DOT Dummies

[JoePCool14]

Cool shield design though, if not over-detailed for a road sign.

[Big John]

They couldn't "C" the problem?

[SectorZ]

I guess that Jackie Robinson sign was just P run amok.

[Troubleshooter]

On 8/21/2017, I drove to Hopkinsville KY to actually see a total solar eclipse.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet had not done anything to handle the great influx of traffic into the eclipse area. They were doing highway work as normal. One of the twin US-41 bridges over the Ohio river at Evansville IN and Henderson KY (a 5-mile gap in I-69) had the bridge decks completely removed and they were trying to squeeze a traffic jam through the other bridge. And they didn't do anything to the traffic lights in Henderson to pass more traffic. But they had taken the construction workers off the construction to direct traffic.

There were two other minor construction points on I-69 and I-169 in Kentucky. In both cases, pavement had been removed in one lane. Each one caused a 10-minute backup.

I got there half an hour before the eclipse and set up my solar projector. The eclipse was spectacular.

The real trouble came on the way back. There were not enough rooms to house the 100,000 people who went to Hopkinsville to see the eclipse (over 20 million went to see the eclipse nationwide). So the roads were packed with all of those cars. The Pennyrile Parkway (I-169 and I-69) was backed up all the way from Hopkinsville to Evansville. Traffic was moving at about 10 mph. The Western Kentucky Parkway (I-69 Princeton to Nortonville and on to Elizabethtown no route number) was also just as jammed up, as was I-65 from Nashville TN to Louisville.

It took me 12 hours to get to Owensboro and find a room.

Now I know why they keep the transportation officials in a cabinet.

Actually, KYTC put a great deal of effort into planning for the traffic impact, especially since the area of longest totality was in a rural area near Hopkinsville. Since that's not my section of the state, I wasn't involved in the discussions, but I sat in on a few of the meetings where this was discussed, and there was a multi-agency task force looking at the event (KYTC, Emergency Management, local officials, etc.)

I don't know what one could reasonably expect to have been done to facilitate thousands of cars leaving at the same time after a three-minute event. Contraflowing the interstates and parkways certainly wasn't a logical option.

From Hopkinsville, you could have taken KY 507 to KY 181 to US 62 to US 431 to get to Owensboro, among other routes.

I DID use US 62 and 431. They were jammed anywhere near the Western Kentucky Parkway interchanges.

The Federal Highway Administration months before the eclipse told states to not have construction projects blocking highways the week before and after the eclipse. Kentucky did not heed this. They went ahead and removed the pavement on US-41, I-69, and I-169.

The Pennyrile Parkway (I-69 and I-169) was jammed from shortly after the eclipse ended until about 2 AM the next day. Most of the jam was from the Ohio bridge. I-65 was also jammed for nearly that ling because one of the Ohio River bridges was closed there too.

I looked afterward and I ended up within a half mile of the point with the longest totality.

Pfft. FHWA's fact sheet on the eclipse is hardly the edict you describe: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Publications/fhwahop16085/index.htm.  The idea that DOTs should clear up all construction zones somehow for a one-time event is ludicrous.

Does anyone else find Troubleshooter's posting history highly suspect?

A few comments:

That fact sheet is not the notice I read. The one I read was in our local paper after the eclipse and was more urgent.

My intended destination was not Owensboro. It was the first place I found lodging with a vacancy and handicapped access. I originally intended to go to Lawrenceville IL with the intent to go to my family's old homestead the next day. I went toward Owensboro because it was large, not on an Interstate, and on the way home or to Lawrenceville.

AFTER the eclipse I found notices from Kentucky online: Arrive Early, Stay Put, Leave Late.

[Rothman]

On 8/21/2017, I drove to Hopkinsville KY to actually see a total solar eclipse.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet had not done anything to handle the great influx of traffic into the eclipse area. They were doing highway work as normal. One of the twin US-41 bridges over the Ohio river at Evansville IN and Henderson KY (a 5-mile gap in I-69) had the bridge decks completely removed and they were trying to squeeze a traffic jam through the other bridge. And they didn't do anything to the traffic lights in Henderson to pass more traffic. But they had taken the construction workers off the construction to direct traffic.

There were two other minor construction points on I-69 and I-169 in Kentucky. In both cases, pavement had been removed in one lane. Each one caused a 10-minute backup.

I got there half an hour before the eclipse and set up my solar projector. The eclipse was spectacular.

The real trouble came on the way back. There were not enough rooms to house the 100,000 people who went to Hopkinsville to see the eclipse (over 20 million went to see the eclipse nationwide). So the roads were packed with all of those cars. The Pennyrile Parkway (I-169 and I-69) was backed up all the way from Hopkinsville to Evansville. Traffic was moving at about 10 mph. The Western Kentucky Parkway (I-69 Princeton to Nortonville and on to Elizabethtown no route number) was also just as jammed up, as was I-65 from Nashville TN to Louisville.

It took me 12 hours to get to Owensboro and find a room.

Now I know why they keep the transportation officials in a cabinet.

Actually, KYTC put a great deal of effort into planning for the traffic impact, especially since the area of longest totality was in a rural area near Hopkinsville. Since that's not my section of the state, I wasn't involved in the discussions, but I sat in on a few of the meetings where this was discussed, and there was a multi-agency task force looking at the event (KYTC, Emergency Management, local officials, etc.)

I don't know what one could reasonably expect to have been done to facilitate thousands of cars leaving at the same time after a three-minute event. Contraflowing the interstates and parkways certainly wasn't a logical option.

From Hopkinsville, you could have taken KY 507 to KY 181 to US 62 to US 431 to get to Owensboro, among other routes.

I DID use US 62 and 431. They were jammed anywhere near the Western Kentucky Parkway interchanges.

The Federal Highway Administration months before the eclipse told states to not have construction projects blocking highways the week before and after the eclipse. Kentucky did not heed this. They went ahead and removed the pavement on US-41, I-69, and I-169.

The Pennyrile Parkway (I-69 and I-169) was jammed from shortly after the eclipse ended until about 2 AM the next day. Most of the jam was from the Ohio bridge. I-65 was also jammed for nearly that ling because one of the Ohio River bridges was closed there too.

I looked afterward and I ended up within a half mile of the point with the longest totality.

Pfft. FHWA's fact sheet on the eclipse is hardly the edict you describe: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Publications/fhwahop16085/index.htm.  The idea that DOTs should clear up all construction zones somehow for a one-time event is ludicrous.

Does anyone else find Troubleshooter's posting history highly suspect?

A few comments:

That fact sheet is not the notice I read. The one I read was in our local paper after the eclipse and was more urgent.

My intended destination was not Owensboro. It was the first place I found lodging with a vacancy and handicapped access. I originally intended to go to Lawrenceville IL with the intent to go to my family's old homestead the next day. I went toward Owensboro because it was large, not on an Interstate, and on the way home or to Lawrenceville.

AFTER the eclipse I found notices from Kentucky online: Arrive Early, Stay Put, Leave Late.

Then why did you say it was from FHWA when it was actually the newspaper embellishing what FHWA said?  Always go to the source...

[GeekJedi]

Not this one.
http://dzlsabe.com/

There will be NO hypotenuse talk here, mister!

[Troubleshooter]

On 8/21/2017, I drove to Hopkinsville KY to actually see a total solar eclipse.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet had not done anything to handle the great influx of traffic into the eclipse area. They were doing highway work as normal. One of the twin US-41 bridges over the Ohio river at Evansville IN and Henderson KY (a 5-mile gap in I-69) had the bridge decks completely removed and they were trying to squeeze a traffic jam through the other bridge. And they didn't do anything to the traffic lights in Henderson to pass more traffic. But they had taken the construction workers off the construction to direct traffic.

There were two other minor construction points on I-69 and I-169 in Kentucky. In both cases, pavement had been removed in one lane. Each one caused a 10-minute backup.

I got there half an hour before the eclipse and set up my solar projector. The eclipse was spectacular.

The real trouble came on the way back. There were not enough rooms to house the 100,000 people who went to Hopkinsville to see the eclipse (over 20 million went to see the eclipse nationwide). So the roads were packed with all of those cars. The Pennyrile Parkway (I-169 and I-69) was backed up all the way from Hopkinsville to Evansville. Traffic was moving at about 10 mph. The Western Kentucky Parkway (I-69 Princeton to Nortonville and on to Elizabethtown no route number) was also just as jammed up, as was I-65 from Nashville TN to Louisville.

It took me 12 hours to get to Owensboro and find a room.

Now I know why they keep the transportation officials in a cabinet.

Actually, KYTC put a great deal of effort into planning for the traffic impact, especially since the area of longest totality was in a rural area near Hopkinsville. Since that's not my section of the state, I wasn't involved in the discussions, but I sat in on a few of the meetings where this was discussed, and there was a multi-agency task force looking at the event (KYTC, Emergency Management, local officials, etc.)

I don't know what one could reasonably expect to have been done to facilitate thousands of cars leaving at the same time after a three-minute event. Contraflowing the interstates and parkways certainly wasn't a logical option.

From Hopkinsville, you could have taken KY 507 to KY 181 to US 62 to US 431 to get to Owensboro, among other routes.

I DID use US 62 and 431. They were jammed anywhere near the Western Kentucky Parkway interchanges.

The Federal Highway Administration months before the eclipse told states to not have construction projects blocking highways the week before and after the eclipse. Kentucky did not heed this. They went ahead and removed the pavement on US-41, I-69, and I-169.

The Pennyrile Parkway (I-69 and I-169) was jammed from shortly after the eclipse ended until about 2 AM the next day. Most of the jam was from the Ohio bridge. I-65 was also jammed for nearly that ling because one of the Ohio River bridges was closed there too.

I looked afterward and I ended up within a half mile of the point with the longest totality.

Pfft. FHWA's fact sheet on the eclipse is hardly the edict you describe: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Publications/fhwahop16085/index.htm.  The idea that DOTs should clear up all construction zones somehow for a one-time event is ludicrous.

Does anyone else find Troubleshooter's posting history highly suspect?

A few comments:

That fact sheet is not the notice I read. The one I read was in our local paper after the eclipse and was more urgent.

My intended destination was not Owensboro. It was the first place I found lodging with a vacancy and handicapped access. I originally intended to go to Lawrenceville IL with the intent to go to my family's old homestead the next day. I went toward Owensboro because it was large, not on an Interstate, and on the way home or to Lawrenceville.

AFTER the eclipse I found notices from Kentucky online: Arrive Early, Stay Put, Leave Late.

Then why did you say it was from FHWA when it was actually the newspaper embellishing what FHWA said?  Always go to the source...

The paper printed an FHWA bulletin that was much closer to the eclipse date and was more urgent because they knew more on how many would attend.

[Troubleshooter]

Not this one.
http://dzlsabe.com/

There will be NO hypotenuse talk here, mister!

What is this, a Saab story?

[Max Rockatansky]

Not this one.
http://dzlsabe.com/

There will be NO hypotenuse talk here, mister!

What is this, a Saab story?

More like proof that some of the most insane road community people come from Illinois.

[kphoger]

More like proof that some of the most insane road community people come from Illinois.

Hey!  I represent that remark!

[LilianaUwU]

More like proof that some of the most insane road community people come from Illinois.

Could be worse. Could be from Québec.

[Max Rockatansky]

More like proof that some of the most insane road community people come from Illinois.

Could be worse. Could be from Québec.

Is Quebec the Florida Man analog for Canada?  Illinois seems to be in competition with Michigan for the Midwest Florida Man slot.  On AAroads at least two particular posters have given Illinois a massive lead in the competition for that spot.

[LilianaUwU]

More like proof that some of the most insane road community people come from Illinois.

Could be worse. Could be from Québec.

Is Quebec the Florida Man analog for Canada?

No, that's Alberta. But Québec is a very close second.

[StogieGuy7]

On 8/21/2017, I drove to Hopkinsville KY to actually see a total solar eclipse.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet had not done anything to handle the great influx of traffic into the eclipse area. They were doing highway work as normal. One of the twin US-41 bridges over the Ohio river at Evansville IN and Henderson KY (a 5-mile gap in I-69) had the bridge decks completely removed and they were trying to squeeze a traffic jam through the other bridge. And they didn't do anything to the traffic lights in Henderson to pass more traffic. But they had taken the construction workers off the construction to direct traffic.

There were two other minor construction points on I-69 and I-169 in Kentucky. In both cases, pavement had been removed in one lane. Each one caused a 10-minute backup.

I got there half an hour before the eclipse and set up my solar projector. The eclipse was spectacular.

The real trouble came on the way back. There were not enough rooms to house the 100,000 people who went to Hopkinsville to see the eclipse (over 20 million went to see the eclipse nationwide). So the roads were packed with all of those cars. The Pennyrile Parkway (I-169 and I-69) was backed up all the way from Hopkinsville to Evansville. Traffic was moving at about 10 mph. The Western Kentucky Parkway (I-69 Princeton to Nortonville and on to Elizabethtown no route number) was also just as jammed up, as was I-65 from Nashville TN to Louisville.

It took me 12 hours to get to Owensboro and find a room.

Now I know why they keep the transportation officials in a cabinet.

Actually, KYTC put a great deal of effort into planning for the traffic impact, especially since the area of longest totality was in a rural area near Hopkinsville. Since that's not my section of the state, I wasn't involved in the discussions, but I sat in on a few of the meetings where this was discussed, and there was a multi-agency task force looking at the event (KYTC, Emergency Management, local officials, etc.)

I don't know what one could reasonably expect to have been done to facilitate thousands of cars leaving at the same time after a three-minute event. Contraflowing the interstates and parkways certainly wasn't a logical option.

From Hopkinsville, you could have taken KY 507 to KY 181 to US 62 to US 431 to get to Owensboro, among other routes.

I DID use US 62 and 431. They were jammed anywhere near the Western Kentucky Parkway interchanges.

The Federal Highway Administration months before the eclipse told states to not have construction projects blocking highways the week before and after the eclipse. Kentucky did not heed this. They went ahead and removed the pavement on US-41, I-69, and I-169.

The Pennyrile Parkway (I-69 and I-169) was jammed from shortly after the eclipse ended until about 2 AM the next day. Most of the jam was from the Ohio bridge. I-65 was also jammed for nearly that ling because one of the Ohio River bridges was closed there too.

I looked afterward and I ended up within a half mile of the point with the longest totality.

Pfft. FHWA's fact sheet on the eclipse is hardly the edict you describe: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Publications/fhwahop16085/index.htm.  The idea that DOTs should clear up all construction zones somehow for a one-time event is ludicrous.

Does anyone else find Troubleshooter's posting history highly suspect?

A few comments:

That fact sheet is not the notice I read. The one I read was in our local paper after the eclipse and was more urgent.

My intended destination was not Owensboro. It was the first place I found lodging with a vacancy and handicapped access. I originally intended to go to Lawrenceville IL with the intent to go to my family's old homestead the next day. I went toward Owensboro because it was large, not on an Interstate, and on the way home or to Lawrenceville.

AFTER the eclipse I found notices from Kentucky online: Arrive Early, Stay Put, Leave Late.

Then why did you say it was from FHWA when it was actually the newspaper embellishing what FHWA said?  Always go to the source...

The paper printed an FHWA bulletin that was much closer to the eclipse date and was more urgent because they knew more on how many would attend.

We witnessed the eclipse near Jefferson City, MO and then proceeded to head back to our home in the Chicago area. It was on I-55 that we hit a traffic nightmare that afternoon/evening. I bailed off and used local roads where possible, but the normally 6 hour drive took more than 10. So, it wasn't limited to KY by any means.