Short day trip KY-TN

[hbelkins]

Took what may well be my only personal leisure trip of the year yesterday -- and indeed, maybe my last one ever if a friend's prediction that gas will never go back under $4 holds true.

Departed with a full tank with the express goal of checking out a short new segment of US 127 in Russell County and to see progress on the remainder of the improvements to KY 90 near Albany.

My route included the new alignment of KY 30 in Owsley and Jackson counties, which has been carrying traffic since February. Final paving is done on the Jackson County side and one connection from the new route to the old one remains unfinished. The new route really cuts down on travel time and if you call up Google Maps, you can see how much straighter the new alignment is compared to the old alignment, which is marked KY 3630.

Once again, it must be noted that the volume of traffic on KY 80 between London and Somerset does not -- I repeat, does not -- warrant four lanes, much less full freeway status as I-66. What traffic was on the route moved smoothly at 55-60 mph, with ample passing opportunities for faster vehicles. The work on the grade-separated intersection of KY 80 and KY 461 is coming along. When complete, the Somerset-Mt. Vernon corridor (KY 80 east to KY 461 north, and KY 461 south to KY 80 west) will be the through route. KY 80 traffic will have to use exit ramps to continue, as the eventual extension of the Cumberland Parkway Expressway will connect to KY 80 heading east to London.

Saw one Cumberland Expressway sign, at the intersection of US 27 and KY 80, but didn't get a picture. The road's name was changed from "parkway" to "expressway" by the state legislature last year as a precondition of it becoming an I-65 spur. (A friend posted a "Future I-65 Spur" sign photo to Facebook over the weekend, but I didn't see any such signage between Somerset and Russell Springs.)

I took US 27 to the parkway, as the signage indicates, but I still think the best route for through traffic on existing KY 80 going west is to use the old alignment west of US 27 to the new KY 914 tie-in.

Exited at Russell Springs, noting that I was in Central time, but was surprised to find McDonald's already serving lunch after 10 a.m. local time.

A short new section of US 127 has opened south of Jamestown, extending from near the southern terminus of the US 127 business route to the KY 55 intersection. You can see the grade extended on an alignment to the west of existing 127, but there's no other evidence of the construction to link it to the section south of KY 90. I don't know how far that grade work extends or if any work is being done on a new Cumberland River crossing (south of Wolf Creek Dam) and there's certainly no evidence of work on the Clinton County side or near the KY 90 intersection.

Saw gas at the highest price I have ever seen (above $4.50) at an intersection of US 127 and KY 90 north of Albany.

From there, I drove south into Tennessee on US 127, following it to Jamestown. The drive from the state line to the Jamestown bypass is torturous. It's curvy and hilly.

From Jamestown, I took TN 52 east to US 27, recreating in reverse a drive my dad and I took many years ago. A new section of TN 52 has been built to bypass Rugby, and I was at US 27 before I new it.

Passing through Oneida, I saw gas for $4.149 at a Murphy Express across the road from Walmart. This is the cheapest I have seen gas in several weeks, so I decided to top off with 220 miles showing on the trip odometer. It cost me more than $46 to fill up. Unfortunately, the trip odometer didn't reset properly so I don't know how many miles I drove coming home, but I'd be willing to bet that my little trip yesterday cost me $80 or more; it was an exercise in self-indulgence I won't be making again anytime soon.

After being disappointed to find that the Dairy Cheer (a once-popular chain in eastern Kentucky that's now down to a couple of locations along the US 23 corridor) in Pine Knot was closed for good, I took KY 92 east. There's still an unfinished section between US 27 and I-75, but it looks like all that remains to finish it is pavement. That will make travel from I-75 to the Big South Fork NRRA a breeze.

Took US 25W through Williamsburg and entered I-75 to head north to London. The widening project between London and Corbin appears to be finished.

From London, I drove east on the Hal Rogers Parkway to Manchester, where I exited and drove US 421 south/KY 80 east through a widening project between KY 80 and the Garrard community, then KY 873, which was extended from a mountaintop industrial park site to the Hal Rogers Parkway east of Manchester. I returned to Manchester and tested a theory. Normally, one would take KY 11 from Manchester through Oneida (in Kentucky, it's pronounced "oh-KNEE-duh") and Booneville to Beattyville. I wanted to see if US 421 to the relocated KY 30 would be a better route. It is. It may be a little shorter, and it's definitely faster and on a better alignment.

This is likely to be the only purely personal, non-essential travel I do for a long, long time. I may even call in to work "broke" a few days since each trip to the office sets me back $16 in gas money.

As long as gas prices remain at levels beyond 2020 rates, I won't be going anywhere.

[Avalanchez71]

Took what may well be my only personal leisure trip of the year yesterday -- and indeed, maybe my last one ever if a friend's prediction that gas will never go back under $4 holds true.

Departed with a full tank with the express goal of checking out a short new segment of US 127 in Russell County and to see progress on the remainder of the improvements to KY 90 near Albany.

My route included the new alignment of KY 30 in Owsley and Jackson counties, which has been carrying traffic since February. Final paving is done on the Jackson County side and one connection from the new route to the old one remains unfinished. The new route really cuts down on travel time and if you call up Google Maps, you can see how much straighter the new alignment is compared to the old alignment, which is marked KY 3630.

Once again, it must be noted that the volume of traffic on KY 80 between London and Somerset does not -- I repeat, does not -- warrant four lanes, much less full freeway status as I-66. What traffic was on the route moved smoothly at 55-60 mph, with ample passing opportunities for faster vehicles. The work on the grade-separated intersection of KY 80 and KY 461 is coming along. When complete, the Somerset-Mt. Vernon corridor (KY 80 east to KY 461 north, and KY 461 south to KY 80 west) will be the through route. KY 80 traffic will have to use exit ramps to continue, as the eventual extension of the Cumberland Parkway Expressway will connect to KY 80 heading east to London.

Saw one Cumberland Expressway sign, at the intersection of US 27 and KY 80, but didn't get a picture. The road's name was changed from "parkway" to "expressway" by the state legislature last year as a precondition of it becoming an I-65 spur. (A friend posted a "Future I-65 Spur" sign photo to Facebook over the weekend, but I didn't see any such signage between Somerset and Russell Springs.)

I took US 27 to the parkway, as the signage indicates, but I still think the best route for through traffic on existing KY 80 going west is to use the old alignment west of US 27 to the new KY 914 tie-in.

Exited at Russell Springs, noting that I was in Central time, but was surprised to find McDonald's already serving lunch after 10 a.m. local time.

A short new section of US 127 has opened south of Jamestown, extending from near the southern terminus of the US 127 business route to the KY 55 intersection. You can see the grade extended on an alignment to the west of existing 127, but there's no other evidence of the construction to link it to the section south of KY 90. I don't know how far that grade work extends or if any work is being done on a new Cumberland River crossing (south of Wolf Creek Dam) and there's certainly no evidence of work on the Clinton County side or near the KY 90 intersection.

Saw gas at the highest price I have ever seen (above $4.50) at an intersection of US 127 and KY 90 north of Albany.

From there, I drove south into Tennessee on US 127, following it to Jamestown. The drive from the state line to the Jamestown bypass is torturous. It's curvy and hilly.

From Jamestown, I took TN 52 east to US 27, recreating in reverse a drive my dad and I took many years ago. A new section of TN 52 has been built to bypass Rugby, and I was at US 27 before I new it.

Passing through Oneida, I saw gas for $4.149 at a Murphy Express across the road from Walmart. This is the cheapest I have seen gas in several weeks, so I decided to top off with 220 miles showing on the trip odometer. It cost me more than $46 to fill up. Unfortunately, the trip odometer didn't reset properly so I don't know how many miles I drove coming home, but I'd be willing to bet that my little trip yesterday cost me $80 or more; it was an exercise in self-indulgence I won't be making again anytime soon.

After being disappointed to find that the Dairy Cheer (a once-popular chain in eastern Kentucky that's now down to a couple of locations along the US 23 corridor) in Pine Knot was closed for good, I took KY 92 east. There's still an unfinished section between US 27 and I-75, but it looks like all that remains to finish it is pavement. That will make travel from I-75 to the Big South Fork NRRA a breeze.

Took US 25W through Williamsburg and entered I-75 to head north to London. The widening project between London and Corbin appears to be finished.

From London, I drove east on the Hal Rogers Parkway to Manchester, where I exited and drove US 421 south/KY 80 east through a widening project between KY 80 and the Garrard community, then KY 873, which was extended from a mountaintop industrial park site to the Hal Rogers Parkway east of Manchester. I returned to Manchester and tested a theory. Normally, one would take KY 11 from Manchester through Oneida (in Kentucky, it's pronounced "oh-KNEE-duh") and Booneville to Beattyville. I wanted to see if US 421 to the relocated KY 30 would be a better route. It is. It may be a little shorter, and it's definitely faster and on a better alignment.

This is likely to be the only purely personal, non-essential travel I do for a long, long time. I may even call in to work "broke" a few days since each trip to the office sets me back $16 in gas money.

As long as gas prices remain at levels beyond 2020 rates, I won't be going anywhere.

You could get an electric car.   

[Bruce]

According to GasBuddy, there's a ton of stations under $3.60 out there.

[hbelkins]

According to GasBuddy, there's a ton of stations under $3.60 out there.

Now, maybe, but not back in late May.

You could get an electric car.   

And I didn't see one single place I could charge such a beast on that trip.

[hotdogPi]

And I didn't see one single place I could charge such a beast on that trip.

From what I remember from looking at places on Google Maps, most office building parking lots have some. Of course, Massachusetts has more of those than Kentucky, but what I'm saying is that they're not obviously visible from the road.

[CoreySamson]

And I didn't see one single place I could charge such a beast on that trip.

From what I remember from looking at places on Google Maps, most office building parking lots have some. Of course, Massachusetts has more of those than Kentucky, but what I'm saying is that they're not obviously visible from the road.

I would expect rural Kentucky to have a lot less. My Houston exurb, for example, doesn't have a single public charging station (the closest one is 15 minutes away in the next town), even though I'm not that far from the city. EV charging stations will get there, but outside the coasts and cities, they are a rarity, at least for right now.

Plus I doubt that hbelkins is in a well enough financial state to afford an EV in the first place.