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Hal Rogers Parkway extended in Kentucky

Started by hbelkins, October 14, 2015, 06:22:26 PM

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hbelkins

Press release from governor's office

Will be co-signed with KY 80 from the KY 914 intersection on the west side of Somerset to the existing terminus of the parkway in London.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.


Rothman

Quote from: hbelkins on October 14, 2015, 06:22:26 PM
Press release from governor's office

Will be co-signed with KY 80 from the KY 914 intersection on the west side of Somerset to the existing terminus of the parkway in London.

What's the purpose of this?  To get it closer to the end of the Cumberland?  To curry favor with the congressman?  To benefit a signage contractor? :D
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

noelbotevera

Quote from: Rothman on October 14, 2015, 07:59:47 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 14, 2015, 06:22:26 PM
Press release from governor's office

Will be co-signed with KY 80 from the KY 914 intersection on the west side of Somerset to the existing terminus of the parkway in London.

What's the purpose of this?  To get it closer to the end of the Cumberland?  To curry favor with the congressman?  To benefit a signage contractor? :D
Watch them rename it after Wendell H. Ford. He's got two roads named after him, go for three!

The Ghostbuster

There was no actual physical construction, right?

hbelkins

No actual physical construction, correct. The westernmost part of this designation will actually be on the former Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway that was bypassed when the first part of the northern Somerset bypass was built.

This was done because Rogers is from Somerset. The Daniel Boone Parkway from London to Hazard was renamed for Congressman Rogers by former Gov. Paul Patton. Current Gov. Steve Beshear spearheaded this decision.

Like the renaming of the Daniel Boone, this came as a surprise to Rogers, who was at an Appalachian Regional Commission meeting when the signs were unveiled.

KY 80 between London and Somerset was already named for Russell Dyche, a former state official and newspaper publisher who had advocated for a high-speed modern highway corridor across the southern part of the state in the 1950s. When KY 80 was rebuilt in the 1970s, it was named for Dyche.

There are some photos on the Somerset Commonwealth-Journal's website.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

DJStephens

Any "future I-66" signage going up on this?  How built up is state route 80 corridor?  Seems I-66 could emerge again, if it was packaged in with existing routes - upgrading 80 and double barrelling existing turnpikes/parkways, as opposed to new terrain routings.   

aboges26

Quote from: DJStephens on November 21, 2015, 10:28:59 PM
Any "future I-66" signage going up on this?  How built up is state route 80 corridor?  Seems I-66 could emerge again, if it was packaged in with existing routes - upgrading 80 and double barrelling existing turnpikes/parkways, as opposed to new terrain routings.

Hopefully it gets re-branded I-62 if it were to emerge again...

hbelkins

Quote from: DJStephens on November 21, 2015, 10:28:59 PM
Any "future I-66" signage going up on this?  How built up is state route 80 corridor?  Seems I-66 could emerge again, if it was packaged in with existing routes - upgrading 80 and double barrelling existing turnpikes/parkways, as opposed to new terrain routings.

Probably not, because the only Future I-66 signs were on the Cumberland Parkway. I haven't seen any on KY 80. It's not terribly built up for the most part between Somerset and London, but there are a few private entrances.

Converting the Hal Rogers Parkway between London and Hazard to an interstate will be prohibitively expensive. The terrain is much steeper than the 32-mile two-lane portion of the Mountain Parkway. Plus, a number of at-grades have been built on the Hal Rogers now that the tolls are off the road. There are two in Laurel County, at least three in Clay County, and two in Leslie County that have opened up in the last few years. And then there's that commercial segment that has traffic lights in Hazard.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

okroads

I noticed this when I drove KY 80 between London & Somerset on Saturday (11/21/15). There are no future I-66 signs anywhere. But I did take a picture of this sign:

DSC05883 by Eric Stuve, on Flickr

Rothman

#9
I miss the Daniel Boone Parkway, even though Daniel Boone wasn't the most moral individual. :D

Actually, my family got together at Fort Boonesborough once.  We started talking about Daniel Boone and I made the remark that I had heard he wasn't that nice of a guy.  My cousin-in-law said, "Now, don't you Yankees come down here and talk like that about our heroes."  She then paused and said, softly, "Actually, I've heard that, too."
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

SP Cook

Revisionist history and modern politics aside, now that there are toll-free, Kentucky's various parkways make no real sense.  Just number the entire road (Nunn and Rogers) KY 80.

english si

Quote from: SP Cook on November 24, 2015, 11:09:40 AMRevisionist history and modern politics aside, now that there are toll-free, Kentucky's various parkways make no real sense.  Just number the entire road (Nunn and Rogers) KY 80.
And the Western Kentucky US62, Natcher US231, Audubon US60, Pennyrile US41, etc

hbelkins

Quote from: okroads on November 23, 2015, 09:13:41 PM
I noticed this when I drove KY 80 between London & Somerset on Saturday (11/21/15). There are no future I-66 signs anywhere. But I did take a picture of this sign:

DSC05883 by Eric Stuve, on Flickr

That looks like a big guide sign. If so, it was erected pretty quickly. Originally, smaller signs were to be erected. Amazing that they got a big panel sign up so quickly. It took about three years to replace an exit sign at Grayson on I-64 that got knocked down.

I don't recall ever seeing any Future I-66 Corridor signs on KY 80. Only on the Cumberland Parkway.

Quote from: SP Cook on November 24, 2015, 11:09:40 AM
Revisionist history and modern politics aside, now that there are toll-free, Kentucky's various parkways make no real sense.  Just number the entire road (Nunn and Rogers) KY 80.

Agreed.

Quote from: english si on November 24, 2015, 02:21:20 PM
And the Western Kentucky US62, Natcher US231, Audubon US60, Pennyrile US41, etc

Half of the Pennyrile is now I-69, and the Audubon is slated to become an I-x69.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

GCrites

Quote from: hbelkins on November 22, 2015, 01:12:48 AM

Converting the Hal Rogers Parkway between London and Hazard to an interstate will be prohibitively expensive. The terrain is much steeper than the 32-mile two-lane portion of the Mountain Parkway. Plus, a number of at-grades have been built on the Hal Rogers now that the tolls are off the road. There are two in Laurel County, at least three in Clay County, and two in Leslie County that have opened up in the last few years. And then there's that commercial segment that has traffic lights in Hazard.

Hmm, previous limited-access roads gaining at-grades. Is there a thread for that? I don't really want to hear about ones converted to boulevards, but ones that still have ramps but got at-grades later.

hbelkins

Quote from: GCrites80s on November 24, 2015, 04:04:29 PM
Hmm, previous limited-access roads gaining at-grades. Is there a thread for that? I don't really want to hear about ones converted to boulevards, but ones that still have ramps but got at-grades later.

The Daniel Boone/Hal Rogers was never truly a limited-access road in the sense that all intersections were grade-separated. There were several at-grade intersections between I-75 and KY 192 in the London area. Exit 20 at Manchester is grade-separated, but the Big Creek (KY 66) and Hyden Spur (KY 118) toll booth intersections have always been at-grade. Exit 56 (KY 451) in Perry County is grade-separated. I don't know if the at-grade intersections just west of KY 15 have always been there or not.

There was an at-grade intersection at the old rest area at Campton Lake in Wolfe County on the Mountain Parkway, but that rest area closed. The at-grade remained to provide access to the lake and the water treatment plant, but there was another access point and that at-grade closed when that portion of the Mountain Parkway was widened to four lanes. After the tolls were removed, an at-grade was added to provide access to KY 134 in Magoffin County. This occurred sometime between 1985 and 1988.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.



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