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Tennessee

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

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The Ghostbuster

I'd sign Interstate 124, despite the fact it's only 1.9 miles. And (fictionally) extend it to Highway 111.


Avalanchez71

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 10, 2015, 10:41:05 AM
TDOT has the intent to advertise the rebuild of US 27 in Chattanooga between I-24 and the Tennessee River bridge. The plans can be found here beside "From the I-24/I-124 Interchange to south of the Tennessee River Bridge" section.

Curiously, the plans keep referring to the road as I-124, but none of the signs that are to be installed reflect this.

I remember seeing one sign on I-124 that was there for years after they removed signage.  There was a sign up during the reconstruction of ramps for a little bit that was up but that did not last.  I hate that the one sign is gone as I recall it was a state named shield.

Grzrd

This TDOT press release announces the release, by Gov. Haslam, of two highway project lists: (a) currently backlogged projects, and (b) new projects, as part of his public relations campaign to identify increased transportation funding in Tennessee:

Quote
Joined by Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner John Schroer, Haslam also released two transportation projects lists: a list of 181 backlogged projects that will not be completed or at least under contract until 2034; and a list of 765 new project needs that cannot be considered until 2022 at the earliest, if ever.

Grzrd

Quote from: Grzrd on November 09, 2015, 02:35:09 PM
This TDOT press release announces the release, by Gov. Haslam, of two highway project lists: (a) currently backlogged projects, and (b) new projects, as part of his public relations campaign to identify increased transportation funding in Tennessee
Quote from: Grzrd on November 09, 2015, 09:31:32 PM
This article reports that Gov. Haslam ... believes Tennessee has a three-year window of opportunity to enact some form of transportation funding increase
(above quote from Lamar Avenue Improvements (Memphis) thread)

This November 12 article reports that, with 2016 being an election year, Gov. Haslam does not believe that a transportation infrastructure bill will come up for a vote in the legislature that year:

Quote
Republican Gov. Bill Haslam traveled across the state Monday for the second time this year to talk about the state's $5.3 billion shortage in highway funding, but indicated he doesn't expect the legislature to vote on a bill dealing with the shortage ....
On Monday Haslam said he didn't think infrastructure funding would come up for a vote in 2016, an election year for 99 representatives and 16 senators.
Rep. Bill Sanderson, a Republican from Kenton
, agreed with the governor.
Sanderson, who sits on the House Transportation Committee, said Republicans are not going to touch the topic this spring and talk of a vote is "premature."
"After this next election cycle I think there might be [some room],"  Sanderson said. "It'll give everybody time to put a real solid plan together ... to be honest there's a lot to consider."
Sanderson said a diesel tax increase, gas tax increase, toll roads and increased registration fees are some of the items the state has to research and discuss.
Sen. Ed Jackson, a Republican from Jackson, said the state is going to have to come up with more revenue streams – he's just not sure what that looks like yet. Jackson said he wouldn't want to increase the state's fuel tax, but said that may have to happen ....
According to Dave Smith, Haslam's director of communications, Congress passing a highway funding bill would not change the governor's stance on trying to assure more funds for the state's infrastructure.

At least Haslam is methodically setting the stage for 2017.

Brian556

I-124 is still on the general highway maps, which would mean that it still exists as a hidden designation.

Tom958

#255
I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but after a few weeks of working in Tennessee I eventually noticed that Tennessee, like Georgia, seems to be doing away with cantilevered overhead sign mounts in favor of full width overheads. However, in Tennessee I haven't seen any of the so-called butterfly (tall single post) mounts that Georgia sometimes uses, so it's pretty much full width overheads or nothing.

Also, when I was working in Nashville in 2012 I noticed that three signs along I-24 westbound approaching TN 840 featured Franklin and the dot in the i in Memphis as control cities. It was an amusing curiousity at that time since 840 wasn't open all the way to 40 and therefore wasn't at all the way to Memphis. Now, though, the signs are still that way even though 840 is open and is by far the preferable route to Memphis. Someone needs to fix that.

And, for anyone who cares and doesn't know, since I've been travelling from Atlanta to Franklin for the last couple of months, I've been posting crappy cellphone pics and pithy commentary about my travels on the Southeast Roads (for the Tennesse portions) and the Peach State Roads (for the Georgia portions) Facebook groups. I'm planning to upload photos to imgur and do a proper photo feature once I'm happy with them, but for now my Facebook stuff seems popular enough.

codyg1985

Quote from: Brian556 on November 14, 2015, 10:45:39 PM
I-124 is still on the general highway maps, which would mean that it still exists as a hidden designation.

And it is also mentioned in the highway plans for rebuilding US 27 through Chattanooga, yet there is no mention of it on any of the signage plans.
Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States

TrevorB

While driving around yesterday, I noticed that TDOT has greened-out all of the "WEST" designations on BGSes on the west leg of I-240 northbound and replaced it with "NORTH". Wasn't able to get any pics but it looks like they did it on all the signs.

codyg1985

I thought it was already signed north-south?
Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States

TrevorB

Nope, see the link. It's been E/W even on the N/S sections.

MikeTheActuary

Quote from: TrevorB on November 17, 2015, 08:48:49 PM
Nope, see the link. It's been E/W even on the N/S sections.

In the late 70's and 80's, it was North/South.

Regarding the full color VMS sign on WB I-40 approaching I-240, I have a strong suspicion that they're using that style of sign because of just how much lane assignments will change (and change, and change, and change) through the interchange reconstruction project.  When I came into town Sunday night, the lane configuration was different than it was just a month ago, for example....and all that TDOT needed to do to change the signage is adjust the programming.

lordsutch

Quote from: MikeTheActuary on November 17, 2015, 10:18:51 PM
In the late 70's and 80's, it was North/South.

It actually changed directions all the way around the loop, through the period when it was co-signed with I-40 on the north side.

But Midtown I-240 historically has always been fairly consistently signed north-south between I-55 and I-40; that's the way it's been signed from west I-240 approaching I-55 for years. I'm guessing TDOT finally figured out the signs on I-55 were wrong.

CYoder

The US 11E-US 19E/W interchange project in Bluff City has been open for almost a month.  There was still a bit more work being done when I poked around today: the ramp from US 19E to US 11E/US 19W south was closed off and some work was being done further south at Bluff City Highway.

For comparison, here's the old configuration still shown in OSM:
http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/36.4569/-82.2885

And the new (Waze shows a more accurate realignment of Whitehead Rd to the west):
https://www.waze.com/livemap?zoom=16&lat=36.45532&lon=-82.28633
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.4555558,-82.2858626,17z


  • At the end of US 19E, the right lane becomes the ramp to US 11E/US 19 north.  The other lane has a BGS for US 11E/US 19W south, and another BGS beside it that says "To Whitehead Rd".
  • Coming from the other direction, I couldn't see an official designation for the new bit of road between the interchange and Whitehead Rd.  Google Maps shows it as US 19E/TN 37, which I doubt. The intersection of the southern end of Whitehead Rd. with US 11E has been removed (which none of the online maps show yet).
  • Further to the south, the intersection with Bluff City Highway (TN 44) has been modified. Southbound US 11E has no mention of the highway because the connection has been removed. The old connection with northbound US 11E has been converted into a (sort of) ramp. Southbound Bluff City Highway traffic now hits a cul-de-sac and must turn around.
  • TN 44 appears to have been truncated to its junction with US 19E, about a half-mile from its former end at US 11E. The BGS on northbound US 11E approaching Bluff City Highway has a sign for "To TN 44" and the first reassurance sign is past the junction with US 19E.  At US 19E itself, the arrows for TN 44 only point northward.

hbelkins

Was there a particular reason a grade-separated intersection was built there?


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

CYoder

Safety, according to local news coverage.  Too many serious accidents with left-turning traffic between US 11E and US 19E (as well as Bluff City Highway access to the south).  A traffic light was put up at the US 19 E/W split for a few years but apparently that was always a temporary solution.

That issue aside, there is a nice side-effect from the new interchange.  Southbound US 11E has an incline for about half a mile before reaching the intersection, and the passing lane would fill up with slower traffic getting ready for the left turn onto US 19E.  Exiting traffic now must stay to the right.

I don't think we're in the clear yet though.  Just to the north, between the river and the incline is a busy flea market.  There is a very small crossover so that southbound US 11E can get clear and wait for a gap to turn left, but it's nowhere near large enough, and the left lane gets backed up with traffic wanting to turn left.  Likewise, it's too small to hold all the cars wanting to go south on US 11E from the flea market, so drivers will dart in and out and hope for the best.

rickmastfan67

Quote from: hbelkins on December 09, 2015, 08:07:40 PM
Was there a particular reason a grade-separated intersection was built there?

I'm guessing because of traffic overload during events @ Bristol Motor Speedway just to the north.

hbelkins

Wasn't there also a red light camera at the 11E/19 split?


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

CYoder

There haven't been any red light cameras around Bluff City, but there is a speed camera a half mile south of the split.

Tom958

Just-opened replacement bridge carrying Murphy Hollow Road over I-24, between the Georgia line and the Tennessee River. As with many new bridges. the three star Tennessee logo (!) is cast into the abutment, but this one is painted, too. I like it here, but I'm not too sure about having it pop up all over the state.

slorydn1

The new 4 lane alignment of US-411 between Norton Rd to US-25E is open (1 lane only each way), just southwest of Newport.

I see the update is already on Google Maps.

It kinda irritated me a little because I was enjoying the twisty 2 lane road and suddenly got shunted on to the new route, and access to the old route from there is closed off. But it also was a little exiting because I had stumbled on a new routing I hadn't been on before. The last several times I had been to Pigeon Forge I had either taken the GSM Pkwy or TN-66 to get back to I-40 when leaving. I hadn't been on US-411 between Sevierville and Newport in at least 4-5 years until this weekend.

There is still some road work going on (they weren't doing anything on Saturday when I went through there, though). I suddenly came up on it by surprise, so I have no pictures (sorry).
Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

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hbelkins

US 321 is a pretty quick and scenic drive from Gatlinburg to I-40.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

slorydn1

Quote from: hbelkins on January 04, 2016, 09:56:06 PM
US 321 is a pretty quick and scenic drive from Gatlinburg to I-40.

Thanks. Next time I'm up there I'll go that way. I have done US-321 in the other direction before, down through Wears Valley to the Foothills Pkwy to US-129 to do the Dragon, not sure why I never did it between Gatlinburg and I-40. I guess I always end up in Pigeon Forge before leaving the area so I never double back.
Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

tidecat

Man climbs on top of BGS on I-65 in Nashville:

http://wkrn.com/2016/01/05/man-climbs-sign-shuts-down-i-65/

I posted the link to the story on the Ohio Valley board, but there was a fire at a rest area in Kentucky on I-65 early this morning as well.
Clinched: I-264 (KY), I-265 (KY), I-359 (AL), I-459 (AL), I-865 (IN)

spooky

Quote from: slorydn1 on January 05, 2016, 08:23:53 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 04, 2016, 09:56:06 PM
US 321 is a pretty quick and scenic drive from Gatlinburg to I-40.

Thanks. Next time I'm up there I'll go that way. I have done US-321 in the other direction before, down through Wears Valley to the Foothills Pkwy to US-129 to do the Dragon, not sure why I never did it between Gatlinburg and I-40. I guess I always end up in Pigeon Forge before leaving the area so I never double back.

My folks live in Wears Valley and the last few visits we have flown into Charlotte and taken US 74 to I-26 to I-40 to US 411. Might try US 321 next time for a change of scenery, or might stick with 411 to check out the new alignment.

froggie

An article on the upcoming reconstruction of US 27 (hidden I-124) between I-24 and the Tennessee River in Chattanooga.  Construction will take 4 years and has been let to bid.



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