New portion of US 62/68 opens in KY

[hbelkins]

http://www.maysville-online.com/news/local/new-u-s-bypass-set-to-open-friday/article_a938b2b4-4abf-11e2-8782-001a4bcf887a.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[seicer]

I'll check this out Sunday when I have to make the drive east.

Are there preparations or stubs for an interchange at US 62/68 in Washington? I hope this isn't one of those cheap Kentucky bypasses that will become saturated with development and consist of traffic lights at every "farm" access junction.

[hbelkins]

It may not be open. I heard later that some lighting issues delayed its opening today.

I haven't been on the southern end to know what kind of intersection is there, but I would highly doubt it will be heavily developed, given how far out it is from Maysville. Looks like most of the development in Maysville is along the AA between US 62/68 and KY 11.

[hbelkins]

http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/KYTC-6343e8

Opening postponed...

[Alps]

Now the great debate about whether I can consider US 62 clinched without driving the new road... guess there's only one way to be certain

[hbelkins]

Now the great debate about whether I can consider US 62 clinched without driving the new road... guess there's only one way to be certain

I don't know how they are going to sign it. All the press makes reference to "US 68" but officially, the road is only US 62. I'm guessing the old part of 62/68 will become Business 62/68, but I'm not sure.

[Alps]

Now the great debate about whether I can consider US 62 clinched without driving the new road... guess there's only one way to be certain

I don't know how they are going to sign it. All the press makes reference to "US 68" but officially, the road is only US 62. I'm guessing the old part of 62/68 will become Business 62/68, but I'm not sure.

Doesn't the road continue beyond 62 to 68? I would think it has to be 68 at that point. I'm sure they'll extend the Business route farther to compensate.

[hbelkins]

Yep. Was surprised that Bing Maps didn't have updated aerial imagery. Check out where Google's most recent imagery cuts off...

http://goo.gl/maps/2KXBg

[rickmastfan67]

Yep. Was surprised that Bing Maps didn't have updated aerial imagery. Check out where Google's most recent imagery cuts off...

I do hope that Bing updates soon (or NAIP gets new imagery of the route) so it can be added to OSM.

[lordsutch]

I do hope that Bing updates soon (or NAIP gets new imagery of the route) so it can be added to OSM.

Or someone could run up and down the road a few times with a GPS logger and upload the GPX log in the meantime.

Kentucky is on the 2012 NAIP list, but the imagery hasn't been released yet.

[NE2]

Or you could draw a straight line from the KY 9 junction to "existing US 68 just south of Old Washington" with a FIXME

[codyg1985]

Yep. Was surprised that Bing Maps didn't have updated aerial imagery. Check out where Google's most recent imagery cuts off...

http://goo.gl/maps/2KXBg

From what that shows, it appears that the bypass will not have an interchange with existing US 62, which would indicate that US 62 will not be relocated onto the newly-opened bypass.

[hbelkins]

Yep. Was surprised that Bing Maps didn't have updated aerial imagery. Check out where Google's most recent imagery cuts off...

http://goo.gl/maps/2KXBg

From what that shows, it appears that the bypass will not have an interchange with existing US 62, which would indicate that US 62 will not be relocated onto the newly-opened bypass.

I think it's an at-grade intersection.

[NE2]

It's not like US 62 there is a good through route. No need for a useless interchange.

Photo here; there's no mention of US 62 west on US 68 east: http://www.maysville-online.com/news/m-bypass-open-for-traffic/article_cc60d1a5-65ee-5000-a05e-e40854870b2c.html

I think it's an at-grade intersection.

That's why there's an obvious bridge over the bypass in the photo.

[hbelkins]

I had my view set to "labels" so I didn't see the bridge, until I turned that off. I'd be very surprised, though, if there was not an intersection of some sort there, even if it's just a two-lane access road instead of a full diamond.

[hbelkins]

Checked this out today. The road is not yet open. It looks like it's ready to go, but there must still be some issues.

There is no connection between US 62 and the new route. At the point where US 62 crosses over the route, it appears that the new bypass has room for expansion. The route is two lanes on a four-lane ROW.

It appears from what I saw today that US 62 and US 68 will no longer be co-signed in Kentucky. US 62 signage has been removed from the old portion of the route from the AA Highway northward to the Ohio River crossing. Only US 68 is signed on the route, and on intersecting routes (KY 3071 and at the KY 8 interchange, where US 62 was previously signed).

No signage has yet been changed at the intersection of US 62/68, Business US 62/68 and KY 9/10.

It looks as if US 62 will join Business US 68 at Old Washington as it does now, and will run along that route into downtown Maysville and across the old bridge to hit US 52, replacing current Business 62.

That would explain this signage in Ohio:







If this is going to be US 52 and US 62, they can take the Business banner off the US 62 signs and move it over to the US 68 signs. It appears Ohio changed its signage in advance of the rerouting before Kentucky got the new road built.

The intersection with US 68 south of Maysville and Washington is a T with yellow flashers on the through route and red flashers at the southern end of the new road. Eastbound (northbound) traffic on US 68 will have to turn left to stay on the main route. Straight through puts you on Business US 68.

So, Steve, you still have US 62 clinched if you drove the business route from the AA Highway into downtown and across the old bridge.

[Big John]

^^ and 2 of the US 52 signs have 3-digit shields and have non-MUTCD direction and arrows on each side.

[hbelkins]

That's typical Ohio signage.

[dfilpus]

Have the reroutings been passed by AASHTO?

[hbelkins]

Have the reroutings been passed by AASHTO?

Don't think so. Kentucky typically waits until a road is open before applying. Not sure what Ohio does.

[seicer]

Here are my observations on the yet-to-open road from today:

1. There is no ramp from the AA/KY 9 NB to US 68 SB. It is a right-turn movement. If this will be the eventual bypass of Maysville for the AA/KY 9, a ramp added later would be nice.
2. The existing US 62/68 bypass on the west side of Maysville transitions nicely. It seems that the existing bypass, which is three lanes with paved shoulders will transition to four with paved shoulders and a divided median for a distance.
3. The AA/KY 9 ramp to US 62/68 NB ramp is not a free flowing ramp, as I had thought. There is a stop sign at the end, which I believe is because of the adjoining access road and the industrial park service road across the highway.
4. At US 68 south of Washington, the bypass ends. The roadway at this point is just two-lanes with what seems like a four-lane ROW, with no shoulders. I actually prefer this type of design for Kentucky's roadways, unless big 10'-12' shoulders are necessary. Beshear called this "value engineering," but I call it common sense. Not every road, especially in rural areas, needs 12' lanes and big, wide and unused shoulders - especially if the AADT is low. That doesn't mean there are no shoulders - it's just a reinforced base with a dirt/grass covering.

[hbelkins]

I need to post what photos I took when I was there last week.

[hbelkins]

The road opened today...

http://transportation.ky.gov/District-9/Press%20Releases/2013-02-11%20US%2068%20Open.pdf

[hbelkins]

Had a doctor's appointment in Lexington yesterday morning, so with the afternoon to kill, I drove up to check out the route.

It has no intersections or connections between US 68 south of Washington and the AA Highway.

Two sign crews were active along the old route, and several of the signs had been changed. I saw one crew at the intersection of US 62 and now-Business US 68 at Washington, and another at the intersection with KY 1448 just before you descend the hill into downtown Maysville.

It appears as if Business US 68 will only be signed between the southern end of the bypass and US 62 at Washington. Between Washington and the AA Highway, only US 62 is signed on the route. The signs had NOT yet been changed at the AA Highway intersection. Beyond the AA, the route is signed as US 62 (not business US 62) and KY 10, down to the KY 11 intersection. Signage beyond KY 11 to the foot of the bridge still showed Business US 62 and Business US 68.

Ohio has not changed any signage from when I was in Aberdeen last May and took pictures.

So from what I observed yesterday, here will be the setup.

US 68 is routed onto the bypass and continues across the Harsha Bridge into Ohio.

Business US 68 will run from the southern end of the bypass to the intersection of US 62.

US 62 will run from Washington through the hilltop commercial area of Maysville, down the hill, and across the old bridge into Ohio.

Business US 62, at least in Kentucky, will be eliminated.

[BrianP]

Business US 68 will run from the southern end of the bypass to the intersection of US 62.

That doesn't sound much like a business route.  It seems like it should be signed as To US 68 southbound and To US 62 northbound.