Topic: US 641 (Read 15393 times)

Grzrd · « **on:** February 17, 2012, 10:00:13 AM »

Quote from: Grzrd on January 05, 2012, 02:50:49 PM

(page 8/13 of pdf):
http://www.tn.gov/ecd/pdf/Regiional_Strategic_Plans/Northwest.pdf
Quote
...ECD staff and regional partners will develop long-term strategies for leveraging the completion of
several large projects ... TDOT will work to ... plan and complete Highway 641 to Kentucky ...

(above quote from "I-69 in TN" thread on Southeast page)

It looks like both Kentucky and Tennessee have big long-term plans for US 641. Kentucky has started work on an upgrade to US 641 from Marion to I-24/69, with further upgrades planned in the near future:

Quote

Gov. Steve Beshear participated in a ground breaking Wednesday for reconstructing a section of U.S. 641 south of Marion in Crittenden County.
When completed, the 16-mile, $109 million project will result in a new four-lane road from Marion to Interstate 24/Interstate 69 near Eddyville.
The first phase of the U.S. 641 extension project, which is just beginning, involves building a new four-lane, 5.5-mile-long road from Marion in Crittenden County to Fredonia in Caldwell County. Paving could begin in late 2014 or early 2015, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Construction on the second phase, from Fredonia to near Eddyville, is projected to begin sometime after 2018 under the governor's proposed new six-year road plan, which is pending approval by the Kentucky General Assembly.

It will take Tennessee a little longer to get going with their plans ...

EDIT

This article has a photo of the groundbreaking ceremony, which did not take place at the actual construction site:

Quote

In a brief ceremony Wednesday morning, Gov. Steve Beshear formally dedicated construction of the new U.S. 641 that will eventually tie Marion to Interstate 69 .... The governor did not visit the primary site of construction in Crayne, but instead made his remarks christening the four-lane road after touching down in a state helicopter and traveling to the Ed-Tech Center in Marion. The center is about a mile from where the new U.S. 641 will tie into the existing corridor .... Beshear, just weeks into his second term, has been in office during the critical phases of securing money to ensure construction of this first leg of U.S. 641 to Fredonia. The second leg, from Fredonia to I-69, is still awaiting property acquisitions and a determined route, but the governor assured the dozens in attendance Wednesday that the project would get finished.

hbelkins · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2012, 10:07:19 AM »

I've long-called this USeless 641 because it doesn't touch its parent, is less than 300 miles long, and is not really a major route.

To combine the US 641 and I-69 subjects, I have never ~~dis~~agreed with the decision to route I-69 in Kentucky along the WK and Pennyrile parkways. The most direct route from Paducah to Henderson is US 60, not I-24 and the parkways. There have been a few upgrades to US 60 in the western part of the state, and completion of this improved US 641 would probably mean the shortest way to get to Evansville/Henderson from Paducah would be to take this new US 641 up to US 60 and then US 60 northeast. I haven't run a mileage comparison, but I'd think the all-parkway routing would be significantly longer.

It reminds me of the "new terrain vs. US 41/I-70" debate in Indiana.

Edited to fix a typo.

rickmastfan67 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 20, 2012, 03:20:20 AM »

Quote from: hbelkins on February 17, 2012, 10:07:19 AM

I haven't run a mileage comparison, but I'd think the all-parkway routing would be significantly longer.

According to Google, Downtown Paducah to Downtown Henderson via US-60 is 96.6 miles and would take 1:57 hours. If you go via the I-24/I-69/Parkways, it would be 120 miles and take 2:04 hours.

So, a little more than 23 miles longer to take the Interstates/Parkways, but only a ~7 minute difference on time. IMO, not worth the time to build a new Interstate alignment when you could just upgrade sections of the Parkways to Interstate standards.

hbelkins · « **Reply #3 on:** February 20, 2012, 09:23:31 AM »

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on February 20, 2012, 03:20:20 AM

So, a little more than 23 miles longer to take the Interstates/Parkways, but only a ~7 minute difference on time. IMO, not worth the time to build a new Interstate alignment when you could just upgrade sections of the Parkways to Interstate standards.

Didn't they make the same arguments in Indiana concerning new terrain vs. US 41/I-70?

sr641 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 09, 2012, 07:06:43 PM »

If they're going to make a US 641 freeway to Marion, they should make a US 60 freeway from Marion to Henderson.

hbelkins · « **Reply #5 on:** May 10, 2012, 09:58:30 AM »

Quote from: sr641 on May 09, 2012, 07:06:43 PM

If they're going to make a US 641 freeway to Marion, they should make a US 60 freeway from Marion to Henderson.

It's not going to be a freeway. Just a relocated surface route. Saw some evidence of construction along the route last month on my trip to Joliet.

Grzrd · « **Reply #6 on:** December 18, 2013, 07:45:26 AM »

Quote from: Grzrd on February 17, 2012, 10:00:13 AM

Kentucky has started work on an upgrade to US 641 from Marion to I-24/69, with further upgrades planned in the near future:
Quote
The first phase of the U.S. 641 extension project, which is just beginning, involves building a new four-lane, 5.5-mile-long road from Marion in Crittenden County to Fredonia in Caldwell County. Paving could begin in late 2014 or early 2015, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Construction on the second phase, from Fredonia to near Eddyville, is projected to begin sometime after 2018 under the governor's proposed new six-year road plan, which is pending approval by the Kentucky General Assembly.

This article reports that a route has been selected for the Fredonia-to-Eddyville portion of the route and will include use of an abandoned rail line:

Quote

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has chosen a new route for U.S. 641 from Fredonia to Eddyville.
After receiving suggestions from area residents at a public meeting in August, KYTC has decided that the route will border the east edge of Fredonia, where it will then follow an abandoned rail line to near the Caldwell-Lyon county Line. It will briefly follow the existing roadway before routing along property lines and state-owned property to reach U.S. 62 near the I-69 interchange east of Eddyville.
The Caldwell-Lyon section is expected to initially be built as a "super two-lane" highway on a four-lane right of way. This will allow for the eventual expansion to four lanes as traffic increases.
The 5.5 mile Crittenden County section of the project will connect Marion and Fredonia, and is expected to be ready for paving in late 2014. It will also initially be paved as a wide two-lane, with the option of expanding to four lanes.
The entire 16-mile project is projected to cost about $109 million - $39 million for the Marion-to-Fredonia section and up to $70 million for the 10-mile section from Fredonia to Eddyville.

Also, this November 25, 2013 article reports on current US 62 construction east of Eddyville that will complete a four-lane connection between I-69 and I-24 at the southern end of the US 641 upgrade:

Quote

Work on a new 4-lane section of US 62 just east of Eddyville in Lyon County is expected to start on Monday, December 2, 2013.
US 62/Eddyville-Princeton Road will be reconstructed from about mile point 9.4 at the end of the existing 4-lane just east of Commerce Avenue in Eddyville, extending eastward past the US 641 Intersection to the Interstate 69 Exit 72 Eddyville-Princeton Interchange at about mile point 12.1 ....
The contractor plans to construct two new lanes along his section, then move traffic over to allow reconstruction upgrading of the existing lanes. This will create a 4-lane connection all the way from Interstate 69 to Interstate 24 through Eddyville.

Captain Jack · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2013, 10:22:46 PM »

Quote from: hbelkins on February 17, 2012, 10:07:19 AM

I've long-called this USeless 641 because it doesn't touch its parent, is less than 300 miles long, and is not really a major route.

Edited to fix a typo.

Of course it originally touched it's parent. I always thought it should have went on from Evansville along SR 57 and SR 67, making a direct highway to Indianapolis.

Does anyone know what year it was truncated from Evansville to Marion?

jnewkirk77 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2013, 10:48:50 PM »

Everything I've ever heard out of INDOT indicates 641 never entered Indiana at all. I have a map around here somewhere that shows it co-signed with 41 to the state line by Ellis Park, but it wasn't an official map, just one published for one of the bigger banks in Evansville back in the early '60s.

US-Ends has it being truncated from Henderson to Marion in '72. I've always thought it probably was co-signed with 41A and 60 up Green Street to the Henderson cloverleaf. That's where 41A ends today, and it seems reasonably logical to guess, some 40+ years out, that the same might have been done there.

NE2 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 18, 2013, 10:59:43 PM »

Old USGS topos have US 641 overlapping US 41 to US 460. Not INDOT, but more reliable than random bank map.

Captain Jack · « **Reply #10 on:** December 18, 2013, 11:20:55 PM »

Quote from: jnewkirk77 on December 18, 2013, 10:48:50 PM

Everything I've ever heard out of INDOT indicates 641 never entered Indiana at all. I have a map around here somewhere that shows it co-signed with 41 to the state line by Ellis Park, but it wasn't an official map, just one published for one of the bigger banks in Evansville back in the early '60s.

US-Ends has it being truncated from Henderson to Marion in '72. I've always thought it probably was co-signed with 41A and 60 up Green Street to the Henderson cloverleaf. That's where 41A ends today, and it seems reasonably logical to guess, some 40+ years out, that the same might have been done there.

I guess I am not smart enough to add a picture to my post, but if you click on the link below, this picture proves it went at least as far north as Kentucky and Cherry in Evansville. My guess is NE2 is correct, and it ended at US 460, which would have been Virginia Street during that time.

The pic also has a nice shot of the old Indiana Highway sign with the state outline for SR 66.

http://www.historicevansville.com/image.php?id=religious%2FSt+Clare+-+rectory+%281950s%29.jpg

NE2 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 18, 2013, 11:25:26 PM »

Oh shit. Nice.

jnewkirk77 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 18, 2013, 11:57:08 PM »

Well, how cool is that? I've been to that site a hundred times or more, never noticed that one.

Thanks!

andy3175 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 21, 2013, 12:58:34 AM »

Quote from: hbelkins on February 17, 2012, 10:07:19 AM

I've long-called this USeless 641 because it doesn't touch its parent, is less than 300 miles long, and is not really a major route.

H.B., for as long as we've corresponded I recall your disdain for this route. I am just surprised it took you 7 minutes to respond, lol.

Thanks for sharing. Maybe someday I'll actually go drive a section of 641.

Regards,
Andy

hbelkins · « **Reply #14 on:** December 21, 2013, 01:25:23 PM »

Quote from: andy3175 on December 21, 2013, 12:58:34 AM

Quote from: hbelkins on February 17, 2012, 10:07:19 AM
I've long-called this USeless 641 because it doesn't touch its parent, is less than 300 miles long, and is not really a major route.

H.B., for as long as we've corresponded I recall your disdain for this route. I am just surprised it took you 7 minutes to respond, lol.

Thanks for sharing. Maybe someday I'll actually go drive a section of 641.

Regards,
Andy

Actually, my response was from last February.

I've seen indications that ROW will be graded for a four-lane route but only two lanes will be initially built. I can't see this route generating enough traffic to require four lanes, and can't think of there being enough industry in Marion that would generate a lot of truck traffic.

US 41 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 25, 2016, 11:13:38 AM »

What ever happened with that freeway that was supposed to connect I-24 to Marion? Are they still working on it or has it been cancelled?

hbelkins · « **Reply #16 on:** May 25, 2016, 03:28:11 PM »

Quote from: US 41 on May 25, 2016, 11:13:38 AM

What ever happened with that freeway that was supposed to connect I-24 to Marion? Are they still working on it or has it been cancelled?

I don't think it was ever intended to be a full freeway.

The Ghostbuster · « **Reply #17 on:** May 25, 2016, 04:03:51 PM »

So that portion of US 641 will remain a two-lane highway?

hbelkins · « **Reply #18 on:** May 26, 2016, 01:41:44 PM »

If I'm not mistaken, it was graded for four lanes but only two lanes were initially paved. Much like the KY 67 Industrial Parkway route in northeastern Kentucky. Even if it's widened to four lanes, it won't be a freeway.

US 41 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 26, 2016, 04:20:37 PM »

South of Marion on satellite view it shows a 4 lane US 641 under construction. I'm just wondering if that project has been abandoned because I can't find anything online about it. It also started back in 2012 according to this thread.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.2508603,-88.0807719,14z/data=!3m1!1e3

hbelkins · « **Reply #20 on:** May 27, 2016, 11:16:46 PM »

Quote from: US 41 on May 26, 2016, 04:20:37 PM

South of Marion on satellite view it shows a 4 lane US 641 under construction. I'm just wondering if that project has been abandoned because I can't find anything online about it. It also started back in 2012 according to this thread.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.2508603,-88.0807719,14z/data=!3m1!1e3

Ahem...

Quote from: hbelkins on May 26, 2016, 01:41:44 PM

If I'm not mistaken, it was graded for four lanes but only two lanes were initially paved. Much like the KY 67 Industrial Parkway route in northeastern Kentucky. Even if it's widened to four lanes, it won't be a freeway.

Four lanes are being built to grade as a surface arterial, not a freeway, but only two lanes are being fully built now with paving to be open to traffic.

ThatRandomOshawott · « **Reply #21 on:** July 25, 2021, 09:01:45 PM »

Old thread, but relevant:
I'm from Calloway County, KY, where work is being done to widen US 641 to four lanes between Murray and Hazel. The four-laning of the road from the Glendale Road intersection in Murray to just past Dwain Taylor Chevrolet was completed a few months ago, and the Glendale Road intersection was reconfigured. I noticed that the KYTC made an error in one of the signs at the intersection that is for motorists on North 641 passing through the intersection - the "JCT BUSINESS 641" sign has the state route shield.
From what I know, they will reroute US 641 west of its current alignment in southern Calloway County

hbelkins · « **Reply #22 on:** July 26, 2021, 11:23:37 AM »

Quote from: ThatRandomOshawott on July 25, 2021, 09:01:45 PM

Old thread, but relevant:
I'm from Calloway County, KY, where work is being done to widen US 641 to four lanes between Murray and Hazel. The four-laning of the road from the Glendale Road intersection in Murray to just past Dwain Taylor Chevrolet was completed a few months ago, and the Glendale Road intersection was reconfigured. I noticed that the KYTC made an error in one of the signs at the intersection that is for motorists on North 641 passing through the intersection - the "JCT BUSINESS 641" sign has the state route shield.
From what I know, they will reroute US 641 west of its current alignment in southern Calloway County

There was at least one other such error on the new four-lane KY 80 approaching 641 the last time I was in the area.

It's possible that was a contractor error, as sometimes the contracts for reconstruction call for the contractor to install signs.

ThatRandomOshawott · « **Reply #23 on:** July 26, 2021, 12:19:17 PM »

Quote from: hbelkins on July 26, 2021, 11:23:37 AM

Quote from: ThatRandomOshawott on July 25, 2021, 09:01:45 PM
Old thread, but relevant:
I'm from Calloway County, KY, where work is being done to widen US 641 to four lanes between Murray and Hazel. The four-laning of the road from the Glendale Road intersection in Murray to just past Dwain Taylor Chevrolet was completed a few months ago, and the Glendale Road intersection was reconfigured. I noticed that the KYTC made an error in one of the signs at the intersection that is for motorists on North 641 passing through the intersection - the "JCT BUSINESS 641" sign has the state route shield.
From what I know, they will reroute US 641 west of its current alignment in southern Calloway County

There was at least one other such error on the new four-lane KY 80 approaching 641 the last time I was in the area.

It's possible that was a contractor error, as sometimes the contracts for reconstruction call for the contractor to install signs.

I went by there today, and I noticed that the same error was present on the reassurance route marker past the Glendale Road intersection on South 641 as well. I also went a bit past the car dealership and saw the progress that is being made on rerouting 641 to a new four lane alignment. The new right of way begins at the first bridge south of Murray where an army surplus store is, and it is to the west of the current alignment. The gravel roadbed has been laid. I don't yet know where the new alignment will rejoin the old one, but if the city of Hazel gets bypassed on the new route, then that won't be good for that city at all.

ThatRandomOshawott · « **Reply #24 on:** August 01, 2021, 04:42:45 PM »

I just found this from the KYTC Facebook page regarding that new section I was talking about
https://www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict1/photos/a.193392244029865/3719072038128517/

News:

Author Topic: US 641 (Read 15393 times)