I-69 in KY

[NE2]

Thanks for the pics, but I am wondering why KY is still using Elizabethtown as the control city? I-69 doesn't get within a 100 miles of E-town.

Because, despite the new number, the road still goes in the direction of Elizabethtown. I'd certainly add Evansville to signs, but Liztown shouldn't be removed.

[hbelkins]

Thanks for the pics, but I am wondering why KY is still using Elizabethtown as the control city? I-69 doesn't get within a 100 miles of E-town.

Because, despite the new number, the road still goes in the direction of Elizabethtown. I'd certainly add Evansville to signs, but Liztown shouldn't be removed.

And I'd say that most traffic that's headed from the Paducah area to Henderson/Evansville probably uses US 60 instead of the parkways. The new construction of US 641 from the Eddyville area over toward US 60 will only help to encourage traffic to use that route instead of the parkways.

[Captain Jack]

Thanks for the pics, but I am wondering why KY is still using Elizabethtown as the control city? I-69 doesn't get within a 100 miles of E-town.

Because, despite the new number, the road still goes in the direction of Elizabethtown. I'd certainly add Evansville to signs, but Liztown shouldn't be removed.

And I'd say that most traffic that's headed from the Paducah area to Henderson/Evansville probably uses US 60 instead of the parkways. The new construction of US 641 from the Eddyville area over toward US 60 will only help to encourage traffic to use that route instead of the parkways.

I know alot of people that make the trip between E'ville/Hendo and the lakes and I don't know of anyone that takes 60-641. I have done it a couple of times just for a change of scenery, but in the last 40 years, I would say I have taken 41-Pennyrile-WK about 98% of the time.

Wouldn't that logic imply that through 69 traffic would be taking US 60 instead of following the 69 route?

[jnewkirk77]

Thanks for the pics, but I am wondering why KY is still using Elizabethtown as the control city? I-69 doesn't get within a 100 miles of E-town.

Because, despite the new number, the road still goes in the direction of Elizabethtown. I'd certainly add Evansville to signs, but Liztown shouldn't be removed.

And I'd say that most traffic that's headed from the Paducah area to Henderson/Evansville probably uses US 60 instead of the parkways. The new construction of US 641 from the Eddyville area over toward US 60 will only help to encourage traffic to use that route instead of the parkways.

I know alot of people that make the trip between E'ville/Hendo and the lakes and I don't know of anyone that takes 60-641. I have done it a couple of times just for a change of scenery, but in the last 40 years, I would say I have taken 41-Pennyrile-WK about 98% of the time.

Wouldn't that logic imply that through 69 traffic would be taking US 60 instead of following the 69 route?

^^ Amen.  If I'm in absolutely NO hurry (in other words, if my wife and I don't have the kids with us), I'll drive down 60, but by and large, I stick to the parkways.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

[hbelkins]

Wouldn't that logic imply that through 69 traffic would be taking US 60 instead of following the 69 route?

Some people won't stray off the RWB Interstate route.

The overhead at the split of US 60 and US 62 lists  Henderson as US 60's destination.

I still maintain that signing I-69 on the parkways instead of building a direct route between the Calvert City/Kentucky Dam area and Henderson was basically Kentucky's version of putting I-69 on US 41 and I-70 instead of building a direct route between Evansville and Indianapolis.

[mgk920]

Am I correct in assuming that the long-term option of building that 'corner cut' still exists, more as an 'as local traffic warrants and funding allows' sort of thing?

Mike

[hbelkins]

Am I correct in assuming that the long-term option of building that 'corner cut' still exists, more as an 'as local traffic warrants and funding allows' sort of thing?

Mike

I don't think it ever really was seriously considered as an option.

[thefro]

There's really nothing along a "cutting the corner" route to even mandate building new terrain Interstate in the first place.

Sure it'd be nice to save a few minutes off the Evansville to Memphis travel time, but it's a totally different situation than I-69 in Indiana where you had a sizeable number of people in SW Indiana lobbying for the road, and quite a few people being served by having the road built (Evansville, Bloomington, Martinsville, Washington, Crane Naval, etc).

Also US 41 in Indiana would need a lot more work to be upgraded to Interstate standards between Terre Haute & Evansville than the Parkways that will be I-69 in KY will need.

[rickmeck]

Why in the world should Elizabethtown, KY be on an I-69 control sign? It's not even on an I-65 sign, and I-65 passes through that area.

[hbelkins]

Why in the world should Elizabethtown, KY be on an I-69 control sign? It's not even on an I-65 sign, and I-65 passes through that area.

The WK Parkway is, and will remain, the principal through route along that corridor for quite some time now. My guess is that most traffic heading east on the WK will pass the Pennyrile Parkway exit and continue on the WK. Elizabethtown is the eastern terminus of the WK, so that's why it's the control city. E-town is also the control city for the westbound Bluegrass Parkway out of Versailles and Lexington.

What would you suggest as a control city for the WK Parkway?

[tdindy88]

I'd sign both Elizabethtown and Evansville on that stretch of I-69, and probably Paducah and Memphis (when it becomes time to do so) for westbound. If I remember from that stretch, I don't even think that Evansville gets mentioned on the Pennyrile until around Henderson. Exit signs at that interchange COULD say both communities as this becomes more of a regional route, but maybe not until the I-69 bridge is built over the Ohio.

[Captain Jack]

It is my understanding that the WK now ends at the Pennyrile. The section from the Pennyrile to I-24 is only I-69 now. The signs all say "Formerly" WK on them. If that is the case, then E-town shouldn't be on that section.

If the WK and I-69 are multi-plexed on that section, then probably both Evansville and E-town should be on there, but since that is now just I-69, and I-69 doesn't go to E-town, then the signs should be changed to either Evansville, the correct control city, or at least Madisonville until the Pennyrile gets redesignated.

[NE2]

It is my understanding that the WK now ends at the Pennyrile. The section from the Pennyrile to I-24 is only I-69 now. The signs all say "Formerly" WK on them. If that is the case, then E-town shouldn't be on that section.

Control cities aren't as anal as you. They can be reached by more than one route.

[hbelkins]

It is my understanding that the WK now ends at the Pennyrile. The section from the Pennyrile to I-24 is only I-69 now. The signs all say "Formerly" WK on them. If that is the case, then E-town shouldn't be on that section.

If the WK and I-69 are multi-plexed on that section, then probably both Evansville and E-town should be on there, but since that is now just I-69, and I-69 doesn't go to E-town, then the signs should be changed to either Evansville, the correct control city, or at least Madisonville until the Pennyrile gets redesignated.

Using that logic, I-79 should be signed for Erie, not Pittsburgh, since it doesn't go to Pittsburgh.

[vdeane]

It is my understanding that the WK now ends at the Pennyrile. The section from the Pennyrile to I-24 is only I-69 now. The signs all say "Formerly" WK on them. If that is the case, then E-town shouldn't be on that section.

If the WK and I-69 are multi-plexed on that section, then probably both Evansville and E-town should be on there, but since that is now just I-69, and I-69 doesn't go to E-town, then the signs should be changed to either Evansville, the correct control city, or at least Madisonville until the Pennyrile gets redesignated.

So?  Traffic patterns aren't going to radically alter themselves simply because of a designation change.

[codyg1985]

There currently is no indication or signage for a 24/69 overlap even though this is intended west of Exit 42 in the future.

Didn't see this then?
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=429117097160276&set=a.429116630493656.99094.111931842212138&type=3&permPage=1

When I drove through that area a couple of weeks ago, the 24/69 overlap was only signed immediately west of the WK Parkway interchange on mainline I-24. The overlap was mentioned along the exits as shown in the picture above west to the Purchase Pkwy, but not along the mainline.

[hbelkins]

Heard an interesting story about I-69's routing in Kentucky from someone who would be in a position to know.

Original plans were for a new-terrain routing from the Princeton area northeastward to Henderson. Before the study was completed, Congressman Ed Whitfield asked for it to be deep-sixed and instead pushed for the parkway routing between I-24 and Henderson. His reasoning was that this would push the interstate closer to his hometown of Hopkinsville, thus opening up the possibility of the Pennyrile Parkway south of the WK Parkway to become a interstate-numbered spur of I-69.

[seicer]

That cloverleaf at the Pennyrile and WK will need to be upgraded to handle I-69-only bound traffic if they intend on that being the through route, instead of how it is currently set up.

[Grzrd]

That cloverleaf at the Pennyrile and WK will need to be upgraded to handle I-69-only bound traffic if they intend on that being the through route, instead of how it is currently set up.

Take a look at Figure 3 (page 95/129 of pdf) here.

edit - added below image

[NE2]

That cloverleaf at the Pennyrile and WK will need to be upgraded to handle I-69-only bound traffic if they intend on that being the through route, instead of how it is currently set up.

Take a look at Figure 3 (page 95/129 of pdf) here.

Looks like a waste of money. At most you need a flyover for the left turn.

[jnewkirk77]

Wow ... my immediate reaction is that's about the dumbest idea ever, which means that's probably what will get built. 

[hbelkins]

Looks like a waste of money. At most you need a flyover for the left turn.

Plus widening the ramp from the southbound Pennyrile to the westbound WK. But it looks like they are intent on making I-69 the through route and thus will have the WK exit to the right going east (north) and similarly for the Pennyrile southbound. And I guess they want to eliminate left-lane merges.

[Revive 755]

I hope that map is not to scale, or is Kentucky trying to win some 'largest interchange' contest?  I'm pretty sure non-loop ramps designed for 80 mph wouldn't need that big of footprint.

Interesting how the map shows the I-66 designation going up to the cloverleaf but not east of it.

[theline]

^^ Actually, if you want to avoid a left exit for SB "exiting" traffic, you have to make the changes shown. It just depends on if you think it's important to make I-69 the real through road.

[Alps]

It's really not that terrible.