2013 meets?

[Roadgeek Adam]

Just of note, I did get most of my plans for a meet planned. I will announce it soon, within the next week, need to finalize a date with people here to what looks best.

March 31 is Easter this year, and I have intentions to see the Wheel of Fortune NYC tapings on March 16, so I was looking at March 23 again, or some time in April.

[wriddle082]

I need to find out how construction is progressing on the replacement of the old Ironton-Russell bridge across the Ohio River. If there is visible work, that might give me another reason to do a Tri-State (KY/OH/WV) meet in the Ashland/Huntington area.

Of course I would do my damndest to make it to that meet, being that I went to elementary school in Ashland and I haven't been back up there since 2004 or 2005, so long ago that I can't exactly remember!

Maybe in about 20 years, when the kids are all grown and out of the house, enough progress will have been made on I-73 that a Florence/Myrtle Beach meet will be justified.

[US71]

There's probably not enough to make a full meet, but if anyone is passing through Ft Smith and has 2-3 hours, there is some I-49 construction around Ft Chaffee.

[vdeane]

If I were to do a second St. Lawrence county meet, it would have to be before May, since that's when I graduate.  My ideal date would be the Saturday before Easter if that doesn't present a problem for people here; April tends to be crazy for me, and earlier might still have snow.

[froggie]

Still looking at doing a Hampton Roads meet, but given the deployment schedule just handed to me, I'll have to hold it in March or mid-April, which would have implications for Adam's meet and those who intended to go to both.

[CanesFan27]

Still looking at doing a Hampton Roads meet, but given the deployment schedule just handed to me, I'll have to hold it in March or mid-April, which would have implications for Adam's meet and those who intended to go to both.

Considering I'll have a two month old and most likely hockey games, anything I'd do in ILM won't be until summer or later.

[hbelkins]

Just posted the date and preliminary details for a 2013 meet in Northeastern Kentucky. Have had this one in mind for a couple of years and waited too late for some bridge construction on I-64 in West Virginia, plus the button copy is now gone, but there's still enough to make for a good meet tour.

Once work gets underway on widening of New Circle Road and the construction of another diverging diamond (KY 4 at US 421), I'd like to do a Lexington-area meet. That may not be possible until late this fall or next spring.

Found out that I won't be going to Louisville until August for an annual conference that's usually held in April, so that may give me a chance to see if construction on one or both new bridges is visibly underway by then. If so, a Louisville meet is a possibility.

[jpi]

A Lexington meet would be doable for me, I won't be able to make the northestern KY meet, as for Hampton roads, that is up in the air for me too.

[Dougtone]

It looks like Dylan Lainhart will be running the Binghamton meet, which I've read that he's planning for sometime during the summer.  I have no complaints about this, in case anyone is wondering.  I was planning on doing this myself had Dylan decided not to hold a meet in Binghamton, New York.

I haven't formalized any dates for this yet, but I will be planning a meet in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Those familiar with the area may know that the Memorial Bridge replacement is scheduled to be completed by July 2013.  I'll also throw in some other goodies that I've identified in the area, such as a drive down the classic Bypass US 1 in Portsmouth and perhaps a walk down the old Spaulding Turnpike bridge over the nearby Great Bay.  I plan on taking a weekend to scout things out as well, see what works, etc.  I tend to want to avoid the peak summer tourism season, so I may be aiming for sometime during the first half of June for a meet there.

[dlainhart]

After Alps and I hashed out a sketch for a tour route I've brainstormed a list of possible locations for a Binghamton, NY meet this summer. There probably should be two, with this one being the big one. This'll be the year things get crazy at the Kamikaze Curve interchange and there will be many vantage points from all over the valley, close up and on top of mountains, to see it. I'll plan these scenic vantage points into the tour route.

Doug, I'd like to collaborate with you on hosting this. You down?

[cjk374]

Shreveport, LA - scheduled for Feb 16 (drive future I-49, visit 3 states, other sights? too early for detail)

Interested if I can make the time.

x2

[Dougtone]

After Alps and I hashed out a sketch for a tour route I've brainstormed a list of possible locations for a Binghamton, NY meet this summer. There probably should be two, with this one being the big one. This'll be the year things get crazy at the Kamikaze Curve interchange and there will be many vantage points from all over the valley, close up and on top of mountains, to see it. I'll plan these scenic vantage points into the tour route.

Doug, I'd like to collaborate with you on hosting this. You down?

I'm in like Flynn.

[Grzrd]

Shreveport, LA - scheduled for Feb 16 (drive future I-49, visit 3 states, other sights? too early for detail)

Interested if I can make the time.

x2

I will not be able to attend a Feb. 16 meet, but I may be able to offer another "drive I-49 North" opportunity. I have been in contact with LaDOTD about a possible I-49 North drive, as well.  I have been trying to figure out the best time to drive the most number of sections before they open.  As of today, the thinking is that late April or early May will offer the best opportunity. From a LaDOTD email:

I did speak to the engineers and I think we would be looking at late April or early May.  That is when the majority of the segments will be accepted by DOTD.  We are looking at summer to open the corridor.

I am thinking of having a more Texarkana-centric flavor because I want to drive the new Future I-49 in Texarkana as well as Future I-369.  It's a very heavy "new interstate" agenda, but I think the construction warrants it.  I hope to figure out a definite date in the next few weeks. Any suggestions for other things to see, good food, cold beer, etc. are welcome!

[hbelkins]

Just of note, I did get most of my plans for a meet planned. I will announce it soon, within the next week, need to finalize a date with people here to what looks best.

March 31 is Easter this year, and I have intentions to see the Wheel of Fortune NYC tapings on March 16, so I was looking at March 23 again, or some time in April.

Definitely won't be staying all night in the town you've selected for your meet. The reviews of the motels there on Trip Advisor come to a consensus that they're dumps. Anyone traveling in from a distance will certainly want to seek alternate lodging locations.

[roadman]

The New Hampshire meet would be focusing on Portsmouth.  When I was first thinking of running a meet in NH, I had been focusing on Manchester and Nashua, but the time I would've gotten anything off the ground, the construction for the Manchester Airport Connector had been completed.  At least with Portsmouth, they are working on the US 1 Memorial Bridge replacement span at this time, plus I have a couple of other goodies up my sleeve.

It should also be known that Portsmouth and Binghamton are the only meets that I have on the drawing board.  After that, whatever meet planning I do will likely be based on whatever comes around.

I would be very interested in attending a Portsmouth meet, provided it is in May, June or late August.   I'll be in Illinois attending a conference for work in mid-July, and I have family commitments (including my niece's wedding in North Carolina) in early July and early August.  And yes, I do plan on driving to both the conference and the wedding.

[mgk920]

I'm pondering early June for a NE Wisconsin construction geek-zone meet for early June, perhaps for the weekends of May 31-June 1 (Fri-Sat) or June 14-15 (Fri-Sat).  Note, there is a major parade in downtown Appleton on June 8 (Sat), which will screw everything up, so that weekend would be out.

The Oshkosh-Neenah section of the US(I)-41 upgrades will be within a month of so of winding up and the Green Bay part will be in its heaviest 'big shovel' phase, with the major work at the WI 29 Shawano Interchange being well under way.

Mike

[Dougtone]

Tentatively looking at June 8th as the date of the Portsmouth, NH meet.  With all the other meets going on, plus my own schedule, I may as well start trying to set up a time for the meet.

[Roadgeek999]

Tentatively looking at June 8th as the date of the Portsmouth, NH meet.  With all the other meets going on, plus my own schedule, I may as well start trying to set up a time for the meet.

I could only make Portsmouth if it was a week earlier (June 1st) since I'm taking a summer course that starts on the 3rd.

[PHLBOS]

Tentatively looking at June 8th as the date of the Portsmouth, NH meet.  With all the other meets going on, plus my own schedule, I may as well start trying to set up a time for the meet.

I could only make Portsmouth if it was a week earlier (June 1st) since I'm taking a summer course that starts on the 3rd.

I would love to make the trip (from the Philly area) to meet some of the New Englanders (my old stomping grounds) on this site but June 8th is out for me.  That's the same weekend as the All-Ford Nationals over in Carlisle, PA.  June 1 would be better for me, at least among June weekends.

[roadman]

Tentatively looking at June 8th as the date of the Portsmouth, NH meet.  With all the other meets going on, plus my own schedule, I may as well start trying to set up a time for the meet.

I could only make Portsmouth if it was a week earlier (June 1st) since I'm taking a summer course that starts on the 3rd.

Likewise, I can only make Portsmouth if it's held on June 1st - I have the monthly operating session at the model railroad club (North Shore Club - Wakefield, MA) on the 8th.

[hbelkins]

Portsmouth is one of those meets that I've had on my radar screen for some time now since I heard it was a possibility. The opportunity to clinch NH's counties beckons. I'll have to make some decisions about which upcoming meets I want to attend. I know I won't be able to make all of them.

[froggie]

For those interested in a potential Hampton Roads meet, I've decided to delay until this fall.  I had initially looked at doing one this spring, but my deployment date has been all over the place...it finally settled on next month, right after I'm taking 2 weeks up in Vermont for housesitting/catsitting.  It's too late IMO to plan for one at the end of this month (nevermind the 31st being Easter), so I've chosen to delay until I'm back from deployment.

Look for a meet sometime in early/mid-November.  This may work out anyway, as by then there will likely be some noticeable work by then on the Midtown Tunnel expansion, the Steel Bridge (US 17 in Chesapeake) project, and the US 460 tollway.

[hbelkins]

the US 460 tollway.

Are they going to be able to get started on that project that quickly? Wow...

[froggie]

Sorry...that was off memory.  They don't actually start construction on 460 until next year.

[hbelkins]

Still, even next year would be awfully quick to get plans drawn up, a preferred corridor selected, ROW purchased, etc.