merge with Interstate 81 outside Wytheville.

U.S. 121 is slated for the Coalfields Expressway in southwestern Virginia and West Virginia, not at Fort Chiswell!

It almost appears as if this U.S. 11 shield is a Virginia 11 shield because of weathering. What may be the case is that an original Virginia shield was recycled as a U.S. highway shield. Either way the sign is located along Main Street south in Marion.

Crossing the South Fork of the Holston River along Interstate 26 east (south) in Kingsport, Tennessee. We rounded out the day’s drive via I-26 to U.S. 25 southward into South Carolina.

Sources:

• KentuckyRoads.com – AA Highway.
• KentuckyRoads.com – KY 67.
• "I-64 Construction Update." WSAZ, April 24, 2010.
• U.S. Route 52 in West Virginia @ Wikipedia.org.
• Ohio State Route 7 @ Wikipedia.org.
• "Putnam commissioners approval tolls on U.S. 35." theCharlestonGazette, September 28, 2010.
• "Commission approves resolution backing U.S. 35 toll." Point Pleasant Register.
• "Part of new Interstate 64 bridge set to open to traffic." Charleston Daily Mail, July 29, 2010.

Ohio 711 was completed on October 24, 2005 after three years of construction. The 3.35-mile state route links Interstate 80 and Ohio 11 with Interstate 680. For years ramp stubs sat unused at Interstate 80 and Ohio 711 existed as a short spur from Interstate 680 (Exit 3A) to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

Ohio 711 travels a viaduct from U.S. 422 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard) westward over the Mahoning River to junction Interstate 680.

An original button copy diagrammatical sign for Exits 4B/A, west of downtown Youngstown, was replaced with a new overhead assembly. The number of Interstate 680 originated from the Ohio Turnpike as Interstate 80N. A partial "Y" interchange provides only westbound access to the urban loop from Interstate 76 at the south end.

Approaching the Turnpike bump of Interstates 80 and 76. New diagrammatical overheads were installed on the westbound approach.

Westbound Interstate 76 at the partial-cloverleaf interchange with Martha Avenue (Exit 25). Ohio 241 was shifted from its Massillion Road alignment to Seiberling Street north and Martha Avenue west to end at Ohio 18 (Market Street) adjacent to Exit 25 in 2009.

U.S. 224 upgrades to Interstate 277 west at Exits 4B/A with Interstate 77 in Akron. Interstate 277 travels 4.14 miles west to Interstate 76 and was completed by 1970.

Interstate 76 draws to a close at a recently reconfigured interchange with Interstate 71. U.S. 224 continues west to Lodi.
A $70.4-million project wrapped up on August 4, 2010 to widen Interstate 71 to six lanes surrounding Interstate 76 and concurrently modify the interchange connections. What was originally a trumpet interchange to trumpet interchange connection was expanded to include two new ramps and two modified ramps. Westbound Interstate 76 gained a new ramp to Interstate 71 north (Exit 1B) in the process.

Heading west on the outer loop of Interstate 270 at Exit 22 with Ohio 315 in north Columbus. A major resurfacing project commences west of this junction and southward to Exit 17. Project studies at Ohio 315 involve a potential upgrade of the interchange to include two new directional ramps (the two Ohio 315 ramps to Interstate 270).

Interstate 680 and Ohio 315 interact in an odd series of ramps due to the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers nearby. Much of the final portion of Interstate 670 westward to Interstate 70 parallels the Scioto and the urban loop was the last to be completed in Ohio, opening fully in 2003.

Approaching the Park and Goodale Street cut and cover tunnel on Interstate 670 east near Exits 4A/B (junction U.S. 23). Interstate 670 yields several ramps ahead with Interstate 71 and U.S. 40. Additionally the freeway splits into separate roadways for the eastbound and westbound mainline between North 4th Street and junction Interstate 71.

Trying to remain along the Interstate 670 eastbound mainline through the junction with Interstate 71 is tedious. Only one through lane is providing and weaving traffic concerns with the departure of Exit 5B and the merge of the northbound Interstate 71 on-ramp.

ITS mileposts for Interstate 670 continue beyond Interstate 270 along the U.S. 62 freeway spur to Styger Road at Gahanna.

Though not signed as such, the Exit 30 collector/distributor roadway along side the freeway mainline provides a local/express configuration for Interstate 270 northbound from Interstate 670 to the Sunbury Road under pass south of Ohio 161.

Traveling the short overlap of Interstate 70 west & 71 south through downtown Columbus. ODOT’s I-70 I_71 South Innerbelt Corridor Study addresses congestion and design elements with the urban freeway.

The only known Interstate 70 Ohio shield still posted.

72 miles north of Interstate 275 is this mileage sign posted along Interstate 71 south.

Traveling through the trenched section of Interstate 75 south through the city of Lockland. The two carriageways of the freeway separate between Exit 13 and the junction with Ohio 126 (Exit 10). Commuter congestion results from the Exit 13 c/d roadway merge, the on-ramp from Ohio 126 east, and the on-ramp from Ohio 4.

Traffic slows to a crawl due to the left-hand merge of Interstate 71 south onto Interstate 75 at the Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River. A joint study between ODOT and KYTC remains underway to address congestion and capacity issues with the overwhelmed Brent Spence Bridge. Potential construction is still years away however.

Classically shaped U.S. 50 trailblazer posted along Freeman Street south ahead of West 8th Street. Freeman Street sees ramps to both U.S. 50 west and east at West 6th Street to the south.

Interstate 71 and 75 southbound split.

Interstate 71 was widened between 2006-07 from 3.2 miles north of Exit 57 through to the Kentucky 35 interchange. Expansion of the Exit 57 off-ramp from Interstate 71 south occurred in 2004. These improvements were completed to improve access to the Kentucky Speedway nearby.

Approaching the interchange with Interstate 265 south and Kentucky 841 (Gene Snyder Freeway) along Interstate 71 south. This sign advises motorists that the Gene Snyder Freeway does not continue west to Indiana. Eventually it will become a part of seamless Interstate 265 with Indiana’s section. Known as the East End Bridge, the new Ohio River crossing will carry six lanes. The construction time table remains uncertain. More information is available at The Ohio River Bridges Project of Kentucky and Indiana.

Sources:

• Ohio State Route 711 @ Wikipedia.org.
• Ohio State Route 241 @ Wikipedia.org.
• Interstate 670 (Ohio) @ Wikipedia.org.

Almost devoid of snow, U.S. 61 northbound after its split with U.S. 67 in downtown Davenport, Iowa. A full day of rain washed most of the snow away, but it would return with a vengeance later Christmas day.

More snow fell then forecast, with the Quad Cities area receiving 3 to 4 inches. This photo, taken at 7:47 am, shows the condition of Interstate 74 near Exit 4 to U.S. 67. The overpass above was replaced in 2009, and the Clearview-fonted signage below was added in place of an overhead assembly.

Snow covered Illinois-Iowa Memorial Bridge across the Mississippi River.

The roads were no better in Illinois this morning.

Not many other drivers were out this early, but the first of 13 accidents we witnessed occurred at the east end of Interstate 280.

Wintry scene along Interstate 80 east between Interstates 74-280 and Exit 19.

The degree of plowing varied from county to county. Bureau County’s stretch of Interstate 80 was somewhat better than Rock Island’s.

Interstate 80 east at Interstate 180′s southbound beginning, now in Clearview.

Eastbound Interstate 80 at Illinois 251 (Exit 75), the old alignment for U.S. 51. Signs for Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 are posted at 3.50 miles ahead of their cloverleaf interchange with I-80…

Equally snowy Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge across the Illinois River on Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 south.

Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 carried a lot more traffic than Interstate 80 by mid-morning. Drivers tended to clump together too, and several accidents were noted on the 59-mile drive to Bloomington-Normal.

Road conditions worsened along Interstate 55 south between Interstate 39 and Interstate 74.

Interstate 55 south & 74 east split on the southwest side of Bloomington. Interstate 74 carries U.S. 51 back to its original alignment south of town. Business Loop I-55 ties into the split from Veterans Parkway to the northeast.

Winds shifted from the south around the low pressure system over Illinois, resulting in blowing snow over Interstate 74 between Bloomington and Champaign.

Shocked shield posted for Interstate 57 between Exits 232 and 229. The pavement condition was markedly better through Champaign.

Moderate snow squall along Interstate 57 south on the south side of Mattoon near junction U.S. 45 & Illinois 121 (Exit 184).

Merging with Interstate 70 west along Interstate 57 south.

The first sunlight we saw in eight days, Interstate 57 south near the Fayette and Clay County line.

Interstate 64 west joins Interstate 57 south through the Mt. vernon area. A new interchange (Exit 94) opened between the freeway and Veterans Memorial Drive in 2009. Veterans Memorial Drive was extended west from 42nd Street to the adjacent Wells Bypass. A stub exists at their intersection for further lengthening.

Now out of the snow finally, Interstate 57 splits with the eastbound beginning of Interstate 24. Plenty of snow birds and other holiday travelers using each freeway.

Descending toward Exit 14 with U.S. 45 near Vienna, Illinois on Interstate 24 east.

The day’s snowfall slowed our southward progress and gobbled up most of our daylight. We spanned the Ohio River southward along Interstate 24 toward Paducah by 4:12 pm.

A rare business loop exists in western Kentucky for Interstate 24 through Paducah. The route is signed at both ends and with some consistency on its surface alignment through the city.

A few highlights from the final day of traveling from the Cincinnati area back south toward the Gulf Coast of Florida…

The start of the morning has us heading north from the Covington area back into Cincinnati over the Brent Spence Bridge. Opened to traffic in 1963, this double-deck cantilever bridge carries Interstate 71 and Interstate 75 traffic from Kentucky into the western downtown area of Cincinnati, where the two interstates depart for Columbus (Interstate 71) and Dayton (Interstate 75), respectively. A study is currently underway to improve traffic flow and to replace the existing Brent Spence bridge. More than likely, a new structure will be built to replace the almost 47 year old bridge spanning the Ohio River.

Heading north on the lower deck of the Brent Spence Bridge toward the downtown area of Cincinnati. Photo taken 11/08/09.

Part of the trek around the Cincinnati area involved traveling Interstate 471. The short 5.75 mile expressway connects Interstate 71 in downtown Cincinnati with Interstate 275 and U.S. Highway 27 in Kentucky east of Covington and Newport. Originally planned in the 1960′s to connect Covington and Newport as the Riverside Expressway, Interstate 471 saw several changes in its controversial routing before being built in its current location. An interesting note about the expressway, the portion south of the Interstate 275 interchange is actually signed as Interstate 471, and not as Kentucky 471, its hidden route designation south of the greater Cincinnati beltway. So, the question must be asked, exactly where does Interstate 471 end? Most would say at the interchange with Interstate 275 but signs show otherwise…

This guide sign warns motorists that Interstate 471 ends 1/2 mile ahead. This sign is actually found just south of the interchange with Interstate 275 before the at-grade intersection with U.S. Highway 27. Photo taken 11/08/09.

Approaching the intersection with Alexandria Pike (U.S. Highway 27) and the beginning of northbound Interstate 471. Photo taken 11/08/09.

First northbound reassurance shield for Interstate 471 just north of the Alexandria Pike intersection and south of the interchange with Interstate 275. Photo taken 11/08/09.

The Smart Fix project along Interstate 40 between exits 388A (James White Parkway) and 389 (Hall of Fame Drive)in Knoxville, Tennessee is now complete and opened to traffic, as of June 12, 2009, 18 days ahead of schedule. The 14-month closure resulted in mainline Interstate 40 through traffic being rerouted onto Interstate 640 to avoid the construction area. The project included the widening of Interstate 40 into a six-lane urban arterial with four auxiliary lanes, rehabilitation and reconstruction of 13 bridges and other improvements, and a complete renovation of the interchange with Tennessee 158 (James White Parkway) at Exit 388A.

Traveling east along Interstate 40 after Exit 388A in Knoxville. This stretch of interstate was closed for 14 months as part of the Smart Fix project, a project at making a 40 year plus old section of Interstate 40 safer to traffic. Photo taken 11/08/09.

Newly reconstructed overpass for Hall of Fame Drive over Interstate 40 at Exit 389. This aesthetically pleasing overpass was reconstructed as part of the Smart Fix project along the interstate between exits 388A and 389. Photo taken 11/08/09.

Widening is currently underway along Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama. This project totals 4.613 miles in length and focuses on replacing the original concrete surface with asphalt while expanding the previous four-lane freeway into six lanes overall. Work exists between U.S. 80 (Exit 167) and the Alabama River bridge. Overhead highway signs along the stretch were replaced during the project. See Progress65 for more details.

New diagrammatical overhead for the split of Interstate 85 north from Interstate 65 north in Montgomery.

Continuing north along Interstate 65, widening is also underway between Exits 262A and 264 in north Birmingham, with additional work slated for next year from Exit 265 to 267. Construction focuses on the building of new collector/distributor roadways that will eventually serve the eastern terminus of Interstate 22 (Corridor X). No work has commenced on the interchange itself, but some land clearing of for the eventual path of the new highway has already occurred.

A look at the ongoing road work along Interstate 65 through northern reaches of Birmingham.

Shifting northward toward Nashville, Tennessee, the long-delayed completion of the Tennessee 840 beltway is moving closer to fruition. 60 of the 78 mile-route is now open to traffic, with crews working on either constructing or developing the final stretch between U.S. 31 and Tennessee 100. Work on 6.1 miles of new freeway between Tennessee 100 to Tennessee 46 (Pinewood Road) is currently underway along this stretch involving grading, drainage, and the building of bridges. Completion of that stretch should occur by 2011. The 7.9-mile segment between Leipers Creek Road and U.S. 31 (Columbia Pike) is also underway, with an opening expected in 2012. This leaves the stretch between Tennessee 46 and Leipers Creek Road, which remains in the developmental stage of work. More info can be found on the TDOT web site.

Departing Tennessee 840 westbound at Exit 28, junction U.S. 31. A roughly 2.5 mile stretch of completed but unopened roadway stems west from the diamond interchange with Columbia Pike.

If you have never driven Interstate 65 leading north from Tennessee, you will be surprised at how busy the corridor is with commercial trucks. The freeway rivals stretches such as Interstate 70 with its high volume of trucking. With many stretches carrying just four lanes, it can be frustrating trying to maintain a consistent speed with all of the tractor trailers around…

Concrete rehabilitation is currently underway along the Interstate 65 drive between Exits 102 and 112. Orange barrels resume again between Exits 121 and 125 on maintenance related work.

What was once a half-diamond interchange at Kentucky 841 (Gene Snyder Freeway)’s end is now simply a signalized “T” intersection. The westbound ramp to U.S. 42 is closed with all traffic using the footprint of the eastbound on-ramp. This is likely in anticipation for construction involving a new Ohio River bridge for Interstate 265. The proposed East End Bridge of Interstate 265 will consist of a six-lane cable-stayed bridge with 300 foot towers and a 17 foot bike/pedestrian path. Construction on the new bridge is slated to begin in 2010 with a targeted completion of 2013. See the East End Bridge page for more details.

Traffic shifts to the left at what was the beginning of the U.S. 42 northbound on-ramp from Kentucky 841.

Within Louisville, construction is underway along Interstate 65 from Exit 132 southward to Exit 125 (Interstate 265). The northbound direction is complete at this time, offering a unobstructed drive into downtown. Southbound work however continues on what is dubbed “Revive 65″, a $28.7-million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) project aimed at replacing the 1988-concrete surface with asphalt.

Interstate 65 utilizes a series of viaducts on its northward approach into downtown Louisville. Pictured here is the Exit 136A off-ramp to Broadway (U.S. 150).

Even though a pair of end signs for Indiana 265 reside at the Exit 10A/B cloverleaf interchange with 10th Street/Indiana 6 north, ITS mile markers continue along Port Road south from the freeway end to milepost 10.0. These markers include Interstate 265 shields as well…

Here is a list of the parkway names (original version, the politician version, and the date changed), courtesy KentuckyRoads.com:

• Green River Parkway – William H. Natcher Parkway in 1994
• Blue Grass Parkway – Martha Layne Collins-Blue Grass Parkway in 2003
• Cumberland Parkway – Louie B. Nunn Parkway in 2000
• Daniel Boone Parkway – Hal Rogers Parkway in 2003
• Mountain Parkway – Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway in 1976
• Pennyrile Parkway – Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway in 2000
• Purchase Parkway – Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway in 2001
• Western Kentucky Parkway – Wendell H. Ford-Western Kentucky Parkway in 1998
• Audubon Parkway – unchanged (named for John J. Audubon)

What is worse is that the trailblazers Kentucky uses for its parkway system were unimaginative overall, except for the Daniel Boone Parkway, and now with the politicians names added to the previous road name in some cases, the shields are now somewhat or completely illegible. Take for instance the following two photos taken by Steven Delery along the Pennyrile Parkway northbound:

Who can read these signs without concentrating on them?

At least some of these issues will be lessened with the signing of Interstate 69 along the Pennyrile er Breathitt Parkway, Western Kentucky er Wendell H. Ford Parkway, and Purchase er Julian Carroll Parkway.

Also, do you consider Kentucky part of the Southeast, part of the Midwest, or part of something else? I’ve never been able to get a solid answer on this, though those who say that it is in the southeast also consider Virginia to be part of the southeast. I personally consider Virginia to be Mid-Atlantic, and Kentucky to be part of the Ohio Valley, and the Ohio Valley is generally considered the Midwest if anything else. Thoughts?