I-69 in KY

[hbelkins]

Or maybe "To I-69."

[vdeane]

At that point they can't not post Temp-69 shields on 41 in Henderson, right?

I'm pretty sure that Temp shields have fallen out of use.  I don't even think they're allowed any more.

[NE2]

At that point they can't not post Temp-69 shields on 41 in Henderson, right?

I'm pretty sure that Temp shields have fallen out of use.  I don't even think they're allowed any more.

North Carolina got them approved. But those are on freeways that are not quite up to standards (e.g. I-26 in Asheville). TO I-69 would probably work better in Henderson.

[roadman65]

Is the upgrade of the Purchase Parkway planned anytime soon? 

[codyg1985]

I'm not sure if this includes reconstruction of the I-24 interchange or not. It says the project area runs to US 62.

Are the interchange reconstruction projects usually always separate?

Gov. Steve Beshear today announced the awarding of a contract for improvements needed to bring a portion of the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway up to interstate highway standards and eventual designation as Interstate 69.

From the quote above, it sounds like this project wouldn't be all that is needed to bring it up to interstate standards, or the article would say that it WILL be I-69 when finished, but I could be wrong.

[hbelkins]

North Carolina got them approved. But those are on freeways that are not quite up to standards (e.g. I-26 in Asheville). TO I-69 would probably work better in Henderson.

I haven't seen any TEMP banners in North Carolina. I've seen plenty of FUTURE banners with an I-26 marker that does not have the word INTERSTATE on it.

Is the upgrade of the Purchase Parkway planned anytime soon? 

This is for the Purchase Parkway.

[Pete from Boston]

At that point they can't not post Temp-69 shields on 41 in Henderson, right?

I'm pretty sure that Temp shields have fallen out of use.  I don't even think they're allowed any more.

I realize this, and think it's high time they made an encore.  Perfect application for it.

[Tom958]

What type(s) of median barriers are being used on the parkways? I'm just curious.

[seicer]

Cable barriers?

[hbelkins]

When I drove the length of the WK last year, there weren't any barriers in the median other than some Jersey barriers in the areas where they had lowered the roadway surface under some of the underpasses to increase bridge clearance.

The cable barriers have been placed on interstates where there have been some crossover wrecks.

[thefro]

They'd be smart to get signs that say "TO I-69", since those can be reused elsewhere later.

[Pete from Boston]

They'd be smart to get signs that say "TO I-69", since those can be reused elsewhere later.

Or left there.

[Captain Jack]

Drove past the Pennyrile-WK interchange today and work is progressing nicely. I took a picture but am too stupid to figure out how to upload it on this board..lol.

[hbelkins]

Drove past the Pennyrile-WK interchange today and work is progressing nicely. I took a picture but am too stupid to figure out how to upload it on this board..lol.

Email it to me and I will stick it up on Photobucket or Imgur and post it. my username here @gmail.com will get it to me.

[Grzrd]

This June 18 article (behind $1.00 paywall) reported that both plans to be presented at the Open House would reportedly eliminate the stretch of the Purchase Parkway from the I-69/I-24 interchange north to Calvert City:

According to one local source, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will present two different redesigns to the I-24 and Purchase Parkway intersection at a meeting scheduled by the Transportation Cabinet on Thursday, June 26 at 5 p.m. in the Calvert City Civic Center. Both those plans will reportedly eliminate the stretch of Purchase Parkway from the intersection to Calvert City.
The proposed change in the Purchase Parkway will affect hundreds if not thousands of commuters every day as well as large amounts of commercial traffic.

However, this article reports that KYTC ran into a lot of local resistance to elimination of the Purchase Parkway spur and that KYTC is "gonna go back to the drawing board"

This article reports that KYTC has come up with a solution that will allow traffic to use the spur, that FHWA approval is not expected to be a problem, and that construction on the interchange could begin next October:

A local lawmaker is expressing optimism that a new Interstate 69 interchange won't cut off a route into Calvert City.
The concern is over changes to the cloverleaf between the Purchase Parkway and Interstate 24.
State representative Will Coursey spoke with Kentucky Transportation leaders on Friday.
"The Cabinet heard our concerns and has come up with a solution that solves the problem,"  said Rep. Coursey, (D) Benton. "All that remains is approval by the Federal Highway Administration, something that is not expected to be an issue. Assuming that's the case, this is great news for the region and especially for those who would have been negatively affected under the previous proposal."
If approved, construction on the updated interchange could start next October.

[seicer]

Because it's so hard to go a mile down I-24/69 and just use the other interchange. That segment of US 62 is like a wasteland of tourism past - abandoned/closed/underused hotels and motels, shuttered restaurants, bygone amusements and unrestricted access and planning.

[Grzrd]

This July 23 article

Late last year, Hazex Construction was awarded a contract to rebuilding the Kentucky 416/Robards interchange in southern Henderson County.

This article reports that a ribbon-cutting is being held today, October 28, for the KY 416/ Robards interchange:

For the first 40 years of the Pennyrile Parkway's existence, the Kentucky 416/Robards interchange remained half built.
Only the northern portion was constructed. Traffic southbound from Henderson could exit the Pennyrile there to travel to Robards and various industries including the Big Rivers Electric power plants, the adjacent Century Aluminum smelter, Tyson Foods and Columbia Sportswear. Traffic in that area could get on the Pennyrile only northbound back toward Henderson.
But in a move to save money, the southern half of the interchange went unbuilt. Instead, motorists heading to or coming from south of Robards had to use the Pennyrile exit several miles away at Sebree and use U.S. 41.
Four decades later, that's about to change. To bring the Pennyrile Parkway up to interstate standards so it can become part of Interstate 69, the state is upgrading various interchanges, including rebuilding the Robards exit to a full-diamond interchange.
The completion of the$4.9 million Robards interchange project will be celebrated at a ceremony at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday featuring area officials, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineers, contractor Hazex Construction of Henderson and, as a special guest, Federal Highway Administration Kentucky Division Administrator Jose Sepulveda, who has been instrumental in Kentucky's endeavors to convert state parkways into I-69.
At approximately 2 p.m., the new ramps on the south side of the interchange will be opened to the public for the first time.

[thefro]

http://www.courierpress.com/gleaner/news/first-i69-project-rebuilt-robards-interchange-finished-on-pennyrile_17548997

Here's an article on the interchange opening yesterday

With lights flashing and siren blaring, Robards Volunteer Fire Department pumper truck 454 became the ceremonial first vehicle to use the new southbound on-ramp at the Kentucky 56/Robards interchange on the Pennyrile Parkway on Tuesday afternoon.

The opening of the southern portion of the interchange also represents the near-completion of the first of six projects along the Pennyrile that will bring the parkway up to interstate standards.

Those projects will enable the Pennyrile to become part of Interstate 69 from Henderson to just south of Madisonville by the end of 2015, state and federal highway officials said during a ribbon-cutting at the interchange.

In fact, one of the final two contracts to be awarded will be for installing the red, white and blue interstate shield signs and new mile markers along the Pennyrile, according to Kevin McClearn, the chief district engineer for the Kentucky Department of Highways' District 2 in Madisonville.

There's other good deal in the article on the current status of all the other Pennyrile I-69 upgrade projects.

[silverback1065]

"We need the shields to bring truck traffic and new industry,"  state Sen. Dorsey Ridley of Henderson said. Economic development officials have long said that out-of-state industries have a difficult time grasping that Kentucky's state parkways are quite similar to interstate in terms of speed and capacity.

Why not just sign all parkways as the us routes or state routes a lot of them parallel?

[seicer]

Or actually signing the parkway with signs that motorists can read?

Bring back the old Daniel Boone and Mountain Parkway shields! And while you are at it, make the Audubon Parkway a bird, Western Kentucky an open pit coal mine, the Purchase Parkway a farm field...

[silverback1065]

this makes me wonder, why weren't these roads ever signed as us routes or state routes?

[rickmastfan67]

this makes me wonder, why weren't these roads ever signed as us routes or state routes?

Weren't US routes because of the tolls I bet.

[seicer]

Well, they have state route designations, but I suspect it's because most people know them as the "Western Kentucky Parkway," not KY 9009.

[billtm]

Well, they have state route designations, but I suspect it's because most people know them as the "Western Kentucky Parkway," not KY 9009.

What's the use of having the hidden state route designations for the parkways anyway?

[hbelkins]

Internal controls, such as for logging work and expenditures.