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[GreenLanternCorps]

Cue the "IT'S HAPPENING" GIF. Straight from the horse's mouth, as it were:

WHO:          Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert.   

WHAT:        Ribbon cutting ceremony for second completed section of Interstate 269 in DeSoto and Marshall counties.

WHEN:        Tuesday, December 5, at 11 a.m.                                                             

WHERE:      North end of the I-269 bridge one and one-half miles south of State Route 302 in Marshall County.

WHY:         The ceremony will officially open the section of I-269 from State Route 302 to State Route 305 to traffic.

Given that a significant chunk of I-269, including a connection from I-22 to I-40 is opening up on Tuesday, several months early, I would have thought there would be at least one news item about the opening.  So far I've seen nothing.

[lordsutch]

Given that a significant chunk of I-269, including a connection from I-22 to I-40 is opening up on Tuesday, several month early, I would have thought there would be at least one news item about the opening.  So far I've seen nothing.

The Commercial Appeal was recently Gannett-ized, so they basically only have a dozen or so local reporters left and most of them do sports or lifestyle stuff. (I half-joke that it's really now more like the Memphis edition of the Nashville Tennesseean, given the number of stories that are reprinted from the latter.) So I wouldn't expect any coverage from them except maybe the day afterward.

[sparker]

I would expect that there will be new pictures of the new facility forthcoming in this thread.  BTW, has there been any move toward erecting reassurance and trailblazer shields on the N-S TN 385 section up to I-40? -- one would expect that to occur in conjunction with the opening of the new segment!   

[GreenLanternCorps]

I would expect that there will be new pictures of the new facility forthcoming in this thread.  BTW, has there been any move toward erecting reassurance and trailblazer shields on the N-S TN 385 section up to I-40? -- one would expect that to occur in conjunction with the opening of the new segment!

Per previous posts in the thread, Tennessee will be signing I-269 to I-40 in the next few months.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Well, unless something major has gone wrong, a good chunk of I-269 will be open 5 hours from now.

[froggie]

In the short term, I-269 will serve as a "true" bypass of the Memphis area.  In the long-term, DeSoto County is already salivating at the development prospects and has been for years...

[GreenLanternCorps]

In the short term, I-269 will serve as a "true" bypass of the Memphis area.  In the long-term, DeSoto County is already salivating at the development prospects and has been for years...

Well the portion opening today should take some traffic off of US 78 into Memphis, as any I-22 traffic going to and from the Eastern and Northern portions of the metro area will now take I-269 to get to I-22.

[Bobby5280]

For the time being I-269 is only going to work as a partial bypass of Memphis. Quite a bit more work would be needed for long distance traffic going through Memphis to get any bypass benefit from I-269. A new Mississippi River bridge built near the Tunica casinos and connecting to I-40 in Arkansas somewhere near Forrest City would allow I-269 to work as an I-40 Memphis bypass. Right now long distance I-40 traffic has no choice but to travel through Memphis. The bridge crossing by Tunica and another Mississippi River crossing West of Millington, TN would be needed for I-269 to work as an I-55 bypass. But that would cut through Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park and a whole lot of flood plain. It would be one really expensive (and controversial) bridge. The upshot is such a crossing would connect into I-55 in Arkansas near the I-555 terminus.

[GreenLanternCorps]

I'm assuming that Westbound I-269 at I-22 is going to be marked "Local Traffic Only" until they get the last portion completed?

[Brooks]

I'm assuming that Westbound I-269 at I-22 is going to be marked "Local Traffic Only" until they get the last portion completed?

Thankfully, no. I drove by there the other day and they have signs that say I-269 south; however, they are holding off on the control city until the link to I-55 is completed. I hate how 269 south at SR 385’s eastern terminus in Collierville has been marked “local traffic” for the past few years. Also, that interchange has one of the worst looking APL signs I’ve ever seen.

[wriddle082]

I'm assuming that Westbound I-269 at I-22 is going to be marked "Local Traffic Only" until they get the last portion completed?

Thankfully, no. I drove by there the other day and they have signs that say I-269 south; however, they are holding off on the control city until the link to I-55 is completed. I hate how 269 south at SR 385’s eastern terminus in Collierville has been marked “local traffic” for the past few years. That interchange also had one of the worst looking APL signs I’ve ever seen.

TDOT using "LOCAL TRAFFIC" as a temporary control point on unfinished freeways is SOP for TDOT.  TN 840 (now I-840) east from I-40 in Dickson had "LOCAL TRAFFIC" as well as possibly a few other sections as it was being built.  Many years ago (1986) I-440 west b/w I-24 and I-65 had it as well until the road was finished to I-40 in 1987.  May also have been used on I-140 south of Knoxville as it was being built in the 90's.

[jamierazorback]

I will be off on Friday and will take pics and video of the new I-269. I'm not sure if anyone else locally will have a chance before Friday. I'm really excited! Does anyone know what cities are listed on the I-269 north sign at I-22/hwy78?

[lordsutch]

I will be off on Friday and will take pics and video of the new I-269. I'm not sure if anyone else locally will have a chance before Friday. I'm really excited! Does anyone know what cities are listed on the I-269 north sign at I-22/hwy78?

According to the signage plans, it's signed for Collierville (south/westbound it's planned to be signed for Tunica).

Pleased to be in #MarshallCo today to help open I-269 from SR 302 to SR 305. This project will help with #EconDev in the area. #MShwys pic.twitter.com/NDoj19MGkW

— Mike Tagert (@MikeTagert) December 5, 2017

As far as the opening goes, except for a few mentions on Twitter there's really no coverage of the opening yet. I just made it live in OpenStreetMap a few minutes ago (it'll take a little while for the tiles to update fully).

[jamierazorback]

I will be off on Friday and will take pics and video of the new I-269. I'm not sure if anyone else locally will have a chance before Friday. I'm really excited! Does anyone know what cities are listed on the I-269 north sign at I-22/hwy78?

According to the signage plans, it's signed for Collierville (south/westbound it's planned to be signed for Tunica).

Pleased to be in #MarshallCo today to help open I-269 from SR 302 to SR 305. This project will help with #EconDev in the area. #MShwys pic.twitter.com/NDoj19MGkW

— Mike Tagert (@MikeTagert) December 5, 2017

As far as the opening goes, except for a few mentions on Twitter there's really no coverage of the opening yet. I just made it live in OpenStreetMap a few minutes ago (it'll take a little while for the tiles to update fully).

Just went over there and looks like it's filled in! I'm kind of surprised control signs for 269 South wont say Memphis with Tunica. Since I-22 will be ending at the I269 JCT, i'm sure Miss. wants to make sure traffic flows via I55/I69 into Memphis when the time comes.

[Avalanchez71]

I would expect that there will be new pictures of the new facility forthcoming in this thread.  BTW, has there been any move toward erecting reassurance and trailblazer shields on the N-S TN 385 section up to I-40? -- one would expect that to occur in conjunction with the opening of the new segment!

Per previous posts in the thread, Tennessee will be signing I-269 to I-40 in the next few months.

The state is pillaging us now with the gas tax increase.  This is what they are doing with our funds renumbering an existing roadway.   

[GreenLanternCorps]

I would expect that there will be new pictures of the new facility forthcoming in this thread.  BTW, has there been any move toward erecting reassurance and trailblazer shields on the N-S TN 385 section up to I-40? -- one would expect that to occur in conjunction with the opening of the new segment!

Per previous posts in the thread, Tennessee will be signing I-269 to I-40 in the next few months.

The state is pillaging us now with the gas tax increase.  This is what they are doing with our funds renumbering an existing roadway.   

Resigning, for route continuity, a highway where it was already planned for, is far from an illegitimate use of public funds

[lordsutch]

Just went over there and looks like it's filled in! I'm kind of surprised control signs for 269 South wont say Memphis with Tunica. Since I-22 will be ending at the I269 JCT, i'm sure Miss. wants to make sure traffic flows via I55/I69 into Memphis when the time comes.

I don't think Mississippi cares very much if traffic ends up backing up on Lamar. MDOT presumably wants it upgraded far more than TDOT does, since from Tennessee's perspective a freeway connection from the state line to I-240 just makes it easier for people to move to Olive Branch (and Memphis is losing enough people anyway).

[Interstate 69 Fan]

I’m thinking it’s open now..?

[jamierazorback]

Just went over there and looks like it's filled in! I'm kind of surprised control signs for 269 South wont say Memphis with Tunica. Since I-22 will be ending at the I269 JCT, i'm sure Miss. wants to make sure traffic flows via I55/I69 into Memphis when the time comes.

I don't think Mississippi cares very much if traffic ends up backing up on Lamar. MDOT presumably wants it upgraded far more than TDOT does, since from Tennessee's perspective a freeway connection from the state line to I-240 just makes it easier for people to move to Olive Branch (and Memphis is losing enough people anyway).

Southaven, Horn Lake mayors have all said they want the traffic, because it brings money/development, exc. That's what I was getting at. There are plans to being a huge widening of I55/I69 from the I/269 junction north to the state line. They also want traffic heading towards Tunica. That's why i'm surprised they didn't have Memphis listed.

[dcharlie]

I’m thinking it’s open now..?

I'm looking at the MDOT Traffic camera site (https://www.mdottraffic.com/) and I see some traffic but not much. so not sure if it is open.

[lordsutch]

I'm looking at the MDOT Traffic camera site (https://www.mdottraffic.com/) and I see some traffic but not much. so not sure if it is open.

If you click on the VMSes, most of them say "I-269 NOW OPEN MS 305 TO TN." So I'm pretty sure it's open.

[sparker]

Just went over there and looks like it's filled in! I'm kind of surprised control signs for 269 South wont say Memphis with Tunica. Since I-22 will be ending at the I269 JCT, i'm sure Miss. wants to make sure traffic flows via I55/I69 into Memphis when the time comes.

I don't think Mississippi cares very much if traffic ends up backing up on Lamar. MDOT presumably wants it upgraded far more than TDOT does, since from Tennessee's perspective a freeway connection from the state line to I-240 just makes it easier for people to move to Olive Branch (and Memphis is losing enough people anyway).

Southaven, Horn Lake mayors have all said they want the traffic, because it brings money/development, exc. That's what I was getting at. There are plans to being a huge widening of I55/I69 from the I/269 junction north to the state line. They also want traffic heading towards Tunica. That's why i'm surprised they didn't have Memphis listed.

Whenever an extended metro area crosses a state line, there's almost inevitably a clash between jurisdictions regarding priorities, funding, and political benefit; when I was living in Portland in the mid-90's, there were plans to take the northern (Interstate Ave.) LR branch over the Columbia into Vancouver, WA with a later phase extending the facility to Battle Ground a bit northeast of there; in '94 a measure was on the Clark County (WA) ballot to provide funding for this project.  It was soundly defeated (IIRC, about 68%-32%); the opponents cited loss of local autonomy and possible gentrification of the LR station areas which might displace long-time residents as their prime objections -- but someone in their number had taken out a TV ad citing the LR extension as a convenient way for Portland street criminals to expand their territory (a bit of a stretch).  Nevertheless, the gist was that Clark County interests didn't want the Portland Metro agency to get a foot through the door via LR -- although that agency had zero legal prerogative north of the state line; the trackage in WA was to be owned by Clark County and leased to and operated by Portland.   But distrust of the other's motives seems to be par for the course in inter-state projects.

In the case of Lamar Ave., it seems to be more or less a case of relative disinterest (in a perfect world with constant funding figuring out a way to deploy an Interstate-grade freeway along Lamar wouldn't pose a problem) due to, as has been said, limited benefits accruing to Memphis itself.  Also, with the development along that corridor, there's no place to put a freeway without a disproportionately large expenditure.  Besides, with the presence of I-269 -- particularly when finished to I-55/69 -- the problem of getting I-22 traffic into Memphis itself or beyond will be functionally solved without TNDOT having to lay out a dime; their only programmed expenditure would be the short stretch from the border to TN 385 (the latter likely effectively amortized by this time).  It's a win-win situation for both states -- MS gets the developmental potential from Hernando to Byhalia, TNDOT gets an effective way to get traffic from east I-40 to south I-55 away from both I-240 and the downtown freeway network -- and until the inevitable grouses down the line about the slower-speed connections within the cloverleaves at both the 55/69/269 and 22/269 junctions start piling up, the system, once that last link is completed, is quite functional.   

[silverback1065]

Tunica has less than 1k residents, is that really worth control city status?  Also, why not route 22 up 269, then throw it onto 385? then there's no need to upgrade 78. 

[wriddle082]

Tunica has less than 1k residents, is that really worth control city status?  Also, why not route 22 up 269, then throw it onto 385? then there's no need to upgrade 78. 

Despite Tunica's lack of permanent residents, it's a popular tourist destination; therefore it has earned control city status.

And I suppose routing 22 up 269 to 385 is definitely not out of the realm of possibility.  But it would still be a 2di ending at a 3di, but a different one than before.  I think Germantown or Collierville could care less if they are served by a 2di, and they might appreciate the long haul traffic NOT being routed along 385.

Anyway, Lamar Ave is essentially a destination for a lot of the truck traffic in the area.  Memphis is known as "America's Distribution Center", and many of these disto centers are located along Lamar, which is not far from the airport and FedEx.  As for the regular auto traffic, many of those folks may very well end up taking 269 to 385, especially if their smartphone-based mappng apps detect backups on Lamar.

The main outcome from all of this is that 269 gives Greater Memphis more options, which is a lot more than can be said of other major metro areas, namely the one at the other end of I-22, and an even bigger one further east.

[Tomahawkin]

That is a damn good point about 269. Too many people live in the metro area to the east and I think companies from up north will now consider Memphis as a relocation option due to the better overall logistics options in the area