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Tennessee

Started by FLRoads, January 20, 2009, 11:51:22 PM

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I-39

I see a lot of new I-840 shields going up at exits and reassurance signs, but not yet on the overhead signs.


I-39

And FYI, are there ANY plans (that are being acted upon) at all to improve TN-96 between Franklin and Murfreesboro? At the bare minimum, they need to widen it to include a center turn lane for the entire length of it.

Avalanchez71


TrevorB

Quote from: I-39 on September 26, 2016, 08:56:23 PM
I see a lot of new I-840 shields going up at exits and reassurance signs, but not yet on the overhead signs.

When I was in the Nashville area this past weekend, the overheads on I-40 near Dickson (west side of 840) had been replaced.

tdindy88

I was in Nashville over Labor Day weekend and saw no I-840 shields on any overhead signs, but my dad was in Alabama this past weekend and did see them. Since no one's posted any, here's a quick shot of I-840 as it appeared on I-65.


I-39

Man do they need to address the TN-96 interchange in Franklin. It is getting awful. Yet, surprisingly, when I contacted TN-DOT about it, they say there is no need to. Really?

codyg1985

Quote from: I-39 on December 03, 2016, 05:34:51 PM
Man do they need to address the TN-96 interchange in Franklin. It is getting awful. Yet, surprisingly, when I contacted TN-DOT about it, they say there is no need to. Really?

That is odd, indeed. The whole TN-96 corridor through Franklin needs help, not just the interchange. A Diverging Diamond may work at that interchange, but I am not sure how the adjacent signals would affect its operation. A SPUI would help too, but it would be more expensive.
Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States

wriddle082

Quote from: codyg1985 on December 05, 2016, 08:05:52 AM
Quote from: I-39 on December 03, 2016, 05:34:51 PM
Man do they need to address the TN-96 interchange in Franklin. It is getting awful. Yet, surprisingly, when I contacted TN-DOT about it, they say there is no need to. Really?

That is odd, indeed. The whole TN-96 corridor through Franklin needs help, not just the interchange. A Diverging Diamond may work at that interchange, but I am not sure how the adjacent signals would affect its operation. A SPUI would help too, but it would be more expensive.

It's my understanding that TDOT's "strategy" for that interchange has been to build and improve alternate routes in an effort to just get as much traffic away from it as possible.  The widening of Mack Hatcher Bypass from 96 to Cool Springs Blvd., and the McEwen Drive interchange, are perfect examples.  Since TDOT has grossly underestimated the growth potential of Franklin, I think it's safe to say this strategy has been a failure.

Anyway, I think nothing short of a SPUI will really help here, as well as an extra travel lane on 96 between 65 and Mack Hatcher..  I think the existing bridge can be modified, though it might be more feasible to completely rebuild it since parts of it are original construction.

froggie

DOT's generally get their base traffic model data from the local/regional jurisdictions, so this is just as much Franklin and Williamson County's failure as it is TDOT.

codyg1985

Quote from: wriddle082 on December 05, 2016, 02:55:50 PM
Anyway, I think nothing short of a SPUI will really help here, as well as an extra travel lane on 96 between 65 and Mack Hatcher..  I think the existing bridge can be modified, though it might be more feasible to completely rebuild it since parts of it are original construction.

The shoulder disappears along I-65 under the TN 96 bridge, so there is one reason for replacing the bridge. Replacing the bridge would be a traffic nightmare, however.

Some signal optimizations (lead/lag) or a SCATS system may help along TN 96 in the short-term. Adding a travel lane and implementing access management along the corridor could be a more long-term solution.

The problem with McEwen Dr is that it isn't exactly easy to get to from the west. Cutting McEwen straight across to Mack Hatcher where it turns to the north west of Mallory Ln would probably help in improving access to the interchange from the west. 

Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States

adventurernumber1

#335
I am glad to see TN 840 now designated as I-840.  :thumbsup:


Also, I have some fresh pictures (from yesterday) of some mostly completed construction on Tennessee Highway 153's Exit 1A (Airport; Shepherd Rd.) in Chattanooga, which was optimizing the exit, adding traffic signals, and building a newer, wider bridge. Here are the pics:

















I absolutely love it when these fancy designs (sometimes colored) are engraved in bridges like that.
Now alternating between different highway shields for my avatar - my previous highway shield avatar for the last few years was US 76.

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/127322363@N08/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-vJ3qa8R-cc44Cv6ohio1g

I-39

I sincerely hope Tennessee passes Governor Haslam's proposal to raise the gas tax and index it to inflation. It is sorely needed.

Grzrd

Quote from: I-39 on March 02, 2017, 07:57:53 PM
I sincerely hope Tennessee passes Governor Haslam's proposal to raise the gas tax and index it to inflation. It is sorely needed.

All it takes now is Gov. Haslam's signature. This TV video reports that the House conformed its version to the Senate version last night, that it will start being phased in July 1:

Quote
Gov. Bill Haslam's gas tax proposal can now formally head to his desk after House lawmakers on Monday officially gave their final seal of approval to his signature piece of legislation for the year.
After discussing the merits of including property tax relief for eligible veterans and the elderly in the legislation, the lower chamber ultimately agreed to conform with the Senate version of the measure, providing Haslam his biggest legislative win of the year ....
Currently, the state's tax on gasoline is 21.4 cents per gallon. Overall, the plan increases the tax by 6 cents per gallon over the next three years.
Those purchasing gasoline would begin paying an additional 4 cents per gallon on gasoline starting July 1, with additional 1 cent increases in 2018 and 2019.
Diesel taxes are currently 18.4 cents per gallon. Anyone who buys diesel fuel would pay an additional 4 cents per gallon beginning July 1, with 3-cent increases in both 2018 and 2019.

Here is a map of the 962 projects which will be funded by the IMPROVE Act, including significant I--69 projects.

Georgia

good to see Tennessee being reasonable about a portion of the right way to fund highway projects.

mvak36

#339
I wonder if they will start I-69 SIU 7 soon. I've been meaning to email Tdot but I have been swamped at work
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lordsutch

Quote from: mvak36 on April 25, 2017, 04:11:24 PM
I wonder if they will start I-69 SIU 7 soon. I've been meaning to email Tdot but I have been swamped at work

Grade-bridge-drain on one of the 5 sections of SIU 7 is already done (west side of Union City) and another section to the south is under construction. That leaves the 2 sections bypassing Troy further south, and the section tying into US 51/US 45W north of Union City, plus paving (however TDOT decides to divvy that up).

GreenLanternCorps

Quote from: lordsutch on April 25, 2017, 04:36:05 PM
Quote from: mvak36 on April 25, 2017, 04:11:24 PM
I wonder if they will start I-69 SIU 7 soon. I've been meaning to email Tdot but I have been swamped at work

Grade-bridge-drain on one of the 5 sections of SIU 7 is already done (west side of Union City) and another section to the south is under construction. That leaves the 2 sections bypassing Troy further south, and the section tying into US 51/US 45W north of Union City, plus paving (however TDOT decides to divvy that up).

Google maps and street view show the construction.

More on the I-69 TN thread.

I-39

Good thing the gas tax increase went through, though I wish they would have kept the indexing to inflation part (tough sell, I get it, but people don't realize that it's necessary to keep funding coming for the upkeep).

Hopefully, they will get the widening of TN-96 going soon.

When will sections of I-69 open to traffic in Western TN?

mvak36

So I emailed TDOT asking about when they would have a plan out for the IMPROVE Act projects. I haven't heard anything yet, but I did find this article saying they will be announcing a 3 year plan this Wednesday. https://springhillhomepage.com/with-new-gas-tax-on-the-books-tdot-will-announce-3-year-plan/

Here's hoping I-69 is on that plan :sombrero:.
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bigdave

Quote from: mvak36 on May 01, 2017, 04:39:01 PM
So I emailed TDOT asking about when they would have a plan out for the IMPROVE Act projects. I haven't heard anything yet, but I did find this article saying they will be announcing a 3 year plan this Wednesday. https://springhillhomepage.com/with-new-gas-tax-on-the-books-tdot-will-announce-3-year-plan/

Here's hoping I-69 is on that plan :sombrero:.

I'd like them to start by fixing some of what they already have. Some of I-40 east of downtown Knoxville is in outright horrible condition, as is some of I-75 south of Knoxville. The worst parts of that I-40 stretch are the middle lane.

Tennessee used to have well maintained roads. Today, not so much.

I-39

Quote from: bigdave on May 01, 2017, 06:29:00 PM
Quote from: mvak36 on May 01, 2017, 04:39:01 PM
So I emailed TDOT asking about when they would have a plan out for the IMPROVE Act projects. I haven't heard anything yet, but I did find this article saying they will be announcing a 3 year plan this Wednesday. https://springhillhomepage.com/with-new-gas-tax-on-the-books-tdot-will-announce-3-year-plan/

Here's hoping I-69 is on that plan :sombrero:.

I'd like them to start by fixing some of what they already have. Some of I-40 east of downtown Knoxville is in outright horrible condition, as is some of I-75 south of Knoxville. The worst parts of that I-40 stretch are the middle lane.

Tennessee used to have well maintained roads. Today, not so much.

Also, here's to hoping TN 96 widening between Franklin and Murfreesboro is on the horizon

wriddle082

Quote from: I-39 on May 01, 2017, 06:31:58 PM
Quote from: bigdave on May 01, 2017, 06:29:00 PM
Quote from: mvak36 on May 01, 2017, 04:39:01 PM
So I emailed TDOT asking about when they would have a plan out for the IMPROVE Act projects. I haven't heard anything yet, but I did find this article saying they will be announcing a 3 year plan this Wednesday. https://springhillhomepage.com/with-new-gas-tax-on-the-books-tdot-will-announce-3-year-plan/

Here's hoping I-69 is on that plan :sombrero:.

I'd like them to start by fixing some of what they already have. Some of I-40 east of downtown Knoxville is in outright horrible condition, as is some of I-75 south of Knoxville. The worst parts of that I-40 stretch are the middle lane.

Tennessee used to have well maintained roads. Today, not so much.

Also, here's to hoping TN 96 widening between Franklin and Murfreesboro is on the horizon

My best friend back in Nashville, who drives all over the region making deliveries for his work, tells me I-440 around Nashville is nothing but non-stop potholes from end to end.  Original concrete dates back to 1986-87, and has been diamond-ground and rehabbed twice.  TDOT wants to redo the whole thing in brand new concrete, but this will be no easy feat, nor will it be cheap.  I'm thinking this will now be fast-tracked with the tax increase.

mvak36

Quote from: wriddle082 on May 01, 2017, 08:09:02 PM
Quote from: I-39 on May 01, 2017, 06:31:58 PM
Quote from: bigdave on May 01, 2017, 06:29:00 PM
Quote from: mvak36 on May 01, 2017, 04:39:01 PM
So I emailed TDOT asking about when they would have a plan out for the IMPROVE Act projects. I haven't heard anything yet, but I did find this article saying they will be announcing a 3 year plan this Wednesday. https://springhillhomepage.com/with-new-gas-tax-on-the-books-tdot-will-announce-3-year-plan/

Here's hoping I-69 is on that plan :sombrero:.

I'd like them to start by fixing some of what they already have. Some of I-40 east of downtown Knoxville is in outright horrible condition, as is some of I-75 south of Knoxville. The worst parts of that I-40 stretch are the middle lane.

Tennessee used to have well maintained roads. Today, not so much.

Also, here's to hoping TN 96 widening between Franklin and Murfreesboro is on the horizon

My best friend back in Nashville, who drives all over the region making deliveries for his work, tells me I-440 around Nashville is nothing but non-stop potholes from end to end.  Original concrete dates back to 1986-87, and has been diamond-ground and rehabbed twice.  TDOT wants to redo the whole thing in brand new concrete, but this will be no easy feat, nor will it be cheap.  I'm thinking this will now be fast-tracked with the tax increase.
440 I do agree with. There are quite a few potholes along the road.

Also I was only talking about SIU 7 for I-69. The other sections can wait for later.


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codyg1985

Widening I-65 between Nashville and the KY State Line and I-24 between I-59 and US 27 are big things I am looking forward to.
Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States

Avalanchez71

Quote from: I-39 on March 02, 2017, 07:57:53 PM
I sincerely hope Tennessee passes Governor Haslam's proposal to raise the gas tax and index it to inflation. It is sorely needed.
Indexing was amended out of the bill.  That was a non-starter in the House.  There were tons of parlor games and parliamentary tricks played to get the bill passed.  The original bill in Transportation sub committee was amended to not be a gas tax increase.  The bill was amended to the "Hawk" plan.  His original plan was use the budget surplus to fund road projects.  This was done to get the votes to pass to the full standing committee.  Once there is was amended back to the gas tax increase.

When the bill made it to the Finance Sub it looked like was going to be amended back to the "Hawk Plan."  However, Rep Hawk said that we would have the votes in full Finance to get the gas tax increase off and a "Hawk-Harwell" plan which would use some of the surplus funds plus it would divert sales tax on vehicle sales into the Transportation fund.  After much fanfare the amendment that carried this plan was actually withdrawn by Rep. Hawk himself.

When the bill hit the House floor there were 80 amendments, highly unusual for TN.  The third and fourth actually made the bill.  The remaining were all attempts to amend the bill with some to strip out the gas tax.  In the end the other amendments failed.

The companion Senate bill had much smoother sailing as there was wide spread support for the gas tax in the Senate.  In TN companion bills on the same subject are introduced and they travel their respective courses in each body.  Since the House bill passed first the Senate substituted their bill on the Senate floor but they put an amendment on it which made it different from the House version. They put and elderly and disabled veterans property tax relief section on the bill.  It went back to the House and the House accepted the Senate version.

Parlor tricks passed this gas tax.  I was highly disappointed with this one.  My Senator was one of the few Senators that voted against the bill.

The bill reaches across many subjects which nearly violates the TN Constitution as there is a clause in our Constitution that states that the caption of the bill must pertain to a subject.  Since the other subjects related to taxes and the budget this is technically not a violation.  The point was made that one tax increase needs a tax decrease in order for the bill to be considered a tax decrease to the "average Tennessean."  The food tax was decreased by one point.  The Hall tax was decreased by half a point and the F&E tax structure was changed so that high level manufactures are not "over" assessed taxes.



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