Kentucky

[Avalanchez71]

Here's the as enacted plan.

First of all congrats to Kentucky for putting I-65 six lanes project to the forefront. The stretch between E-Town and Bowling Green has been the scene of some horrific cross overs thru the years. Kentucky didn't bite on Scotty's offer but went with pay go. Looks like the final money goes in 2018 with 2020 finishing timeframe. Slow but I see Kentucky's thought pattern.

I-64 widening between Louisville and Lexington took a hit as one stretch fell off (MP 28-32....easily upgradeable...) but they kept a further east bridge widening project.

I-75 has a widening project in Eastern Kentucky (MP 55-69).

Mountain Parkway has their widening on line.

Brent Spence takes a big bite and so does the Louisville Bridges project.

Overall not bad as Kentucky has the two big dogs in BS and LBP eating up hundreds of millions of dollars in funding.

http://transportation.ky.gov/Program-Management/Pages/2012-Highway-Plan.aspx

The four laning project was one big kickback.  There was not a need of this south of Mount Washington and north of Bowling Green.

[hbelkins]

Here's the as enacted plan.

First of all congrats to Kentucky for putting I-65 six lanes project to the forefront. The stretch between E-Town and Bowling Green has been the scene of some horrific cross overs thru the years. Kentucky didn't bite on Scotty's offer but went with pay go. Looks like the final money goes in 2018 with 2020 finishing timeframe. Slow but I see Kentucky's thought pattern.

I-64 widening between Louisville and Lexington took a hit as one stretch fell off (MP 28-32....easily upgradeable...) but they kept a further east bridge widening project.

I-75 has a widening project in Eastern Kentucky (MP 55-69).

Mountain Parkway has their widening on line.

Brent Spence takes a big bite and so does the Louisville Bridges project.

Overall not bad as Kentucky has the two big dogs in BS and LBP eating up hundreds of millions of dollars in funding.

http://transportation.ky.gov/Program-Management/Pages/2012-Highway-Plan.aspx

The four laning project was one big kickback.  There was not a need of this south of Mount Washington and north of Bowling Green.

Please tell us why you think this. I-65 is the most heavily used interstate in Kentucky by truck traffic -- and learning this surprised me; I expected it would be I-75 -- and the two-lane section between Bowling Green and E-town was/is frequently blocked by crashes.

[Avalanchez71]

I-65 is just as busy in Tennessee and does just fine without it being six lanes outside of the Nashville area.

[Buck87]

I-65 is just as busy in Tennessee and does just fine without it being six lanes outside of the Nashville area.

Depends on how you define "just fine". The last time I drove the section from Nashville to Kentucky it was frustrating as hell how bad the traffic was, particularly the issue of trucks passing trucks causing long backups. Reaching the 6 lane portion in KY was a welcome relief.

[seicer]

It's well into level-of-service C/D category, and the accident rate on I-65 in Kentucky is well above average. It doesn't function well at all where it remains two lanes - and where it was two-lanes in Kentucky.

[hbelkins]

I-65 is just as busy in Tennessee and does just fine without it being six lanes outside of the Nashville area.

Depends on how you define "just fine". The last time I drove the section from Nashville to Kentucky it was frustrating as hell how bad the traffic was, particularly the issue of trucks passing trucks causing long backups. Reaching the 6 lane portion in KY was a welcome relief.

I'm beginning to wonder if there is ANY construction/improvement project he's in favor of.

[2trailertrucker]

I-65 is just as busy in Tennessee and does just fine without it being six lanes outside of the Nashville area.

When you travel between Louisville and Nashville, it always seems that the wrecks and hang ups are on the 4 lane sections. Even when a motorist is being pulled over, traffic comes to a stand still.

Please define "fine" .

[Captain Jack]

I-65 is just as busy in Tennessee and does just fine without it being six lanes outside of the Nashville area.

Depends on how you define "just fine". The last time I drove the section from Nashville to Kentucky it was frustrating as hell how bad the traffic was, particularly the issue of trucks passing trucks causing long backups. Reaching the 6 lane portion in KY was a welcome relief.

I'm beginning to wonder if there is ANY construction/improvement project he's in favor of.

He also thinks the Henderson Chamber of Commerce should fight any construction of I-69 to benefit the McDonalds on the 41 Strip.

I-65 is long past due in Tennessee, and frankly, so is I-24 between Nashville and Clarksville. In the 10 states I cover, that may be my least favorite stretch of interstate.

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Looks like I jumped in this thread at the opportune time.

The family and I are heading to Florida in the first week of March, and it's been YEARS since I have driven I-65 in Kentucky. How far north has I-65 been widened? (Last time I drove, it ended just north of the Cumberland Parkway interchange...I told you it's been a while.)

Also, what road work should I be on the lookout for while in the state? Thank you all in advance for your responses.

As for the section of I-65 between the Tenessee-Kentucky line and Tennessee 386 in Nashville, I think a third lane is warranted. If the weigh stations are open and trucks are required to stop, there's one massive choke point to prepare for. Even beyond that, there have been many instances where I had to contend with clusters of traffic that stayed at or below 70 mph for MILES, and that doesn't include any side by side trucks. The extra lane would be handy, and the aforementioned stretch isn't that long; the only real tricky part from a construction standpoint would be that little stretch of I-65 near TN 257 (the section with the rocky ridge and high crosswind potential).

[hbelkins]

They are finishing up the widening just south of Elizabethtown. It won't be done by the time you are traveling through, but two-lane traffic is being maintained in each direction unless they are moving barrier walls or something.

I think it's three lanes now all the way from Bonnieville or Sonora to the Tennessee line. I drove it back in the fall but don't really remember where the widened part ended and the construction began.

[nwi_navigator_1181]

They are finishing up the widening just south of Elizabethtown. It won't be done by the time you are traveling through, but two-lane traffic is being maintained in each direction unless they are moving barrier walls or something.

I think it's three lanes now all the way from Bonnieville or Sonora to the Tennessee line. I drove it back in the fall but don't really remember where the widened part ended and the construction began.

So that's at least an additional 28 miles of I-65 that has a third lane in each direction. That's great. I like that there will be some level of free flow throughout the entire state within a year or two.

Again, thank you for the heads up.

[froggie]

With regard to the cost of re-signing the Natcher as I-165, it's time for most of the signage to get replaced anyway, aside from some spot replacements that have been done in the last few years.  I need to get night pictures of some of the BGSes and the "Parkway Ends" sign at the Owensboro end. The oldest ones are getting to be in pretty sad shape.

Plus ... the exit numbers are likely to go back to what they were before the extension from 65 to 231 opened a few years ago.

Not necessarily -- I-165 could be a "double ended" spur like I-181 was in TN before replacement by I-26, which would keep the exit numbers as is.

I think interstates can end at NHS routes, and I'm pretty sure US 231 is on the NHS.

Responding late, but yes they can.  Intersecting NHS routes are considered "logical termini".  And yes, US 231 both south of Bowling Green and east of Owensboro (plus the US 60 Owensboro bypass) is on the NHS.

[Captain Jack]

Looks like I jumped in this thread at the opportune time.

The family and I are heading to Florida in the first week of March, and it's been YEARS since I have driven I-65 in Kentucky. How far north has I-65 been widened? (Last time I drove, it ended just north of the Cumberland Parkway interchange...I told you it's been a while.)

Also, what road work should I be on the lookout for while in the state? Thank you all in advance for your responses.

As for the section of I-65 between the Tenessee-Kentucky line and Tennessee 386 in Nashville, I think a third lane is warranted. If the weigh stations are open and trucks are required to stop, there's one massive choke point to prepare for. Even beyond that, there have been many instances where I had to contend with clusters of traffic that stayed at or below 70 mph for MILES, and that doesn't include any side by side trucks. The extra lane would be handy, and the aforementioned stretch isn't that long; the only real tricky part from a construction standpoint would be that little stretch of I-65 near TN 257 (the section with the rocky ridge and high crosswind potential).

Not sure where in the region you will be starting from, but we ran into a family from Merrillville in Florida that last time we were there. They swear that taking US 41-I-69-I-24 takes about 30 minutes less to get to Nashville from up there. I know the speed limit is less, but other than Terre Haute, and the two mile Henderson stretch that Avalanchez loves, it is pretty much all open highway. Of course this route will take you on the dreaded Clarksville-Nashville stretch of I-24, but it isn't any worse than the Tennessee stretch of I-65. Plus, you skip Indy and Louisville traffic and the $4  bridge toll.

[Avalanchez71]

That is the way I go to Chicagoland.  I avoid Louisville, Indianapolis and the toll bridge.

[seicer]

Well, this explains the western terminus of the -eastern- segment of KY 8 at Trinity - it connected to a toll ferry to US 52 / Manchester, Ohio over the Ohio River: https://transportation.ky.gov/Planning/Maps/LewisCo1954(1of2).pdf

And the western segment in Boone County was KY 298, ending where KY 8 ends at today.

[hbelkins]

I like how KY 377 is hand-labeled on that map.

KY 8 has since been truncated to KY 57 at Concord.

[seicer]

I still can't find anything, even in old newspapers, about a potential KY 20/I-275 link to KY 8's western terminus in Boone County. It wouldn't serve much and residential sprawl hasn't typically happened along the Ohio River.

[hbelkins]

That first I-275 exit in Kentucky, and the short stub road connecting it to KY 20, was originally signed as KY 8. The KY 8 signs were removed from the exit signs on the interstate years ago, but were never replaced. That road's now a 3xxx-series route.

The other section of KY 8 has been truncated to KY 237, and the section extending beyond it to a private road is now under county jurisdiction. I was there last spring and checked it out.

[wriddle082]

I-65 is just as busy in Tennessee and does just fine without it being six lanes outside of the Nashville area.

No it does not!  Slows down every afternoon going north past Long Hollow Pike towards Millersville, and numerous bad accidents have occurred, many fatal, for years on the downgrade southbound past Ridgetop/Bethel Rd.  And as others have stated, it is notorious for trucks taking up both lanes trying to pass one another with 1/2 MPH difference in speed.  While stuck behind one of these LLB trucks one time about 15 years ago, a piece of “gator” came off of one of this idiot’s trailer tires and damaged my front bumper fascia (one of many reasons why I prefer to own SUVs or pickup trucks now).

[bandit957]

I still can't find anything, even in old newspapers, about a potential KY 20/I-275 link to KY 8's western terminus in Boone County. It wouldn't serve much and residential sprawl hasn't typically happened along the Ohio River.

I remember one of the state-printed county maps (maybe 25 years ago) actually showed KY 8 as complete through that gap. But that was completely wrong.

[hbelkins]

Routing changes in Lexington:

US 27 is now routed from South Limestone Street to US 68 (South Broadway) via Virginia Avenue. Signage to indicate such has been installed on northbound US 27. Signage on southbound US 27 is still incorrect, as it shows the road being routed via Bolivar and South Upper to South Lime. The signage on extended KY 922 (Oliver Lewis Way) is also incorrect.

US 60 has been rerouted off West High and West Maxwell (near Rupp Arena) onto Oliver Lewis Way (KY 922/the Newtown Pike extension) to intersect US 25 and US 421 (Main Street) west of downtown. This eliminates the short concurrency with US 27 and US 68. Signage in the field does not indicate this, however.

https://transportation.ky.gov/Planning/State%20Primary%20Road%20System%20Lists/Fayette.pdf has these changes. https://transportation.ky.gov/Planning/SPRS%20Maps/Fayette.pdf does not reflect these changes.

Also, the US 68 four-lane from Paris to Millersburg is complete, as is the two-lane Millersburg bypass. The old route through town is now signed as Business US 68 and shown on maps as US 68X. Construction is underway from the existing end of the reconstructed route to a point north of the US 68/KY 36 intersection southwest of Carlisle.

[CardInLex]

Some other big changes in the links HB posted.

KY 1974 now ends at New Circle Road (KY 4).
KY 1723 has been eliminated.
KY 1968 now ends at Man O War.
KY 1681 now ends at Oliver Lewis (KY 922).
KY 1928 (Jefferson Street Overpass) has been eliminated.

KY 1878 has been created: Citation Blvd between Leestown (US 421) and Newtown (KY 922).

All of this is related to the KYTC/LFUCG road swap.

Edit: Forgot the controversial Jefferson Street Overpass elimination.

[hbelkins]

Some other big changes in the links HB posted.

KY 1974 now ends at New Circle Road (KY 4).
KY 1723 has been eliminated.
KY 1968 now ends at Man O War.
KY 1681 now ends at Oliver Lewis (KY 922).
KY 1928 (Jefferson Street Overpass) has been eliminated.

KY 1878 has been created: Citation Blvd between Leestown (US 421) and Newtown (KY 922).

All of this is related to the KYTC/LFUCG road swap.

Edit: Forgot the controversial Jefferson Street Overpass elimination.

I knew some of that was going to happen, but am not sure about signage. The Jefferson Street overpass was never signed, and I don't remember the signage for KY 1681 on Oliver Lewis. I do know that US 60 is still not posted to run on Oliver Lewis.

It makes sense for the state to take over Citation. I wish they'd take over Man O'War.

[seicer]

KY 1928 / Jefferson Street: That overpass is being proposed for removal, along with the stub for KY 1681 / Old Frankfort Pike, as part of Town Branch Commons. KY 922 / Oliver Lewis Way is sufficient to handle the low traffic loads of Jefferson.

[dvferyance]

I-65 is just as busy in Tennessee and does just fine without it being six lanes outside of the Nashville area.

I agree by biggest issue with Kentucky by far is they have gone way overkill with widening all these rural freeways but ignore widening the urban ones like New Circle Rd and I-64 in Louisville.