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What's modren standards for Kentucky roads in 1965?

Started by XamotCGC, June 12, 2022, 12:44:25 AM

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XamotCGC



Roads clinched.
State Routes: Kentucky:  KY 208 KY 289 KY 555 KY 2154 KY 245 KY 1195


XamotCGC

Roads clinched.
State Routes: Kentucky:  KY 208 KY 289 KY 555 KY 2154 KY 245 KY 1195

XamotCGC

I'm curious what the roads were like before 24 ft wide driving surface with wide shoulders?  1965 is somewhat before my time.

Roads clinched.
State Routes: Kentucky:  KY 208 KY 289 KY 555 KY 2154 KY 245 KY 1195

Tom958

Quote from: XamotCGC on June 12, 2022, 12:52:14 AM
I'm curious what the roads were like before 24 ft wide driving surface with wide shoulders?  1965 is somewhat before my time.

Other than pavement and shoulder width, it'd essentially be design speed. Modern two-lane highways usually have a design speed of at least 60 mph if the terrain permits, which requires easier curves and a flatter and more even profile without excessive grades or blind hillcrests. It can be easy or not-so-easy to surmise where this sort of work has been done because, depending on the condition of the legacy roadway, the implementing agency might upgrade the existing road in place, or it might decide to build a new roadway a short distance away, or maybe relocate the highway up to several miles away. That sort of thing usually piques my curiosity, especially if there's a lot of variation in roadway quality.

In this case, there are quite a few places along the route where the old route is still intact next to the new, with Streetview on both so you can compare. I even found a place where that class of reconstruction-relocation work was underway in 2018, though there it appears that the old road will be abandoned. Further south, this section was also upgraded recently, but it's still well below current standards. Obviously, the project was incremental in nature and likely never fully completed.

The fact that Kentucky took and still takes two-lane roads seriously as strategic (:clap:) long-distance corridors is one of the things I like about how they do things. During that same 1965 timeframe, there was a much more ambitious project, fully completed AFAIK, to make KY 15 a 60 mph highway from US 119 at Williamston via Hazard to the Mountain Parkway at Campton, a distance of 81 miles. Recently, I drove the entire length of it and I was impressed. Today, they're doing similar work on KY 30 heading northeastward from London toward Ashland. If they stick with it, eventually, it'll be competitive timewise with the I-75-KY 627-I-64 route and much shorter in distance.

hbelkins

This corridor is essentially what's called the Heartland Parkway today.

If you want an example of the old US 68/KY 55 alignment between Lebanon and Campbellsville, drive KY 289. That was the old alignment. There was a one-lane bridge and a pretty wicked hill climb at the county line.

I remember when the route from the current end of KY 53 extending south to Springfield carried the KY 53 designation. KY 555 ran only from KY 53 north to the BG Parkway.

To my knowledge, the last section of the route described in this story was KY 61 between Burkesville and Columbia. I have driven on the old alignment of KY 61 when it was still signed as such before the new alignment was built.

That corridor is being improved today. Part of a new eastern bypass of Campbellsville opened recently, and the northern half of that route was either recently let for bids or work has already started. Alternating passing lanes, not on hills, have been built on KY 55 between Campbellsville and Columbia, and similar construction is underway on KY 55/US 68 south of Lebanon going toward Campbellsville.

To see the original design, check out KY 555 between the BG Parkway and KY 53. It's basically unchanged.

This corridor has actually been extended to Louisville. A new alignment of KY 555 was built north of the parkway to connect with US 62, part of US 62 was rebuilt, and then KY 148 was relocated/improved to link with that four-lane section of KY 44 near Taylorsville Lake. That connects to KY 155, which has been improved all the way to Louisville.

Quote from: Tom958 on June 12, 2022, 06:55:19 AM
The fact that Kentucky took and still takes two-lane roads seriously as strategic (:clap:) long-distance corridors is one of the things I like about how they do things. During that same 1965 timeframe, there was a much more ambitious project, fully completed AFAIK, to make KY 15 a 60 mph highway from US 119 at Williamston via Hazard to the Mountain Parkway at Campton, a distance of 81 miles. Recently, I drove the entire length of it and I was impressed. Today, they're doing similar work on KY 30 heading northeastward from London toward Ashland. If they stick with it, eventually, it'll be competitive timewise with the I-75-KY 627-I-64 route and much shorter in distance.

That KY 30 alignment has been desired by people in my area for decades. The grand plan is for a London-Ashland highway to roughly follow KY 30, KY 11, KY 715, the Mountain Parkway, KY 205, US 460, and KY 7 to connect to I-64 at Grayson. Everything is done except for two miles of KY 11 in Lee County (which would involve a new Kentucky River crossing), KY 715, and two sections of KY 7 between West Liberty and Sandy Hook. I think the KY 7 plans are still under development.

Already, people in Breathitt County are enduring the 24 miles of mountain road along KY 30 between Jackson and Booneville to access I-75 at London instead of going to Hazard on KY 15 and then west on the Hal Rogers Parkway. It's shorter and somewhat faster.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Tom958

#5
Quote from: hbelkins on June 12, 2022, 04:27:57 PM
That KY 30 alignment has been desired by people in my area for decades. The grand plan is for a London-Ashland highway to roughly follow KY 30, KY 11, KY 715, the Mountain Parkway, KY 205, US 460, and KY 7 to connect to I-64 at Grayson. Everything is done except for two miles of KY 11 in Lee County (which would involve a new Kentucky River crossing), KY 715, and two sections of KY 7 between West Liberty and Sandy Hook. I think the KY 7 plans are still under development.

Already, people in Breathitt County are enduring the 24 miles of mountain road along KY 30 between Jackson and Booneville to access I-75 at London instead of going to Hazard on KY 15 and then west on the Hal Rogers Parkway. It's shorter and somewhat faster.

I got that route on Google Maps by dropping one waypoint on the Mountain Parkway, so it's pretty well established. Currently, it's 131 miles and 2:35 via that route versus 145 miles and 2:08 via the Interstates and KY 627.

I wish they'd post a single number on the corridor when it gets closer to being done. Or now, really.

hbelkins

I think the ought to do a sign saying "LA Highway" the same way there are "AA Highway" signs that are similar to the old-style Kentucky parkway (BG and WK) markers. One of the criticisms of the AA Highway name was that the route goes to neither Alexandria nor Ashland, so I think it would be safe to call this corridor "LA" even thought it, too, won't go all the way to Ashland.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

GCrites

^Ha, I suppose there are a lot of roads that tease places that they don't directly reach. But of course most of them are like that due to truncation or re-routes that happened after they got their names.



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