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I-69 in TN

Started by Grzrd, November 27, 2010, 06:15:29 PM

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Grzrd

#125
Quote from: Grzrd on November 17, 2014, 11:26:54 AM
After noticing that the south of US 51 to south of TN 5 project is not included in the December 5 letting, I emailed TDOT to find out the new projected letting date, which is August, 2015:
Quote
... this project has now been placed in the August 2015 Letting. As I have stated before, that is dependent on the availability of funding.
Quote from: Grzrd on April 10, 2015, 10:06:16 AM
It sure would be nice to have a long-term reauthorization to help TDOT fulfill Commissioner Schroer's commitment to finish I-69 SIU 7 in approximately ten years.

In a mild surprise since Congress only approved a two-month funding patch through July 31 instead of a long-term reauthorization, TDOT has announced that it will have a letting for the south of US 51 to south of TN 5 project this year:

Quote
The Tennessee Department of Transportation says they will have a contract letting for construction on a portion of I-69 in northwest Tennessee will begin this year.
T-DOT Spokeswoman Nichole Lawrence said funding is secured for grade and drainage construction along a section of the planned route between US-51 and State Route 5 near Union City. But she said TDOT can't make plans for the other sections since money from the Federal Highway Trust Fund is only secured through July.

Maybe they will get I-69 SIU 7 done within ten years .......


lordsutch

An excuse to go up the elevator at Discovery Park again in a couple of years for more photos...

Shame it *still* won't be a useful bypass of the Union City commercial strip until they build the eastward extension to the existing freeway, section 5 (and pave the other sections of course). Still not sure what TDOT was thinking when they avoided using the north side of the existing bypass.

codyg1985

Quote from: lordsutch on June 10, 2015, 09:15:27 PM
An excuse to go up the elevator at Discovery Park again in a couple of years for more photos...

Shame it *still* won't be a useful bypass of the Union City commercial strip until they build the eastward extension to the existing freeway, section 5 (and pave the other sections of course). Still not sure what TDOT was thinking when they avoided using the north side of the existing bypass.

The road itself would have been fine to convert to a freeway, but the interchanges would have been difficult to work in. Plus, the area around TN 22 would be a non-conventional interchange due to not only having an interchange with TN 22, but also having to divert I-69 from the US 51 alignment in that area to avoid the commercial strip.
Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States

Avalanchez71

Open commercial strip = folks engaged in local commerce.  a bypassed commercial strip = folks bypassing local commerce.

Scott5114

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 11, 2015, 01:23:59 PM
Open commercial strip = folks engaged in local commerce.  a bypassed commercial strip = folks bypassing local commerce.

So folks engaged in other commerce should have to slow down and wait for the local commerce people, whose local commerce is likewise delayed by people passing through town with no need or interest in stopping?

Can't say I've ever been passing through a town and stopped at the Ace Hardware on a whim. Or anywhere other than food/gas, really.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

lordsutch

#130
Quote from: codyg1985 on June 11, 2015, 08:06:24 AM
The road itself would have been fine to convert to a freeway, but the interchanges would have been difficult to work in. Plus, the area around TN 22 would be a non-conventional interchange due to not only having an interchange with TN 22, but also having to divert I-69 from the US 51 alignment in that area to avoid the commercial strip.

There is no commercial strip at the TN 22 interchange; all the commercial frontage is at the southern end of the bypass. The bypass is partially access-controlled with just a few at-grades - there's even a frontage road. Last I went through that part some of it was even signed at 70 mph!

All you'd need is a folded diamond at TN 21 and a local access interchange where you'd bend from the US 51 bypass to the I-69 alignment west of Discovery Park. Close the rest of the at-grades in between and you'd save a boatload of money.

Edit: Illustrating my point here.

Avalanchez71

Quote from: Scott5114 on June 11, 2015, 03:25:55 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 11, 2015, 01:23:59 PM
Open commercial strip = folks engaged in local commerce.  a bypassed commercial strip = folks bypassing local commerce.

So folks engaged in other commerce should have to slow down and wait for the local commerce people, whose local commerce is likewise delayed by people passing through town with no need or interest in stopping?

Can't say I've ever been passing through a town and stopped at the Ace Hardware on a whim. Or anywhere other than food/gas, really.

I have stopped at a few stores to see what I can find on the clearance racks and items that have been marked out of stock but still desirable doing just that.

Scott5114

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 11, 2015, 09:07:07 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on June 11, 2015, 03:25:55 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on June 11, 2015, 01:23:59 PM
Open commercial strip = folks engaged in local commerce.  a bypassed commercial strip = folks bypassing local commerce.

So folks engaged in other commerce should have to slow down and wait for the local commerce people, whose local commerce is likewise delayed by people passing through town with no need or interest in stopping?

Can't say I've ever been passing through a town and stopped at the Ace Hardware on a whim. Or anywhere other than food/gas, really.

I have stopped at a few stores to see what I can find on the clearance racks and items that have been marked out of stock but still desirable doing just that.

I can assure you that you're far from typical. The typical driver has a destination they want to get to and slowing down to go through a town is a frustration, not a chance to jump at some trinket store.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

codyg1985

Quote from: lordsutch on June 11, 2015, 03:52:21 PM
Quote from: codyg1985 on June 11, 2015, 08:06:24 AM
The road itself would have been fine to convert to a freeway, but the interchanges would have been difficult to work in. Plus, the area around TN 22 would be a non-conventional interchange due to not only having an interchange with TN 22, but also having to divert I-69 from the US 51 alignment in that area to avoid the commercial strip.

There is no commercial strip at the TN 22 interchange; all the commercial frontage is at the southern end of the bypass. The bypass is partially access-controlled with just a few at-grades - there's even a frontage road. Last I went through that part some of it was even signed at 70 mph!

All you'd need is a folded diamond at TN 21 and a local access interchange where you'd bend from the US 51 bypass to the I-69 alignment west of Discovery Park. Close the rest of the at-grades in between and you'd save a boatload of money.

Edit: Illustrating my point here.

That would be easier than using the entirety of the bypass, and for some reason I didn't think of a folded diamond at TN 22 interchange. It would have been nice if all of the bypass could be used, though.
Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States

The Ghostbuster

Is state highway 22 still planned to become an 3 digit Interstate 69 spur?

froggie

QuoteIs state highway 22 still planned to become an 3 digit Interstate 69 spur?

Local politicians would like it, but there are no firm plans that I'm aware of.

Grzrd

#136
Quote from: Grzrd on November 17, 2014, 11:26:54 AM
After noticing that the south of US 51 to south of TN 5 project is not included in the December 5 letting, I emailed TDOT to find out the new projected letting date, which is August, 2015:
Quote
... this project has now been placed in the August 2015 Letting. As I have stated before, that is dependent on the availability of funding.
Quote from: Grzrd on June 10, 2015, 10:27:48 AM
In a mild surprise since Congress only approved a two-month funding patch through July 31 instead of a long-term reauthorization, TDOT has announced that it will have a letting for the south of US 51 to south of TN 5 project this year
Quote from: lordsutch on June 10, 2015, 09:15:27 PM
An excuse to go up the elevator at Discovery Park again in a couple of years for more photos...

Don't book your reservations quite yet. The south of US 51 to south of TN 5 project is not included in TDOT's August 28 letting.  As reported in this article, Congress failed to pass a long-term reauthorization by July 31 and instead passed a three-month "patch":

Quote
Congress sent President Barack Obama a three-month bill to keep highway and transit money flowing to states on Thursday, one day before the deadline for a cutoff of funds.
Earlier in the day, the Senate passed a sweeping, long-term transportation bill, setting up discussions with the House this fall on what the future course of transportation policy should be and how to pay for programs ....
Lawmakers said they hope the 3-month patch – the 34th short-term transportation extension since 2009 – will be Congress' last. It extends the government's authority to process aid payments to states through Oct. 29. Without congressional action, that authority would have expired at midnight Friday.

Despite TDOT's announcement, I'm not convinced that they will let the project in the absence of a long-term reauthorization. I'm also not convinced that Congress will pass a long-term reauthorization by October 29. Could be a long wait.

Grzrd

Quote from: Grzrd on February 12, 2013, 07:41:36 PM
This article ... reporting on comments made by Eighth District U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher indicating that construction on the ... Memphis sections of I-69 will proceed:
Quote
... It will cost another $100 million to complete the I-69 project from Memphis to the Mississippi border.
"The problem is between Troy and Memphis,"  Fincher said
Quote from: Grzrd on February 27, 2013, 08:28:16 PM
Congressman Fincher posted a blog in the Dyersburg State Gazette today; interestingly, he looks to Wisconsin as providing a case example of why Tennessee should complete its section of I-69:
Quote
At a time when our economy is sluggish, unemployment is high, budgets are tight and economic opportunities are limited, Tennessee should say YES to prioritizing its limited funds in smart projects that produce maximum economic gains. I-69 is such a project .... Just look at Wisconsin, between 1990 and 2001, 88 percent of the state's new and expanded manufacturing facilities decided to relocate within five miles of the "Corridors 2020" highway. This new highway links the state's key economic centers, illustrating the importance of an easily accessible goods movement infrastructure in business location decisions. Simply put, communities not connected to the interstate system are not considered by businesses as candidates for major industrial or business facilities.
Bottom line, I-69 is a smart project and should be made a priority. It creates opportunities for folks today and generations to come.

This article reports Congressman Fincher as saying that I-69 is an economic necessity for western Tennessee and that it will change the whole southeast forever; however, he will not support a gas tax increase to help get it built:

Quote
Tennessee's 8th district Congressman Stephen Fincher says the construction of Interstate 69 is critical to the western part of the state, but says his support falls short of increasing the gas tax ....
Fincher says it's an economic necessity for western Tennessee to get I-69 built.  And although part of the project is federally funded, he would not support a raise in the gas tax to fund the state' end.
"All of the bureaucratic problems that we have, all of the regulatory problems that cost so much–every dollar we spend now to build a road, 50 cents goes to regulation," said Fincher. "Until you get that under control, I can't go to the hard working tax-payers of this district and ask them to pay more taxes."  
Fincher says he would support seeking alternative methods, like private funding, to bolster the project.
"There are solutions being talked about: I've had meetings, two weeks ago, in New York, about private sector money coming into infrastructure," said Fincher. "But it's key that if America's gonna get back on top, we have to invest in our infrastructure. I'm totally 100% in, but until we get the bureaucratic problems and regulatory problems under control, I can't come to my constituents and raise the gas tax. But we gotta fix it, it's got to be fixed.
"I-69 will change west Tennessee, it's gonna change the whole southeast forever."

It would be interesting to hear more specifics about the bureaucratic problems and the regulatory problems.

Bobby5280

The biggest thing that has contributed to the extreme cost increases of building roads:
Skyrocketing prices of building materials.

Concrete, steel, copper, plastics and just about any other material that can be used for manufacturing has seen its costs increase at least 2 to 4 times, if not more, since the last time the federal gas tax was hiked more than 20 years ago.

Globalization drove up demand for commodities like steel and concrete to an extreme. There might be some glimmer of hope for some price decreases as the economy in China and some other parts of the world goes into the toilet (as well as the price of oil trading below $40 per barrel).

Regulation does play a part in the rising costs with all the studies, hearings, law suits and on and on. All of that stuff costs TIME. And commodities prices, labor prices, etc. do not stand still for time. It's easy to see the disconnect and how it can cause the estimate for a major road project to be totally busted in a short amount of time. The government simply must figure out some way to actually start ELIMINATING red tape and streamlining procedures. For the longest time government has only known how to complicate things and slow progress down to nothing.

And then there's always the possibility some key, connected people are getting paid a fortune out of those taxpayer dollars directed at a big project like a new super highway or commuter rail line. I really have to wonder about it when it comes to rail. Some light rail lines are hardly any better than a glorified trolley car service, yet a single line often costs into the billions of dollars. With superhighways, I know the government keeps changing safety standards. While the changes might be for the better they often result in a highway costing a whole lot more to build.

Henry

Quote from: Grzrd on August 25, 2015, 02:50:52 PM

This article reports Congressman Fincher as saying that I-69 is an economic necessity for western Tennessee and that it will change the whole southeast forever; however, he will not support a gas tax increase to help get it built:

Quote
Tennessee's 8th district Congressman Stephen Fincher says the construction of Interstate 69 is critical to the western part of the state, but says his support falls short of increasing the gas tax ....
Fincher says it's an economic necessity for western Tennessee to get I-69 built.  And although part of the project is federally funded, he would not support a raise in the gas tax to fund the state' end.
"All of the bureaucratic problems that we have, all of the regulatory problems that cost so much–every dollar we spend now to build a road, 50 cents goes to regulation," said Fincher. "Until you get that under control, I can't go to the hard working tax-payers of this district and ask them to pay more taxes."  
Fincher says he would support seeking alternative methods, like private funding, to bolster the project.
"There are solutions being talked about: I've had meetings, two weeks ago, in New York, about private sector money coming into infrastructure," said Fincher. "But it's key that if America's gonna get back on top, we have to invest in our infrastructure. I'm totally 100% in, but until we get the bureaucratic problems and regulatory problems under control, I can't come to my constituents and raise the gas tax. But we gotta fix it, it's got to be fixed.
"I-69 will change west Tennessee, it's gonna change the whole southeast forever."

It would be interesting to hear more specifics about the bureaucratic problems and the regulatory problems.
The only other alternative would be to put tolls on the major routes like I-40, I-65 and I-75, and I don't think he'd go for it either; hopefully I'm wrong on that.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

Grzrd

#140
Quote from: Grzrd on July 18, 2014, 06:11:56 PM
This article reports that a revised Welcome Center along northbound I-55/(currently unsigned) I-69 in Memphis is about to go to bid again:
Quote
Tennessee's I-55 Welcome Center in Whitehaven, demolished several years ago, has yet to be replaced.
"The revised design is more efficient by consolidating some building spaces, while preserving all of the restroom and tourism capacity anticipated with the completion of the I-69 corridor," said David Roberson, spokesman for the Tennessee Department of General Services.
The state still intends for the new welcome center to be the first net-zero energy building Tennessee owns. Solar panels will be installed on the roof.

The Jackson Tourism website has posted an article about the August 28 groundbreaking for the Memphis I-55/(currently unsigned) I-69 Welcome Center that projects an opening in Fall 2016:

Quote
The Tennessee Departments of Transportation and Tourist Development held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new I-55 Memphis Welcome Center Aug. 28. Commissioner John Schroer, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Commissioner Kevin Triplett, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton and Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau president & CEO Kevin Kane provided remarks ....
The new 1-55 Welcome Center will feature a modern, energy-efficient design, drawing on the Memphis brand strategy in welcoming visitors to West Tennessee. Tennessee currently has 14 Welcome Centers, all constructed by TDOT and operated by Tourist Development ....
The I-55 Center will be located at 3910 Interstate 55, Mile Marker 3.10 north bound on the Tennessee line, and is expected to open to the public in the fall of 2016.  Interstate 55 is approximately 964 miles that starts in Illinois and runs through Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. It is the only interstate that crosses the Mississippi River twice — in Memphis and St. Louis, Missouri.

Grzrd

Quote from: Grzrd on September 06, 2015, 03:09:01 PM
The Jackson Tourism website has posted an article about the August 28 groundbreaking for the Memphis I-55/(currently unsigned) I-69 Welcome Center that projects an opening in Fall 2016

This October 5 article, which includes four slides depicting what the I-55/69 Welcome Center will look like, reports that the construction permit was obtained on October 2:

Quote
Tennessee's newest welcome center, coming to I-55 in Memphis, will show off a futuristic first for visitors to the state.
The new I-55 Welcome Center is replacing a defunct facility on northbound I-55 – which had been demolished several years ago – to make way for the state's first net-zero energy building, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
As a net-zero energy building, the visitor center is projected to generate more energy that it will use over the course of a year. The new facility will include a modern design equipped with Memphis branding to welcome visitors to West Tennessee when it opens in fall 2016.
TDOT filed a $2.11 million permit with the Shelby County Department of Construction Code Enforcement on Oct. 2 to begin construction on a new visitor center on the Mississippi-Tennessee state line.
TDOT commissioner John Schroer, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development commissioner Kevin Triplett, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau president/CEO Kevin Kane broke ground on the I-55 Welcome Center Replacement Project, located at 3910 I-55, on Aug. 28.

Also, this October 4 article reports on the upcoming construction and includes both a photograph and a video featuring the currently existing sculpture called "Pyradoptics".

The Ghostbuster

Does anyone know when we might see actual Interstate 69 signs in the state of Tennessee? I think it should have at least been signed in Memphis by now, given Interstate 269 will be complete in a few years.

lordsutch

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on October 15, 2015, 02:59:10 PM
Does anyone know when we might see actual Interstate 69 signs in the state of Tennessee? I think it should have at least been signed in Memphis by now, given Interstate 269 will be complete in a few years.

Maybe they're waiting to sign it until they do the eight-laning of midtown I-240. I guess it would make sense to decommission midtown I-240 and replace it with I-69 (along with renumbering the exits) as part of the same project.

The Ghostbuster

When will that happen? Is there a date for construction on the project?

Grzrd

#145
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.

In a mild surprise to me, I-69 SIU 8 is included in the backlogged projects list (along with the remaining SIU 7 and SIU 9 projects), even though a Final Environmental Impact Statement has not been released:












In a bit of a disappointment, the state line connection to Kentucky is considered a "new" project that cannot currently be considered until 2022, at the earliest:



With the state line section aside, I think it would be miraculous if the rest of I-69 were let by 2034 with increased transportation funding.  Also, as a side note, the Shelby County "From 0.8 mile east of US 51 to 0.5 mile south of SR 388" project includes the final section of I-269.

Grzrd

#146
Quote from: Grzrd on November 09, 2015, 02:31:35 PM
This TDOT press release announces the release, by Gov. Haslam, of ...currently backlogged projects ... :


This article reports that Shelby County currently has approximately $1 billion worth of backlogged projects, that Shelby County's backlogged I-69 projects total approximately $423 million, and that Shelby County officials believe that I-69 is a national project to which the federal government needs to provide greater support:

Quote
... Gov. Bill Haslam ... recently stood on BNSF property with traffic roaring in the background and talked about the state's $6 billion backlog of transportation projects, including at least $934 million that touch Shelby County. Haslam said he wants to work with lawmakers to come up with a plan to fix the issue before he leaves office in 2018 ....
While Shelby's backlogged projects are all over the map, transportation and logistics industry experts listed Lamar's $229 million fix as the No. 1 thing that would help move freight through and within Memphis ....
Dexter Muller, a senior advisor for the Greater Memphis Chamber
....
Beyond the Lamar corridor, a proposed $43 million revamp of the Airways-I-240 interchange and projects related to I-69, the so-called NAFTA Highway stretching from Mexico to Canada, are seen as key projects to Memphis area freight movement....
I-69 [is] considered as much national as local in significance, and Memphis chamber officials argue [it] should receive a larger proportion of federal support for that reason ....
Projects related to I-69 account for $423 million of the TDOT backlog: $50 million to extend I-69 along the I-240 Midtown leg and $373 million to buy right of way and build the road paralleling U.S. 51 from Frayser into Tipton County.
Muller said
I-69 would serve 40 percent of U.S. manufacturing industry. "That's a roadway of national significance. The bottom line is the states can't do this individually. A part of the reason we're having this problem at the state level is the federal government hasn't stepped up."

Here is a snip of the I-240/69 project from the backlogged project list:



With the Lamar Avenue improvements being the number one priority over I-69 SIUs 8 and 9 in Shelby County, maybe TDOT can focus on completing most of I-69 SIU 7 (I-155 to near Kentucky state line) in roughly the same amount of time that it will take to complete the Lamar Avenue upgrades.  Then, shift the I-69 focus southward to Shelby County.

Grzrd

#147
Quote from: Grzrd on November 09, 2015, 02:31:35 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 .... I-69 SIU 8 is included in the backlogged projects list (along with the remaining SIU 7 and SIU 9 projects), even though a Final Environmental Impact Statement has not been released

For the first time since 2011, and probably as a result of passage of the FAST legislation, TDOT has updated its I-69 Segment 8 Status page and projects the release of an I-69 SIU 8 Final Environmental Impact Statement ("FEIS") in the third quarter of 2016 and the issuance of an I-69 SIU 8 Record of Decision ("ROD") in the first quarter of 2017:



I wonder if further delays will result from Tennessee's effort to increase state-level transportation funding.

The Ghostbuster

Is Tennessee still considering building portions of Interstate 69 as a toll road?

codyg1985

I'm not sure if I've heard of Tennessee building it as a toll road. It would be incredibly easy to shunpike it if only the new segments were built as a toll road, though.
Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States



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