2013 meets?

[hbelkins]

Time to list planned and/or potential 2013 meets.

Ohio is already being discussed.

Other possibilities I've heard discussed here or there:

• Binghamton, NY
• A meet somewhere in New Hampshire
• Hampton Roads-area meet
• Chattanooga
• Atlantic City

Others to add to the list?

I need to find out how construction is progressing on the replacement of the old Ironton-Russell bridge across the Ohio River. If there is visible work, that might give me another reason to do a Tri-State (KY/OH/WV) meet in the Ashland/Huntington area.

[vdeane]

cu2010 and I might do a second St. Lawrece county meet; not sure though, he's less familiar with the Ogdensburg/Gouverneur area than the Potsdam/Canton/Massena area.

Though it might be possible to throw in Ogdensburg to the tour of the first one, given that the NY 56 S curve is reconstruction is done and the area is now entirely uninteresting.

[Brandon]

I have two ideas, and may go ahead and do both at differing times of the year.

1. Starved Rock/Illinois Valley: Meet at the Starved Rock Lodge and explore the bridges of the Illinois Valley from Spring Valley to Ottawa.  A few interchanges between conventional roads and the AASHO Test Loop on I-80 will be included.  If there's time, it may include all of I-180.

2. Chicago Skyway/NW Indiana: No clue where to meet yet, but will explore the Southeast Side and NW Indiana.  Will include the IN-912 bridge, the Chicago Skyway (with service area and toll plaza), and the 95th Street Bridge (the one the Blues Brothers jumped).

[SSOWorld]

Shreveport, LA - scheduled for Feb 16 (drive future I-49, visit 3 states, other sights? too early for detail)

mgk920 hopes to try NE Wisconsin again.

I'm not sure what I want to do - I look around Dubuque in bridgehunter.com and I see mostly pony truss    Many of the signature bridges I have in mind are miles apart (PDC/Cassville Ferry/Dubuque/Sabula-Savana and Clinton) or gone (Eagle Point Bridge).  I need to get more on the history of the area before I consider a meet.

[jpi]

I am considering a middle TN area meet later this spring to see the construction of the new TN 109 bridge over the Cumberland River along with construction on TN 141 (Hartsville Pike) to bring that to modern 2 to 3 lane standerds, also the I-40 and I-65 widening projects and the completion of TN 840. Meet site would be in my home town of Lebanon, TN (30 miles east of Nashville) and go from there.

[Alps]

Toms River looks like a go for 2013 - I want to catch Interchange 88/89 construction on the Parkway in full swing.

[bugo]

I'm probably not doing any more road meets.  I'll hang out with individual friends who are into roads, but unless we will be able to drive on an unopened road or something, I probably won't attend.  Too much drama and too much geekiness for me.

[hbelkins]

I'm probably not doing any more road meets.  I'll hang out with individual friends who are into roads, but unless we will be able to drive on an unopened road or something, I probably won't attend.  Too much drama and too much geekiness for me.

Actually, I don't know that I've ever attended a meet that involved personal drama. At every one I've attended, the participants got along fine and there were no incidents.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Still debating where mine will be held. I've got several ideas on the table, but all need work in some fashion.

[bugo]

I'm probably not doing any more road meets.  I'll hang out with individual friends who are into roads, but unless we will be able to drive on an unopened road or something, I probably won't attend.  Too much drama and too much geekiness for me.

Actually, I don't know that I've ever attended a meet that involved personal drama. At every one I've attended, the participants got along fine and there were no incidents.

The drama I'm referring to has come out after the last roadmeets.  It would be hard for me to keep my mouth shut, as I have a short fuse, and it's just best if I didn't go.

[bugo]

I had a great visit with a friend of mine who is into roads on New Years Eve.  We hung out for about 3-4 hours, had pizza and breadsticks and cinnamon sticks and talked about everything from roads to politics to religion...and nobody's feet got stepped on.  We bullshitted, played guitars, and asked "did you know?" questions about the area of the country that we are most familiar with.  I had a blast. 

[Dougtone]

The New Hampshire meet would be focusing on Portsmouth.  When I was first thinking of running a meet in NH, I had been focusing on Manchester and Nashua, but the time I would've gotten anything off the ground, the construction for the Manchester Airport Connector had been completed.  At least with Portsmouth, they are working on the US 1 Memorial Bridge replacement span at this time, plus I have a couple of other goodies up my sleeve.

It should also be known that Portsmouth and Binghamton are the only meets that I have on the drawing board.  After that, whatever meet planning I do will likely be based on whatever comes around.

[Dougtone]

I had a great visit with a friend of mine who is into roads on New Years Eve.  We hung out for about 3-4 hours, had pizza and breadsticks and cinnamon sticks and talked about everything from roads to politics to religion...and nobody's feet got stepped on.  We bullshitted, played guitars, and asked "did you know?" questions about the area of the country that we are most familiar with.  I had a blast. 

Since a number of us in the hobby have become friends over the years, I too enjoy just getting together with others who are into roads, whether it is for a day trip to explore roads or just to meet up for lunch or dinner to shoot the breeze.

[deathtopumpkins]

The New Hampshire meet would be focusing on Portsmouth.  When I was first thinking of running a meet in NH, I had been focusing on Manchester and Nashua, but the time I would've gotten anything off the ground, the construction for the Manchester Airport Connector had been completed.  At least with Portsmouth, they are working on the US 1 Memorial Bridge replacement span at this time, plus I have a couple of other goodies up my sleeve.

It should also be known that Portsmouth and Binghamton are the only meets that I have on the drawing board.  After that, whatever meet planning I do will likely be based on whatever comes around.

I would be quite interested in Portsmouth, since it's less than an hour from me! Any hints at what those other goodies may be? I don't actually know of that much noteworthy road stuff in the Seacoast.

[mgk920]

As SSOWorld said, I'm hoping to try again on NE Wisconsin, with the US/I-41 upgrades in the Oshkosh-Neenah area finishing up and right in the midst of the biggest shovel year for the upgrades in the Green Bay area, including construction of the flyover ramps at the WI 29/Shawano Ave interchange.  I'm shooting for late April or sometime in May.

Mike

[US71]

Shreveport, LA - scheduled for Feb 16 (drive future I-49, visit 3 states, other sights? too early for detail)

Interested if I can make the time.

[Mdcastle]

Shreveport, LA - scheduled for Feb 16 (drive future I-49, visit 3 states, other sights? too early for detail)

mgk920 hopes to try NE Wisconsin again.

I'm not sure what I want to do - I look around Dubuque in bridgehunter.com and I see mostly pony truss    Many of the signature bridges I have in mind are miles apart (PDC/Cassville Ferry/Dubuque/Sabula-Savana and Clinton) or gone (Eagle Point Bridge).  I need to get more on the history of the area before I consider a meet.

I've traveled the area quite a bit. I'd suggest the Sabula bridge for sure- it's IMHO one of the most graceful bridges around and is going to be replaced before too long.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Portsmouth is a definite possibility for me. In fact I'm already looking into a route I'd use to get down there.

I want to do a Southwestern Montreal Suburbs meet that would include all the sections of A-30 that have opened since 2009, too.

[oscar]

I want to do a Southwestern Montreal Suburbs meet that would include all the sections of A-30 that have opened since 2009, too.

Maybe you could throw in construction on the planned southward extension of A-35, which isn't that far from you.  That, plus whatever work is pending for A-20 between A-30 and A-15, seem to be the next big projects in the Montreal region. 

[A.J. Bertin]

Has anyone heard about any meets planned or discussed for Michigan in 2013?

[A.J. Bertin]

I need to find out how construction is progressing on the replacement of the old Ironton-Russell bridge across the Ohio River. If there is visible work, that might give me another reason to do a Tri-State (KY/OH/WV) meet in the Ashland/Huntington area.

If you host a meet in the Ashland/Huntington area, I'd be very interested in attending - assuming time and finances are not issues.

[codyg1985]

I need to find out how construction is progressing on the replacement of the old Ironton-Russell bridge across the Ohio River. If there is visible work, that might give me another reason to do a Tri-State (KY/OH/WV) meet in the Ashland/Huntington area.

If you host a meet in the Ashland/Huntington area, I'd be very interested in attending - assuming time and finances are not issues.

I would second that. The area has a lot of cool road and rail stuff going on there.

As for Chattanooga, Jason and I have talked about hosting a meet there sometime this year. It would feature the US 27 reconstruction project north of downtown Chattanooga which will upgrade a 1940's era freeway to a modern facility. I need to ride over there one day and check out how far along the project has come.

[hbelkins]

I need to find out how construction is progressing on the replacement of the old Ironton-Russell bridge across the Ohio River. If there is visible work, that might give me another reason to do a Tri-State (KY/OH/WV) meet in the Ashland/Huntington area.

If you host a meet in the Ashland/Huntington area, I'd be very interested in attending - assuming time and finances are not issues.

I would second that. The area has a lot of cool road and rail stuff going on there.

I don't know how much rail stuff would be involved in a tour. I mapped a tour out in 2011, but since then some of the things have changed. Bridge construction on I-64 is over, and the button copy has been replaced with Clearview, but there are still a couple of stub endings, some interesting bridges, and I think Ohio still has most of its button copy along US 52. One of the stops I had planned was at Greenup Lock & Dam in the hopes that we might catch some riverboat traffic locking through.

I need to check and see if construction is significantly underway on the new Ironton-Russell Bridge. If it has, a late winter-early spring meet might definitely be in the works. Unless the February Texarkana meet visits three states, to my knowledge this would be the first single-day tri-state meet.

As for Chattanooga, Jason and I have talked about hosting a meet there sometime this year. It would feature the US 27 reconstruction project north of downtown Chattanooga which will upgrade a 1940's era freeway to a modern facility. I need to ride over there one day and check out how far along the project has come.

Depending on the timing, that would be eminently doable for me. Would also give me the chance to clinch US 127 and US 27 in Tennessee.

[jpi]

Cody and I are meeting up next Saturday (1/19) to scout out the area of construction in Chattanooga along US 27 and anything else that might be of interest.

[hbelkins]

I have an optometrist's appointment Friday in Morehead, Ky. Weather permitting, afterwards I'm going to go check on a few things in northeastern Kentucky. Right now, I'd say the odds are better than 50-50 that I'll be announcing something for Saturday, April 6.

(Steve A. and others, I also hope to swing over to Maysville on Friday and check out the new US 68 routing.)