So There some Dummies that work for the DOT and have messed up. So im figuring out what has your DOT Done to say to yourself "What dumbasses they are"!
I know DOT's do a lot more than just signs, but isn't this kind of like this (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=31791.0), but even more personal? I don't foresee this going well.
Don't we have numerous threads pertaining to this without the name calling?
Hmm, Luke, it seems like your capitalization scheme is similar to Craig County. Rather ironic.
I'm sure my former co-workers would love to hear this...
Sounds a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.
I feel persecuted... :-D
Quote from: hbelkins on February 04, 2023, 10:29:54 PM
I feel persecuted... :-D
To be fair, I respect the f out of CDOT. OK, we have oddly signed roads and such, but the guys that keeps these mountain passes open, hats off.
If I ever go into my local (loaf && jug) and see these guys gassing up or something, i generally buy the coffee (or whatever).
I guess we're supposed to post stories and he'll review 'em.
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 7 hours to get to Owensboro and find a room.
Now I know why they keep the transportation officials in a cabinet.
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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. 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.
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.
Did you expect them to schedule an entire bridge replacement project around a solar eclipse?
Plenty of other states made a decent effort to prepare for the eclipse. Oregon and Washington chipped in to fund extra Amtrak trips down to Salem and rearranged some major closures that had been expected that week. There was still a massive jam (since cars are so space inefficient) but at least it wasn't apocalyptic.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 21, 2023, 12:11:54 AM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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. 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.
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.
Did you expect them to schedule an entire bridge replacement project around a solar eclipse?
Yes, and also to build 50,000 hotel rooms to handle the crowd for one night.
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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.
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
On 8/21/2017, I drove to Hopkinsville KY to actually see a total solar eclipse.
While I don't doubt that there are certain things that could have been done better, as others have pointed out, most places in the band of totality had bad traffic afterward, as seen in this image which was circulated in the following days:
(https://i.imgur.com/dVmq2ay.png)
I waited at the McDonald's in Athens TN for things to fade, which took until about 10 pm. I did, though, hit some congestion on I-81 past Knoxville, though. I don't know if it was lingering eclipse traffic or something else.
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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.
Expecting a DOT to improve infrastructure for a one-time event sounds more like a you problem.
Like I've said elsewhere, viewing the eclipse away from the crowds only shaved off a few seconds of totality (I saw it south of Crossville, TN). My travel from TN to Winchester, KY after the eclipse was relatively painless.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 21, 2023, 03:40:56 PM
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.
Exactly. People get themselves into a frenzy figuring out how to get to an event, where to go, how far in advance to get there, get the best viewing point, plan their time, etc, but then everyone wants to leave at the very same moment, and then blames the police and the transportation departments for muffing that part up and having no plan for helping everyone out.
We all discuss it here: VPH. There's limits. No matter what is done, you can't get more thru a certain point. And what is tried at one point is going to have an affect downstream, and it may have an adverse effect if unpredicted traffic patterns develop, or incidents occur.
People in cities are used to it. People in rural areas aren't.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 21, 2023, 03:40:56 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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 7 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 long because one of the Ohio River bridges was closed there too.
I looked afterward and by luck I ended up within a half mile of the point with the longest totality.
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 08:32:07 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 21, 2023, 03:40:56 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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?
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 03, 2023, 10:36:30 PM
Don't we have numerous threads pertaining to this without the name calling?
Yes.
Maybe the OP has a problem with the people who manufacturer DOTS candy? Or even those gross dot candies that are stuck to a roll of paper.
Quote from: Rothman on March 21, 2023, 08:42:53 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 08:32:07 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 21, 2023, 03:40:56 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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?
Kentucky tries to clear up lane closures for major holiday weekends, but it's not always possible. Most construction contracts, especially pavement rehabs and bridge replacements, have fixed end dates with heavy financial penalties included for missed deadlines. I don't know when this FHWA edict came out, but it's highly possible these projects were already awarded and underway by that time, and if the pavement was already dug up for a full-depth rehab, you can't simply throw something together to allow traffic on it for a one-day thing.
We had an emergency closure on the Mountain Parkway a couple of years ago for a huge sinkhole that developed below the pavement. There was a long complete closure of the westbound lanes (that required a companion one-direction closure of the parallel route, Ky 15, to accommodate traffic through a series of hairpin turns) and an as-short-as-possible closure of the eastbound lanes. This happened in October, the busiest tourist season in this area. It was inconvenient, but it was necessary.
As for my eclipse viewing, my brother and I went to a boat ramp opposite the Watts Bar nuclear power plant in Tennessee. Traffic bunched up on I-40/I-75 west of Knoxville, so we bailed onto US 11/70 and we moved fairly well, with no issues getting to the site. We waited a little while after the eclipse was over before leaving, then stopped at a store for a comfort break, and ran into some traffic on TN 68 approaching US 27, and encountered more traffic along US 27 through Spring City, but overall it wasn't a major issue. Certainly no more than leaving Rupp Arena after a UK basketball game or the former Riverfront Stadium after a Cincinnati Reds game.
Again, it's worth noting that Kentucky had planned for the eclipse for more than a year. There's just so much that can be done for a very short, one-time event.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 22, 2023, 12:30:29 PM
I don't know when this FHWA edict came out, but it's highly possible these projects were already awarded and underway by that time, and if the pavement was already dug up for a full-depth rehab, you can't simply throw something together to allow traffic on it for a one-day thing.
It was dated one year before the event, in August 2016.
Quote from: kphoger on March 22, 2023, 01:16:02 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 22, 2023, 12:30:29 PM
I don't know when this FHWA edict came out, but it's highly possible these projects were already awarded and underway by that time, and if the pavement was already dug up for a full-depth rehab, you can't simply throw something together to allow traffic on it for a one-day thing.
It was dated one year before the event, in August 2016.
Doesn't matter. The eclipse happened in mid-August. Even if work had started the moment the snow stopped flying, a major bridge project ("bridge decks completely removed") might not have been able to be finished by then. So KYTC should have canceled major infrastructure projects, and maybe lose the funding to do them in the future, to accommodate a one-day event? Yeah, people were inconvenienced leaving, but that's a first-world problem. This wasn't crisis urgency; that wasn't an inland hurricane or a nuclear bomb.
Quote from: wanderer2575 on March 22, 2023, 02:31:50 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 22, 2023, 01:16:02 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 22, 2023, 12:30:29 PM
I don't know when this FHWA edict came out, but it's highly possible these projects were already awarded and underway by that time, and if the pavement was already dug up for a full-depth rehab, you can't simply throw something together to allow traffic on it for a one-day thing.
It was dated one year before the event, in August 2016.
Doesn't matter. The eclipse happened in mid-August. Even if work had started the moment the snow stopped flying, a major bridge project ("bridge decks completely removed") might not have been able to be finished by then. So KYTC should have canceled major infrastructure projects, and maybe lose the funding to do them in the future, to accommodate a one-day event? Yeah, people were inconvenienced leaving, but that's a first-world problem. This wasn't crisis urgency; that wasn't an inland hurricane or a nuclear bomb.
I wasn't implying anything. I was simply providing an answer to the question of when it was published. In fact, I personally expected that to have been
after the project was already scheduled, but I'm not the one who works for the DOT.
Quote from: SectorZ on March 22, 2023, 11:15:57 AM
Maybe the OP has a problem with the people who manufacturer DOTS candy? Or even those gross dot candies that are stuck to a roll of paper.
DOTS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_(candy)) >>>
dots (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_Buttons)
Quote from: Rothman on March 21, 2023, 08:42:53 PM
Does anyone else find Troubleshooter's posting history highly suspect?
The dates almost made me think our favorite troll found the password to an old account, but I opened an image and it linked to his personal website (which couldn't possibly belong to MMM).
I haven't found any problems with Troubleshooter's posts.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 03, 2023, 10:36:30 PM
Don't we have numerous threads pertaining to this without the name calling?
He must watch reruns of That Seventies Show. :bigass:
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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.
Major accidents that occur happen daily more times than a solar eclipse once in every so many years.
Quote from: CovalenceSTU on March 22, 2023, 02:53:46 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 21, 2023, 08:42:53 PM
Does anyone else find Troubleshooter's posting history highly suspect?
The dates almost made me think our favorite troll found the password to an old account, but I opened an image and it linked to his personal website (which couldn't possibly belong to MMM).
Quote from: CovalenceSTU on March 22, 2023, 02:53:46 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 21, 2023, 08:42:53 PM
Does anyone else find Troubleshooter's posting history highly suspect?
The dates almost made me think our favorite troll found the password to an old account, but I opened an image and it linked to his personal website (which couldn't possibly belong to MMM).
Not this one.
http://dzlsabe.com/
Quote from: webny99 on March 22, 2023, 02:50:17 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on March 22, 2023, 11:15:57 AM
Maybe the OP has a problem with the people who manufacturer DOTS candy? Or even those gross dot candies that are stuck to a roll of paper.
DOTS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_(candy)) >>> dots (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_Buttons)
The second choice really shouldn't be considered food under Geneva Convention rules.
Quote from: 1 on March 22, 2023, 03:03:11 PM
I haven't found any problems with Troubleshooter's posts.
A 12.5 year gap between posts is damn impressive though. That's like a jail sentence for something bad length of time.
(not implying Troubleshooter went to jail, nor does he have to explain to me why he took 12.5 years away from the forum)
Quote from: SectorZ on March 22, 2023, 04:18:04 PM
The second choice really shouldn't be considered food under Geneva Convention rules.
As with seemingly half of the products put out by Necco. Sweethearts? Necco Wafers?
Quote from: kphoger on March 22, 2023, 02:38:13 PM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on March 22, 2023, 02:31:50 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 22, 2023, 01:16:02 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 22, 2023, 12:30:29 PM
I don't know when this FHWA edict came out, but it's highly possible these projects were already awarded and underway by that time, and if the pavement was already dug up for a full-depth rehab, you can't simply throw something together to allow traffic on it for a one-day thing.
It was dated one year before the event, in August 2016.
Doesn't matter. The eclipse happened in mid-August. Even if work had started the moment the snow stopped flying, a major bridge project ("bridge decks completely removed") might not have been able to be finished by then. So KYTC should have canceled major infrastructure projects, and maybe lose the funding to do them in the future, to accommodate a one-day event? Yeah, people were inconvenienced leaving, but that's a first-world problem. This wasn't crisis urgency; that wasn't an inland hurricane or a nuclear bomb.
I wasn't implying anything. I was simply providing an answer to the question of when it was published. In fact, I personally expected that to have been after the project was already scheduled, but I'm not the one who works for the DOT.
Understood. I meant that even knowing a year (or more) in advance wouldn't/shouldn't have mattered. Heck, I'm in Detroit and we've known for years that we're really close to ground zero for the 2024 eclipse, but I expect that if MDOT gets funding that year for a major project that will mess things up for the tourist crowd, they should go ahead and do it.
Quote from: kphoger on March 22, 2023, 04:22:40 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on March 22, 2023, 04:18:04 PM
The second choice really shouldn't be considered food under Geneva Convention rules.
As with seemingly half of the products put out by Necco. Sweethearts? Necco Wafers?
Indeed. If goosebumps are your first reaction to putting something in your mouth, that's probably a sign that it shouldn't be considered food. :sombrero:
Quote from: 1 on March 22, 2023, 03:03:11 PM
I haven't found any problems with Troubleshooter's posts.
The possibility of a sock puppet looks pretty high to me.
Quote from: Rothman on March 22, 2023, 05:12:46 PM
Quote from: 1 on March 22, 2023, 03:03:11 PM
I haven't found any problems with Troubleshooter's posts.
The possibility of a sock puppet looks pretty high to me.
Of whom? This looks like a normal poster making valid points from personal experience. There is nothing objectionable at all with their posts.
I'm not even seeing a similarity with another poster.
Quote from: 1 on March 22, 2023, 05:15:31 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 22, 2023, 05:12:46 PM
Quote from: 1 on March 22, 2023, 03:03:11 PM
I haven't found any problems with Troubleshooter's posts.
The possibility of a sock puppet looks pretty high to me.
Of whom? This looks like a normal poster making valid points from personal experience. There is nothing objectionable at all with their posts.
I'm not even seeing a similarity with another poster.
"Now who's being naive, Kay?"
Right after MMM gets banned, another poster pops up and posts "normally." Wouldn't that be the strategy of someone trying to sneak back onto the forum after a ban?
Troubleshooter is very clearly older than 23 (MMM said his age was accurate in an email to me), having experienced the 2017 solar eclipse on a road trip. They are also familiar with their local area that's not NY/NJ and with the concept of and being able to read through the MUTCD.
We get several new posters every month. This one just happens to be the first one after MMM is banned. That doesn't mean it's him. Is CometTheMountainLion a sock?
Quote from: wanderer2575 on March 22, 2023, 02:31:50 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 22, 2023, 01:16:02 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 22, 2023, 12:30:29 PM
I don't know when this FHWA edict came out, but it's highly possible these projects were already awarded and underway by that time, and if the pavement was already dug up for a full-depth rehab, you can't simply throw something together to allow traffic on it for a one-day thing.
It was dated one year before the event, in August 2016.
Doesn't matter. The eclipse happened in mid-August. Even if work had started the moment the snow stopped flying, a major bridge project ("bridge decks completely removed") might not have been able to be finished by then. So KYTC should have canceled major infrastructure projects, and maybe lose the funding to do them in the future, to accommodate a one-day event? Yeah, people were inconvenienced leaving, but that's a first-world problem. This wasn't crisis urgency; that wasn't an inland hurricane or a nuclear bomb.
And there wasn't even an "open up all the lanes" guideline or suggestion in that document. In fact, the document mentioned the likelihood of traffic jams after the event because everyone would be arriving incrementally but leaving at the same time.
Most messaging I saw explicitly warned of the potential of heavy traffic and urged motorists to be prepared (full tanks of gas, etc.) to be hung up on the roads.
Quote from: 1 on March 22, 2023, 05:29:57 PM
Troubleshooter is very clearly older than 23 (MMM said his age was accurate in an email to me), having experienced the 2017 solar eclipse on a road trip. They are also familiar with their local area that's not NY/NJ and with the concept of and being able to read through the MUTCD.
We get several new posters every month. This one just happens to be the first one after MMM is banned. That doesn't mean it's him. Is CometTheMountainLion a sock?
I agree - however, it is notable that Troubleshooter has returned after more than 12 years of inactivity, almost certainly a record.
And, if he's been following this thread since posting, he may have been utterly confused by all the nudge-nudge-wink-wink talk here...
Quote from: kphoger on March 22, 2023, 06:12:27 PM
And, if he's been following this thread since posting, he may have been utterly confused by all the nudge-nudge-wink-wink talk troubleshooting here...
Sorry, I couldn't resist... :sombrero:
But yes: Troubleshooter, you should know that some of us are still a bit on edge because of a recent problem user who has now been banned (see
here (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=33029.0) for more context). But honestly I'm impressed that you thought to come back here after 12 years to see if anyone could help you find something road-related that you remembered from the past. Sorry it hasn't been successful so far, but I do think you came to the right place to ask. I've done the same thing myself
a time or two (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=31215).
Quote from: 1 on March 22, 2023, 05:29:57 PM
Troubleshooter is very clearly older than 23 (MMM said his age was accurate in an email to me), having experienced the 2017 solar eclipse on a road trip. They are also familiar with their local area that's not NY/NJ and with the concept of and being able to read through the MUTCD.
We get several new posters every month. This one just happens to be the first one after MMM is banned. That doesn't mean it's him. Is CometTheMountainLion a sock?
At this point, no one is above suspicion.
I have no evidence on my end that Troubleshooter is a sockpuppet of any other user at this time.
If you believe you have credible evidence that a user is a sockpuppet, please submit it privately to me or any other admin. Public accusations of sockpuppetry are not warranted–if the user is a sockpuppet, it does nothing but embolden them; if they are not a sockpuppet, it is very unwelcoming toward a new user.
Ok, Rothman is a sock puppet for John Lansford.
Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on March 23, 2023, 02:30:17 AM
Ok, Rothman is a sock puppet for John Lansford.
Heh. I've always respected John, so I'll take that as a compliment.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 22, 2023, 12:30:29 PM
Kentucky tries to clear up lane closures for major holiday weekends, but it's not always possible. Most construction contracts, especially pavement rehabs and bridge replacements, have fixed end dates with heavy financial penalties included for missed deadlines. I don't know when this FHWA edict came out, but it's highly possible these projects were already awarded and underway by that time, and if the pavement was already dug up for a full-depth rehab, you can't simply throw something together to allow traffic on it for a one-day thing.
I was going to say something like that. I am well versed with construction contracts and end dates.
What I heard about KYTC was in a newspaper article complaining about the jam.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 22, 2023, 12:30:29 PM
As for my eclipse viewing, my brother and I went to a boat ramp opposite the Watts Bar nuclear power plant in Tennessee.
I've been there, but there was no nuclear plant in 1965.
Some of y'all were bothered more about MMM than I was. To me, he wasn't a blip on the radar. I didn't read most of the threads in which he dominated the discussion. He was an amusement more than anything else.
Quote from: SectorZ on March 22, 2023, 04:20:45 PM
Quote from: 1 on March 22, 2023, 03:03:11 PM
I haven’t found any problems with Troubleshooter’s posts.
A 12.5 year gap between posts is damn impressive though. That's like a jail sentence for something bad length of time.
(not implying Troubleshooter went to jail, nor does he have to explain to me why he took 12.5 years away from the forum)
Actually, I retired and my home computer then could not access your site (too old). I got a new computer last year (and lost my audio studio controller when the old one failed). I came back trying to solve my West Virginia problem.
How to tick off not only road geeks but also baseball fans:
(https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/jackie-robinson-parkway-botched-0001.jpg)
Cool shield design though, if not over-detailed for a road sign.
They couldn't "C" the problem?
I guess that Jackie Robinson sign was just P run amok.
Quote from: Rothman on March 21, 2023, 08:42:53 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 08:32:07 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 21, 2023, 03:40:56 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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.
Quote from: Troubleshooter on April 02, 2023, 01:15:42 AM
Quote from: Rothman on March 21, 2023, 08:42:53 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 08:32:07 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 21, 2023, 03:40:56 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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...
Quote from: roadman65 on March 22, 2023, 03:12:35 PM
Not this one.
http://dzlsabe.com/
There will be NO hypotenuse talk here, mister!
Quote from: Rothman on April 02, 2023, 08:33:11 AM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on April 02, 2023, 01:15:42 AM
Quote from: Rothman on March 21, 2023, 08:42:53 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 08:32:07 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 21, 2023, 03:40:56 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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.
Quote from: GeekJedi on April 02, 2023, 01:53:31 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on March 22, 2023, 03:12:35 PM
Not this one.
http://dzlsabe.com/
There will be NO hypotenuse talk here, mister!
What is this, a Saab story?
Quote from: Troubleshooter on April 25, 2023, 12:36:42 AM
Quote from: GeekJedi on April 02, 2023, 01:53:31 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on March 22, 2023, 03:12:35 PM
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.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2023, 12:46:17 AM
More like proof that some of the most insane road community people come from Illinois.
Hey! I represent that remark!
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2023, 12:46:17 AM
More like proof that some of the most insane road community people come from Illinois.
Could be worse. Could be from Québec.
Quote from: LilianaUwU on April 25, 2023, 10:19:51 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2023, 12:46:17 AM
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.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2023, 10:29:02 AM
Quote from: LilianaUwU on April 25, 2023, 10:19:51 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2023, 12:46:17 AM
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.
Quote from: Troubleshooter on April 11, 2023, 02:13:09 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 02, 2023, 08:33:11 AM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on April 02, 2023, 01:15:42 AM
Quote from: Rothman on March 21, 2023, 08:42:53 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 08:32:07 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 21, 2023, 03:40:56 PM
Quote from: Troubleshooter on March 21, 2023, 12:03:42 AM
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.