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[wriddle082]

Since we've mostly heard negative comments about the proposed 11/6 date for the road meet (the only reason I chose that date was because it was two months out, seemingly plenty of notice), we're gonna go ahead and throw out 10/9, 10/16, and 10/23 as possibilities.  If I'm still in town at that time, I can get my folks to watch my little one for a few hours if necessary, therefore any of those dates will do.  I know some of these dates are short notice, but we definitely want to accommodate as many potential attendees as possible.

I am definitely going to be in Columbia, SC the weekend of 10/30 regardless of whether or not I get the new job.

I set up a poll in the Yahoo group seroads, so you can either vote there, or we can discuss here, or both!

[hbelkins]

I voted for Oct. 9, since that weekend coincides with one of my furlough days, but I've decided that I"m coming no matter what date is chosen unless something totally unforeseen happens.

[froggie]

Assuming the "mostly negative comments" was in the seroads group, since the only negative comment here for 11/6 has been HBE.

[wriddle082]

Assuming the "mostly negative comments" was in the seroads group, since the only negative comment here for 11/6 has been HBE.

Now that I look back at everything, you're right.  I guess I should have said that I've seen more positive comments about 10/9, and JPI suggested we offer the other dates as options, which I am all for if it means better attendance.

Also, I need a secretary these days...

[CanesFan27]

Assuming the "mostly negative comments" was in the seroads group, since the only negative comment here for 11/6 has been HBE.

There were no negative comments besides HB's in seroads. Steve Williams was excited for any date.

[hbelkins]

In an only slightly related development, the new alignment of the Cumberland Parkway (future I-66) in Somerset, Ky. is opening this week. This, of course, was one of the sites we saw when I hosted the 2007 meet in Somerset. I probably won't get to check out the finished product until my trip to Music City.

[froggie]

Billy/Adam:  I see.  Good luck if it winds up being 10/9.  That is definitely a "no" date for me, not that I had a huge chance of making it to Nashville to begin with (just a tad too far away).

[CanesFan27]

Froggie, they are all no's for me as we close on our new house in October.

[codyg1985]

It looks like 10/9 is a no-go for me, as required training has come up for that weekend that I have to attend. 10/16 or 10/23 works for me, however.

[mightyace]

As the "other local," I can probably make any date that we're looking at.

In my current plans, 10/9 might not be great but it is doable.

[wriddle082]

I voted for Oct. 9, since that weekend coincides with one of my furlough days, but I've decided that I"m coming no matter what date is chosen unless something totally unforeseen happens.

Billy/Adam:  I see.  Good luck if it winds up being 10/9.  That is definitely a "no" date for me, not that I had a huge chance of making it to Nashville to begin with (just a tad too far away).

It looks like 10/9 is a no-go for me, as required training has come up for that weekend that I have to attend. 10/16 or 10/23 works for me, however.

As the "other local," I can probably make any date that we're looking at.

In my current plans, 10/9 might not be great but it is doable.

OK, based on all of this input, and since 10/23 has the most votes in seroads, should we go ahead and firm the date up as 10/23?

For food, I think Logan's Roadhouse would probably be the best choice, unless everyone has a hankering for big burgers w/ unlimited steak fries (Red Robin), burritos (Blue Coast), or chicken wings (BWW).

Meet time at 11 AM.

Directions: From the North, South or East:  I-40 West to Exit 201 (US 70, Charlotte Pike), turn L (underneath freeway), pass the first Nashville West Shopping Center entrance (signal), turn L at the second Nashville West entrance (no signal), Logan's is across loop road to the right (next to Red Robin).

From the West:  I-40 East to Exit 201A (US 70 East, Charlotte Pike), pass the first Nashville West Shopping Center entrance (signal), turn L at the second Nashville West entrance (no signal), Logan's is across loop road to the right (next to Red Robin).

We'll probably gather in the parking lot at first and then go inside (assuming good weather), since that is what we usually do at meets.

Nearby hotels:  I do not recommend the Super 8 off the Charlotte Pike exit, nor do I recommend much of anything off the White Bridge Rd. exit, especially with the potential construction noise issues.  I know HBE is a big fan of Microtel, and there is one off of I-40 Exit 196 in Bellevue (OK Bellevue, I know what you're thinking, but this hotel is located way too high to have been flooded on 5/2).  That exit also has a Hampton Inn that I don't think got flooded but could have.  Generally, Nashville's better selection of reasonably-priced chain hotels is generally near the airport.

Since I now have some free time next weekend (was supposed to go to the now-cancelled Texarkana meet), I will try to go scout out potential viewpoints for the Briley flyover construction.

How does everything sound so far?

[codyg1985]

Logan's is awesome, so I am good with that choice. BWW is also good, but if they are anything like the one of the ones here in Huntsville, they take forever to serve food.

[wriddle082]

Logan's is awesome, so I am good with that choice. BWW is also good, but if they are anything like the one of the ones here in Huntsville, they take forever to serve food.

A few years ago, my family and I had a bad experience at the Logan's near Rivergate Mall, but then last year we had a good experience at the one in Dickson, so I'm sold on them again.  I actually haven't tried this one at Nashville West because most of the time when we go to that area of town we go to Cracker Barrel or pick up a Little Caesar's Pizza.  I also haven't tried that BWW, it's only about 3 months old.

Anyway, I went ahead and made everything official by setting up the Facebook event page and sending out invites, and JPI posted to MTR and to the Yahoo groups.  We are going to try to get together either this weekend or next to go scouting.

Hope we have a good turnout!  I will certainly be glad to see some of you again, as well as some new faces!  This will probably be the only road meet I will attend all year since I backed out of one earlier this year and the one next weekend was cancelled.

[hbelkins]

I am going to do my best to make it. I've eaten at the Logan's in St. Matthews (east side of Louisville) a couple of times and it's pretty good.

For this trip, I am giving a lot of thought to staying in Bowling Green Friday night and then making the short drive south on Saturday morning. This would give me a chance to do some scouting of Bowling Green as a potential site for a 2011 Kentucky meet.

[wriddle082]

Jason Ilyes and I did some scouting this past Sunday afternoon for the meet.  Found a decent place to view the flyover construction and probably not get into trouble.  More importantly, we followed the backroads in SW Williamson County that connect the two stub endings of TN 840.  A 6 mile or so stretch b/w TN 100 and TN 46 may very well be open by the time we have the meet!  They even had stripes on the pavement in one direction, and needed one more layer of asphalt in the other direction.  Beyond there, it looked like nearly all of the necessary bridges were under construction, and some of the grading work was taking place.  Either way, when you look at that area, you can easily see why there were NIMBYs.

[jpi]

Hi Guys, Just a reminder this meet is coming up 2 weeks from this Saturday, hope to see you all there!

[wriddle082]

Now we will get to see the partial demolition of an original 1963 I-40 overpass during the meet!

http://www.wsmv.com/news/25391111/detail.html

[wriddle082]

The meet is tomorrow, so hope everyone who is coming drives safely!

Incidently, I have (7) committed to coming to the meet from the Facebook event listing, but I think there are a couple more who I am not Facebook friends with who have also committed to coming.  Could you please "raise your hand" and let me know who you are?

BTW, I-40 will be down to one lane each direction overnight tonight and will be down to two lanes each direction Saturday afternoon.  The overnight closure is for the demolition of half of the White Bridge Rd. overpass, and the Saturday closure is for resurfacing.  Please allow extra time to get to the meet site, which is off the Charlotte Pike exit a few miles west of White Bridge Rd.  TDOT's website has more details:  http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/6199

[mightyace]

I will be there.

And, willing to be the tour guide for the 840 section.

[hbelkins]

Drove down from eastern Kentucky to Nashville for this past weekend's meet. During the trip down and back I saw several newly-opened or under-construction roads.

First was a new segment of KY 30 in Laurel and Jackson counties, which is a straight road bypassing a curvy segment of KY 30 as well as the small towns of Bond and Annville. This extends the reconstructed portion of KY 30 in Laurel County and about halfway to US 421 and is part of an overall project that will build a new route from I-75 to the Mountain Parkway.

I also drove several of the new alignments in Pulaski County near Somerset, including the realigned Cumberland Parkway, the new Somerset bypass linking KY 80 and the old Cumberland Parkway to the new route, and the four-lane US 27. There are some signage issues in this area that I plan to bring up to folks in the Somerset KYTC district office. A person not familiar with the area but trying to use the Cumberland Parkway-KY 80 corridor to get to I-75 at London would be highly comfused.

I also drove a recently-opened section of TN 109 north of Gallatin. This route was full of 18-wheelers and there desperately needs to be a bypass built around Portland and a new route to US 31W and I-65 near the Kentucky state line.

The weather for Saturday's meet was excellent and we had a great time checking out the new flyover ramps from Briley Parkway (TN 155) to I-40 west of downtown Nashville, plus the western parts of TN 840 that are now open, about to open, or under construction.

I spent Saturday night in Bowling Green and checked out the construction of the Natcher Parkway extension from I-65 to US 231. The project includes a SPRI, which is like a SPUI only it's out in the middle of a cornfield, and will end at an at-grade intersection with US 231 southeast of Bowling Green. I also drove the new US 68 alignment, which runs on a four-lane on the west and northwest side of BG, and checked out KY 101, which has been reconstructed from US 31W all the way to Brownsville, which was (I think) the last county seat in Kentucky that I had not visited.

Took KY 70 back through Mammoth Cave National Park, then KY 255 south to I-65 at Park City. Looks as if the national park boundary has been extended south along KY 255 all the way to I-65 and is not state-maintained.

Cable barriers have been installed through Barren County and parts of Hart County on I-65, where there have been a number of crossover accidents. In places where cable barriers have not been installed, concrete Jersey barriers have been placed along the shoulder of the NB lanes, but they run out somewhere around Munfordville and Bonnieville.

Photos will be posted as soon as I can get them up. GPS tracks of my drive down on Friday and of the meet tour are posted to my EveryTrail page.

[wriddle082]

Just wanted to thank all of the attendees for making this meet a great success!  There were 9 total in attendance, which is just about the right number for a good meet, IMO, and I think every Nashville-area road enthusiast who could show up, did show up.  Also want to thank H.B. Elkins, Gene VanDusseldorp, and Steve Williams (The Georgia Road Geek) for making the trip to Nashville from Kentucky, Missouri, and Georgia, respectively.  Since I'm moving away from Nashville at the end of the year, Jason Ilyes will probably put together future Nashville-area meets, but once I'm settled in South Carolina, I plan on trying to put together a meet in Charleston to see the Ravenel Bridge, among other things.

Once again, thank you!

[wriddle082]

And wouldn't you know it, they are going to open the section of 840 we saw during the meet this Wednesday!

http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/6234

If only I had put the meet off one week...

[mightyace]

^^^

But, then walking around the exit ramp at TN SSR 46 would have been much tougher! 

We'll cover it in a couple years when the meet to celebrate TN 840's opening occurs.