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Tennessee

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

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I-55

Quote from: ukfan758 on May 20, 2021, 05:38:13 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 20, 2021, 08:04:46 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 19, 2021, 01:07:11 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 19, 2021, 10:49:37 AM
I usually just use US 31W and sometimes US 31E through this stretch.  Having said that I don't agree that it needs to be six lanes.  The four lanes is fine and TN needs to concentrate on fixing I-65 now anyway.  They hosed Tennesseans with a gas tax increase and added an extra $100 for registration on EV vehicles to boot.  Now get to work on maintenance.

I-65 is the most heavily-used trucking highway in Kentucky. Kentucky six-laned the entire route, including segments between E-town and Bowling Green. The segment between BG and Nashville has to be more heavily-traveled than BG and E-town. If I-65 in Kentucky is six lanes, then the route in Tennessee definitely needs to be six lanes.

I recall the widening project.  I remember at one time you could travel way outside or way inside.  Then one time it was almost like a super two in spots.  I-65 and I-40 have a large volume of trucks in Tennessee.  The four lanes is fine.

Is it really fine though? Because every single day during evening rush hour traffic backs up at the Goodlettsville exits to Old Hickory Blvd  because someone at TDOT thought having 65 go from 5 lanes to 2 in less than a mile was an excellent idea. The moment you cross into Tennessee going south  you'll be lucky to go 70 compared to smooth sailing at 80-85 through most of Kentucky, all thanks to capacity being reduced and having to sit behind semis passing each other at 55. That section is incredibly dangerous and widening to 3 lanes would mean larger shoulders and would put an end to awful cross-median accidents.

The same reason I-65 in Indiana needs widening, except Indiana is actually making progress.
Let's Go Purdue Basketball Whoosh


I-39

Quote from: ukfan758 on May 20, 2021, 05:38:13 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 20, 2021, 08:04:46 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 19, 2021, 01:07:11 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 19, 2021, 10:49:37 AM
I usually just use US 31W and sometimes US 31E through this stretch.  Having said that I don't agree that it needs to be six lanes.  The four lanes is fine and TN needs to concentrate on fixing I-65 now anyway.  They hosed Tennesseans with a gas tax increase and added an extra $100 for registration on EV vehicles to boot.  Now get to work on maintenance.

I-65 is the most heavily-used trucking highway in Kentucky. Kentucky six-laned the entire route, including segments between E-town and Bowling Green. The segment between BG and Nashville has to be more heavily-traveled than BG and E-town. If I-65 in Kentucky is six lanes, then the route in Tennessee definitely needs to be six lanes.

I recall the widening project.  I remember at one time you could travel way outside or way inside.  Then one time it was almost like a super two in spots.  I-65 and I-40 have a large volume of trucks in Tennessee.  The four lanes is fine.

Is it really fine though? Because every single day during evening rush hour traffic backs up at the Goodlettsville exits to Old Hickory Blvd  because someone at TDOT thought having 65 go from 5 lanes to 2 in less than a mile was an excellent idea. The moment you cross into Tennessee going south  you'll be lucky to go 70 compared to smooth sailing at 80-85 through most of Kentucky, all thanks to capacity being reduced and having to sit behind semis passing each other at 55. That section is incredibly dangerous and widening to 3 lanes would mean larger shoulders and would put an end to awful cross-median accidents.

Exactly. There is a ton of heavy traffic on I-65 between the Kentucky border and Nashville. I have found it is almost never smooth sailing and it is frankly dangerous in some sections.

It's time TDOT give some serious attention to the I-65 corridor across the state. Not only does it need widening between Goodlettsville and the Kentucky state line, but it will need widening from I-840 to SR 396 once the Buckner/June Lake interchange goes in. And there are a lot of interchanges along the whole corridor that need reconfiguring/expansion.

I-39

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 19, 2021, 10:49:37 AM
I usually just use US 31W and sometimes US 31E through this stretch.  Having said that I don't agree that it needs to be six lanes.  The four lanes is fine and TN needs to concentrate on fixing I-65 now anyway.  They hosed Tennesseans with a gas tax increase and added an extra $100 for registration on EV vehicles to boot.  Now get to work on maintenance.

Hardly. If anything, the gas tax increase didn't go nearly far enough to keep up with what is needed. It should have been 2-3 cents more with it being indexed to inflation. Haslam tried, but the ultra-conservatives wouldn't let him.

sprjus4

^

Eh, can't expect much from someone opposed to any new highway construction, regardless of how bad the traffic / truck volumes / roadway conditions are.

Given Kentucky's expansion to 6 lanes throughout, it's logical they complete I-65 to at least Nashville with 6 lanes.

Georgia

The phased in gas tax costs someone who buys 1000 gallons of gas a year all of 60 dollars. 
Even someone like me who drives 60,000 miles a year and buys 2000 gallons of gas, 120 bucks. 

Avalanchez71

Quote from: Georgia on May 26, 2021, 03:16:48 AM
The phased in gas tax costs someone who buys 1000 gallons of gas a year all of 60 dollars. 
Even someone like me who drives 60,000 miles a year and buys 2000 gallons of gas, 120 bucks.

That is $60 that could have been spent elsewhere by the person earning the money.  That person should be best left to how they choose to spend their money.  The gas tax is collected by usage.  More vehicles are being purchased.  More vehicles equals more gas tax collected.  It is true that they more fuel efficient, however, one should not be penalized for efficiency.

froggie

Given how much most people use the roads (especially if they buy that much gas...there STILL is a loose correlation between miles traveled and quantity of gas purchased), $60 is a small price to pay to ensure that Tennessee can continue its road construction program.  Keep in mind that Tennessee does *NOT* use bonds or debt to fund roadwork.

I-39

Quote from: froggie on May 26, 2021, 10:34:18 AM
Given how much most people use the roads (especially if they buy that much gas...there STILL is a loose correlation between miles traveled and quantity of gas purchased), $60 is a small price to pay to ensure that Tennessee can continue its road construction program.  Keep in mind that Tennessee does *NOT* use bonds or debt to fund roadwork.

Hence why a higher, indexed gas tax is needed, but the anti-tax conservatives won't let it happen.

I-39

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 26, 2021, 08:21:53 AM
Quote from: Georgia on May 26, 2021, 03:16:48 AM
The phased in gas tax costs someone who buys 1000 gallons of gas a year all of 60 dollars. 
Even someone like me who drives 60,000 miles a year and buys 2000 gallons of gas, 120 bucks.

That is $60 that could have been spent elsewhere by the person earning the money.  That person should be best left to how they choose to spend their money.  The gas tax is collected by usage.  More vehicles are being purchased.  More vehicles equals more gas tax collected.  It is true that they more fuel efficient, however, one should not be penalized for efficiency.

Don't want to pay it, don't use the roads. Simple as that. If you use the roads, you need to pay. Even increasing the pool of cars doesn't do much in of itself, the tax needs to go up periodically to keep up with inflation.

Avalanchez71

Quote from: I-39 on May 26, 2021, 12:47:50 PM
Quote from: froggie on May 26, 2021, 10:34:18 AM
Given how much most people use the roads (especially if they buy that much gas...there STILL is a loose correlation between miles traveled and quantity of gas purchased), $60 is a small price to pay to ensure that Tennessee can continue its road construction program.  Keep in mind that Tennessee does *NOT* use bonds or debt to fund roadwork.

Hence why a higher, indexed gas tax is needed, but the anti-tax conservatives won't let it happen.
+

The gas tax was increased during a Republican supermajority.  There was a price to pay for that though.  It cost the more moderate Republicans their seats to be seated be filled by conservative Republicans.  There was a net gain of one Democratic seat in the Senate, however.  It was related to the large influx of Democrats into Nashville/Davidson County.

armadillo speedbump

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 19, 2021, 10:49:37 AM
I usually just use US 31W and sometimes US 31E through this stretch.  Having said that I don't agree that it needs to be six lanes.  The four lanes is fine

Um, no, it isn't fine.  That needed to be widened a decade ago, and traffic has only gotten worse.  It's a ridiculous bottleneck.

We need higher taxes/fees on new housing and businesses to cover the added infrastructure all that growth requires.  It clearly isn't enough right now.  Boo hoo that someone buying a $300k house might have to pay $302k.  The dumbest thing we can do would be to fail to increase capacity in the face of swelling demand, aka the Northern Virginia idiotic approach (and Atlanta almost as much.)  Don't build it and they won't come doesn't work.

Avalanchez71

Quote from: armadillo speedbump on May 28, 2021, 04:19:40 AM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 19, 2021, 10:49:37 AM
I usually just use US 31W and sometimes US 31E through this stretch.  Having said that I don't agree that it needs to be six lanes.  The four lanes is fine

Um, no, it isn't fine.  That needed to be widened a decade ago, and traffic has only gotten worse.  It's a ridiculous bottleneck.

We need higher taxes/fees on new housing and businesses to cover the added infrastructure all that growth requires.  It clearly isn't enough right now.  Boo hoo that someone buying a $300k house might have to pay $302k.  The dumbest thing we can do would be to fail to increase capacity in the face of swelling demand, aka the Northern Virginia idiotic approach (and Atlanta almost as much.)  Don't build it and they won't come doesn't work.

They have added impact fees to homes over the years.  That money is collected at the local level and for the local infrastructure.

roadman65

I see that the I-75 and I-24 exchange in East Ridge went through some serious improvements. No longer a three wye but a more typical type interchange.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

I-39

TDOT now has a project page for widening I-65 between Nashville and the Kentucky state line.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-nashville-to-ky-state-line.html

Looks like construction from SR 109 to SR 25 could begin in the fall.

Good to see this critically needed project getting some attention.

wriddle082

Quote from: I-39 on June 19, 2021, 12:37:59 AM
TDOT now has a project page for widening I-65 between Nashville and the Kentucky state line.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-nashville-to-ky-state-line.html

Looks like construction from SR 109 to SR 25 could begin in the fall.

Good to see this critically needed project getting some attention.

No doubt!  And I think it's smart of them to remove the northbound weigh station since KY has one not too far over the border, and expanding the southbound one is definitely a good plan.  I can see the widening phase from Millersville to Ridgetop being a royal PITA with the blasting and fill that will be required, especially northbound.

Avalanchez71

SR 397 (Mack Hatcher Pkwy) (parts Truck US 31/Truck US 431/Truck SR 96)
Project in Williamson County

State Route 397 (Mack Hatcher Parkway) Extension
Williamson County

Timeline
Transportation projects are developed in four phases: Planning and Environmental, Design, Right-of-Way and Construction. Due to the significant cost of construction, the Northwest Extension, from south of SR 96 to east of Hillsboro Road, has been divided into two smaller sections or phases.

Phase I Interim Improvement will include the construction of a two-lane roadway, all side road improvements, a multi-use path, and a single bridge crossing of the Harpeth River.
Phase II Ultimate Improvement will complete the four-lane divided facility, including a second bridge crossing of the Harpeth River.
Phase I is currently under construction.

Let to Contract:             12/7/2018
Contractor:                     EUTAW CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.
Bid Price:                         $45,122,600.00
Est. Completion Date: NOVEMBER 2021

Phase II is not currently funded, and a timeline is not available.



*The Southwest Extension, from SR 6/US 31/Columbia Pike to SR 96, is NOT currently referenced in the Nashville Area MPO's 2040 Regional Transportation Plan and is NOT currently programmed to be constructed by TDOT or the city of Franklin at this time.

Avalanchez71

Quote from: I-39 on June 19, 2021, 12:37:59 AM
TDOT now has a project page for widening I-65 between Nashville and the Kentucky state line.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-nashville-to-ky-state-line.html

Looks like construction from SR 109 to SR 25 could begin in the fall.

Good to see this critically needed project getting some attention.

This is bad news and so unnecessary.

sprjus4

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 21, 2021, 12:15:50 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 19, 2021, 12:37:59 AM
TDOT now has a project page for widening I-65 between Nashville and the Kentucky state line.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-nashville-to-ky-state-line.html

Looks like construction from SR 109 to SR 25 could begin in the fall.

Good to see this critically needed project getting some attention.

This is bad news and so unnecessary.
Only "bad news"  and "so unnecessary"  to a minor portion of the population, including yourself, who may be directly impacted. The project is sorely needed and good to see forward progress on TDOT's part! I-65 needs to be widened to 6 lanes throughout to match Kentucky's portion, eliminate conflicts with truck traffic, and reduce congestion during peak times. These are serious issues you may disregard but the vast majority of people recognize and understand a fix is needed.

Avalanchez71

Here is a video showing the progress of the destruction in Williamson County on SR 396.
https://youtu.be/6-MsQPqpgnA

sprjus4

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 21, 2021, 01:15:44 PM
Here is a video showing the progress of the destruction in Williamson County on SR 396.
https://youtu.be/6-MsQPqpgnA
As the region appears to grow, the parkway appears it will provide a needed 4 lane connection and bypass around downtown Franklin. Seems like a viable connection.

I suppose you believe the residents will love the quality of life as thousands of homes get built, traffic increases substantially, and two lane roads are choked and downtown is nothing but a traffic jam.

Good on TDOT for planning ahead.

I-39

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 21, 2021, 12:15:50 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 19, 2021, 12:37:59 AM
TDOT now has a project page for widening I-65 between Nashville and the Kentucky state line.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-nashville-to-ky-state-line.html

Looks like construction from SR 109 to SR 25 could begin in the fall.

Good to see this critically needed project getting some attention.

This is bad news and so unnecessary.

Serious question. Are there any new construction/reconstruction projects in the Middle Tennessee area that you are actually in favor of?

I agree that some highway spending is wasteful (like I-69), but contrary to your opinions, the fact is Middle Tennessee is vastly behind in infrastructure upgrades and a lot of road projects are needed. Not just capacity upgrades, but geometrical and width upgrades. A lot of roads simply need to be widened to the standard width and have proper shoulders added.

Avalanchez71

Quote from: I-39 on June 21, 2021, 01:47:39 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 21, 2021, 12:15:50 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 19, 2021, 12:37:59 AM
TDOT now has a project page for widening I-65 between Nashville and the Kentucky state line.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-nashville-to-ky-state-line.html

Looks like construction from SR 109 to SR 25 could begin in the fall.

Good to see this critically needed project getting some attention.

This is bad news and so unnecessary.

Serious question. Are there any new construction/reconstruction projects in the Middle Tennessee area that you are actually in favor of?

I agree that some highway spending is wasteful (like I-69), but contrary to your opinions, the fact is Middle Tennessee is vastly behind in infrastructure upgrades and a lot of road projects are needed. Not just capacity upgrades, but geometrical and width upgrades. A lot of roads simply need to be widened to the standard width and have proper shoulders added.

They should fix the mess they made with the I-840/I-24 interchange.  They designed the interchange with an ancient partial cloverleaf.  The growth in Rutherford County from the 1990 census to the 2020 census is unreal.  There was no way to predict this growth pattern in 1990.

I-39

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 21, 2021, 01:58:01 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 21, 2021, 01:47:39 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 21, 2021, 12:15:50 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 19, 2021, 12:37:59 AM
TDOT now has a project page for widening I-65 between Nashville and the Kentucky state line.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-nashville-to-ky-state-line.html

Looks like construction from SR 109 to SR 25 could begin in the fall.

Good to see this critically needed project getting some attention.

This is bad news and so unnecessary.

Serious question. Are there any new construction/reconstruction projects in the Middle Tennessee area that you are actually in favor of?

I agree that some highway spending is wasteful (like I-69), but contrary to your opinions, the fact is Middle Tennessee is vastly behind in infrastructure upgrades and a lot of road projects are needed. Not just capacity upgrades, but geometrical and width upgrades. A lot of roads simply need to be widened to the standard width and have proper shoulders added.

They should fix the mess they made with the I-840/I-24 interchange.  They designed the interchange with an ancient partial cloverleaf.  The growth in Rutherford County from the 1990 census to the 2020 census is unreal.  There was no way to predict this growth pattern in 1990.

I agree that interchange needs to be completely redone, but that's just one of many things that are needed. They need to finish five laning SR 96 between Arno Road and Veterans Parkway in order to provide a better reliever for I-840 in that area as well.

Williamson County has grown a lot as well since 1990.

Avalanchez71

Quote from: I-39 on June 21, 2021, 02:17:18 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 21, 2021, 01:58:01 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 21, 2021, 01:47:39 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 21, 2021, 12:15:50 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 19, 2021, 12:37:59 AM
TDOT now has a project page for widening I-65 between Nashville and the Kentucky state line.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/i-65-nashville-to-ky-state-line.html

Looks like construction from SR 109 to SR 25 could begin in the fall.

Good to see this critically needed project getting some attention.

This is bad news and so unnecessary.

Serious question. Are there any new construction/reconstruction projects in the Middle Tennessee area that you are actually in favor of?

I agree that some highway spending is wasteful (like I-69), but contrary to your opinions, the fact is Middle Tennessee is vastly behind in infrastructure upgrades and a lot of road projects are needed. Not just capacity upgrades, but geometrical and width upgrades. A lot of roads simply need to be widened to the standard width and have proper shoulders added.

They should fix the mess they made with the I-840/I-24 interchange.  They designed the interchange with an ancient partial cloverleaf.  The growth in Rutherford County from the 1990 census to the 2020 census is unreal.  There was no way to predict this growth pattern in 1990.

I agree that interchange needs to be completely redone, but that's just one of many things that are needed. They need to finish five laning SR 96 between Arno Road and Veterans Parkway in order to provide a better reliever for I-840 in that area as well.

Williamson County has grown a lot as well since 1990.

Williamson County has grown, however, the rate isn't as high and it was anticipated.  Furthermore the cost of ROW acquisition in Williamson County is through the roof.

SR 96 should have stayed as two lanes since I-840 was built.

sprjus4

With the amount of growth that appears to be going in that area, a two lane road just looks like it would become another bottleneck. Sure, maybe 4 lanes isn't desperately needed, but it's certainly nice to have. In 20 years, the situation might be different. Better build early so that when the volumes increase, the road can handle it. I'm coming from a city who didn't build infrastructure up before growth, and traffic is a nightmare on 2 lane roads.



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