I-69 in TN

[Grzrd]

It is interesting which SIU 8 projects were included: they are concentrated in Lauderdale County, in the middle of SIU 8. The IMPROVE Act map provides a good illustration:

This article reports that Gov. Haslam's IMPROVE Act legislation passed the Tennessee House and Senate today. It has to go back to the House for some minor reconciliation language, but it appears to be a done deal:

The state House this afternoon approved Tennessee's first gas tax increase in 28 years, voting 60-37 for Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's proposed IMPROVE Act ....

Now, in regard to SIU 8 and the Lauderdale County projects (as well as the Kentucky state line section), TDOT needs to hurry up and finish the respective Final Environmental Impact Statements and submit them to the FHWA for Records of Decision.

I recently emailed TDOT with some questions about the various projects ....
Finally, the wait for a SIU 8 Record of Decison (ROD) could be a couple of years away:

Q: Finally, how is the FEIS on SIU 8 progressing? When do you expect a ROD on it?
A: I don't anticipate having a ROD until 2019 at the earliest.

Since we are now past the mid-point of 2019, I emailed TDOT and asked about the progress of the EIS/ROD. The response from the Environmental Division:

TDOT is continuing to work through the planning and environmental processes on the I-69 SIU 8 project.  Once the review to determine if a revision is needed to the environmental technical study area is completed, the Environmental Division should be able to better predict when the NEPA document (EIS/ROD) will be completed.

It looks like the SIU 8 projects will be among the last to begin construction during the ten-year IMPROVE Act plan, but TDOT's IMPROVE Act map indicates preliminary engineering is currently going on in all SIU 8 sections:

[rte66man]

I found it interesting that I-69 northbound at the TN-KY border will go past the existing interchange before it bends to the west of Fulton.

[sparker]

I found it interesting that I-69 northbound at the TN-KY border will go past the existing interchange before it bends to the west of Fulton.

An iteration of that particular plan was shown a year or two ago on the forum; it looked like that configuration was done to avoid a TOTSO at the existing (45/51) interchange -- and that there were less improved properties to take via that alignment.

[edwaleni]

I found it interesting that I-69 northbound at the TN-KY border will go past the existing interchange before it bends to the west of Fulton.

An iteration of that particular plan was shown a year or two ago on the forum; it looked like that configuration was done to avoid a TOTSO at the existing (45/51) interchange -- and that there were less improved properties to take via that alignment.

TOTSO

"sauteed fish with tahuri (soybean curd)"

Interesting, a road designed to avoid a Filipino restaurant. This has got to be a first.

[amroad17]

TOTSO=Turn Off To Stay On 

[Rothman]

TOTSO=Turn Off To Stay On 

No need to roll your eyes.  It is a real esoteric acronym that is almost totally just used on this board.  Even on here, it isn't used that frequently.

So, rolling your eyes at someone who was just having a little fun with such a rare acronym just seems like misplaced condescension.

[edwaleni]

TOTSO=Turn Off To Stay On 

No need to roll your eyes.  It is a real esoteric acronym that is almost totally just used on this board.  Even on here, it isn't used that frequently.

So, rolling your eyes at someone who was just having a little fun with such a rare acronym just seems like misplaced condescension.

I looked it up in a few acronym and urban dictionaries and it kept pointing me to a filipino delicacy.

I figure i would get the true meaning eventually.

[Verlanka]

TOTSO=Turn Off To Stay On 

No need to roll your eyes.  It is a real esoteric acronym that is almost totally just used on this board.

Even so, that may be the first time I've seen that acronym.

[Echostatic]

I've definitely seen TOTSO used before. Pretty sure it was referring to the I-55 northbound cloverleaf exit in Memphis.

[hbelkins]

TOTSO dates back to MTR. It may even be in the old MTR FAQ.

[Rothman]

TOTSO dates back to MTR. It may even be in the old MTR FAQ.

It's in there, but MTR is as ancient as the Iliad.  Expecting people to go back to that is rather silly.

To Echo:  My point was not that it isn't used at all, but it is rather rare even in use on here.  It is little wonder the new crop of geeks don't know it, because it's almost solely used on this board.

If you went into a DOT's design squad and started talking about TOTSOs, they'd look at you cockeyed.

[hbelkins]

If you went into a DOT's design squad and started talking about TOTSOs, they'd look at you cockeyed.

Same for BGS.

[Rothman]

If you went into a DOT's design squad and started talking about TOTSOs, they'd look at you cockeyed.

Same for BGS.

Yep.  That's a good one, too!

[amroad17]

I do apologize about the eye roll.  I did not know that putting in TOTSO would lead to something about a Filipino restaurant. 

[GreenLanternCorps]

According to both Apple maps and Google Maps TN 21 is closed for construction right at the point where it will have an interchange with I-69.

Found more on the TDOT Construction site concerning I-69:

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/news/2019/7/31/west-tennessee-weekly-construction-july-21-august-7--2019.html

OBION COUNTY, Future I-69 (Phase 2): Grading, drainage, construction of eight bridges on future I-69 from south of US 51 (SR 3) to south of US 45W (SR 5) will cause possible lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit is reduced to 45 MPH through the US 51 (SR 3) portion of the project. The southbound traffic has been switched to the northbound side on SR 3 throughout the work zone, for phase 2 construction.
Restrictions: Tuesday, November 13, 2018 SR 3 has a lane shift in the north and southbound directions. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction with an 11’ 6” lane restriction.

OBION COUNTY, Future I-69 (Phase 3): Grading, drainage, construction of bridges and paving on future I-69 from west of SR 21to US 51 (SR 3) will cause possible lane closures throughout the project.
Beginning on Monday, July 29, 2019, weather permitting. SR 21 North will from Clifford Rives Road to Lindenwood Road. The closure is expected for approximately 1 year to allow the construction of the overhead Bridge on the new portion of SR 21 along with the Road & Drainage of the I-69 mainline. Northbound traffic will detour from SR 21 East onto Clifford Rives Road, then North on Bethlehem Road, West onto Lindenwood Road before  proceeding North on SR 21. Southbound traffic will be in reverse order. Detour routes are posted.

[TNObion]

Hello..new to the forum. As a West Tn resident, this forum has been a wealth of information regarding the Interstate construction in my area.  Progress has really started to ramp up the last couple of months. I snapped a few photos and (if I can load them properly) am going to post them here.

Hwy 51 at Mayberry Rd overpass, looking west:
https://flic.kr/p/2hyN54Y


SR 21 looking south:
https://flic.kr/p/2hyNiR7

These last two were taken off a friends property, just off Claude tucker road, looking east and west, respectively:

https://flic.kr/p/2hyNi3d

https://flic.kr/p/2hyJtj4

[dcharlie]

Nice pics.  Thanks for posting!

[-- US 175 --]

...and welcome to the forum!

[GreenLanternCorps]

Hello..new to the forum. As a West Tn resident, this forum has been a wealth of information regarding the Interstate construction in my area.  Progress has really started to ramp up the last couple of months. I snapped a few photos and (if I can load them properly) am going to post them here.

Hwy 51 at Mayberry Rd overpass, looking west:
https://flic.kr/p/2hyN54Y


SR 21 looking south:
https://flic.kr/p/2hyNiR7

These last two were taken off a friends property, just off Claude tucker road, looking east and west, respectively:

https://flic.kr/p/2hyNi3d

https://flic.kr/p/2hyJtj4

Awesome!  You can be the ITB* of this thread.  😁

*ITB is a forum member who has posted a large number of photos of the I-69 construction in Indiana

[TNObion]

Thanks for the welcome guys. It is good to finally see progress being made after the project being stalled for, well, years. Now our infamous "road to nowhere" can soon be completed (at least locally) and hopefully help put this area on the map, so to speak.

Construction is now being done in pretty much my backyard, so if anyone had interests or wants to see progress I will be happy to post more pictures, if you have a specific area feel free to ask.  The landscape here has changed quite a lot in the past couple of months, looking forward to seeing this completed!

[hbelkins]

Thanks for the welcome guys. It is good to finally see progress being made after the project being stalled for, well, years. Now our infamous "road to nowhere" can soon be completed (at least locally) and hopefully help put this area on the map, so to speak.

Construction is now being done in pretty much my backyard, so if anyone had interests or wants to see progress I will be happy to post more pictures, if you have a specific area feel free to ask.  The landscape here has changed quite a lot in the past couple of months, looking forward to seeing this completed!

It's been awhile since I've been down there. When I was, things were pretty stagnant on the northwest side of Union City, and some work was being done around US 51 south of town. I'm anxious to see how the project at the state line is going to come about.

I found it very interesting how much closer so much of that part of Kentucky is to Union City than it is to Paducah.

[The Ghostbuster]

Maybe as a precursor to completing future Interstate 69 between the end of Interstate 155 and the Tennessee/Kentucky border, the existing exits on US 51 from 155 to TN-183 could be given numbers (based on Interstate 69's future mileage from the Mississippi/Tennessee border), and mile markers could be erected. I think that would be a great way to transition the conversion of the corridor into becoming Interstate 69.

[X99]

When I-69 is finished between Michigan and I-155, technically the route is complete to Texarkana, using I-155, I-55, I-40, I-30, and I-369.

[sparker]

When I-69 is finished between Michigan and I-155, technically A route is complete to Texarkana, using I-155, I-55, I-40, I-30, and I-369.

FTFY.  A routing option, not a specific corridor.

[abqtraveler]

Maybe as a precursor to completing future Interstate 69 between the end of Interstate 155 and the Tennessee/Kentucky border, the existing exits on US 51 from 155 to TN-183 could be given numbers (based on Interstate 69's future mileage from the Mississippi/Tennessee border), and mile markers could be erected. I think that would be a great way to transition the conversion of the corridor into becoming Interstate 69.

It would be hard to do that right now because the exact alignment for SIU-8 between Dyersburg and Millington has not yet been finalized. I think a Draft EIS was issued, but funding issues and environmental groups fighting over the alignment of I-69 through the Hatchie River basin are holding up the Final EIS and ROD.