Pennyrile Pkwy southern extension

[Stephane Dumas]

I wonder if there some construction pics of the Pennyrile Parkway southern extension to I-24?  Also is it built to interstate standards?

[mightyace]

I wonder if there some construction pics of the Pennyrile Parkway southern extension to I-24?  Also is it built to interstate standards?

You mean they've actually started that?

It's been marked as proposed on the official KY maps for the last few years now.

[Alex]

From a Yahoo! Southeast Roads message posted by H.B. back in January:

One big note, the Pennyrile is now finished to
US 68 By-pass in Hopkinsville, KY complete with clear view font
signs. On I-24 there is construction signs posted int eh are where
the Pennyrile is supposed to tie in but no earth moved and at the
I-64/ I-164 JCT there was some construction signs in the are but it
was dark when I passed through, this is where ground has been broken
for future I-69.

[hbelkins]

From a Yahoo! Southeast Roads message posted by H.B. back in January:

One big note, the Pennyrile is now finished to
US 68 By-pass in Hopkinsville, KY complete with clear view font
signs. On I-24 there is construction signs posted int eh are where
the Pennyrile is supposed to tie in but no earth moved and at the
I-64/ I-164 JCT there was some construction signs in the are but it
was dark when I passed through, this is where ground has been broken
for future I-69.

That wasn't me, but I may have replied to that post. Last time I was in the Hoptown area was on the day of Billy Riddle's trip when a bunch of us made a loop of western Kentucky and west Tennessee (with a little southern Illinois thrown in) and the route was still not open, but was under construction. (This was March 2008). As I now understand it, the route is open from Alternate US 41 to Bypass US 68. The section from Bypass 68 to I-24 is currently under construction. The route will probably be built to the standards of the current parkway, which may not meet interstate standards in terms of median width.

Future I-69 will NOT pass through Hopkinsville. It will run on the Pennyrile down to the Western Kentucky Parkway, then west on the WK and I-24 to the Purchase Parkway, then south to Tennessee.

[Stephane Dumas]

Future I-69 will NOT pass through Hopkinsville. It will run on the Pennyrile down to the Western Kentucky Parkway, then west on the WK and I-24 to the Purchase Parkway, then south to Tennessee.

For IH standards widths, maybe they could close their eyes on this one and number the remaining gap of the Pennyrile as a I-x24/x29

[hbelkins]

That's a little odd. Why don't they build a new I-69 along the US-60 corridor or something like that?

Don't know. Seems funny that Indiana is opting for a new straight-shot alignment between Evansville and Indiana rather than use existing I-70 and US 41, while Kentucky is using existing roads rather than a new alignment. It's been a few years since I have been on US 60 along the river from Henderson to Paducah, but I think quite a bit of it has been rebuilt. Plus there are plans to rebuild US 641 from its terminus at US 60 south to the WK Parkway.

On the Pennyrile subject, I drove the open new portion back in the fall. Construction is underway on the interchange with I-24 and I understand there was a decent traffic backup there today due to construction and holiday traffic.

[Stephane Dumas]

I spotted this info at http://www.kentuckyroads.com/news/1488.html Part of Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkwayabout the phase 2 of the extension scheduled to open.

[SSF]

Construction on the Pennyrile bridge over 24 is continuing, the guardrails need to be poured and it looked some of the bridge deck is still needing poured.  I cant wait til it is open as it would save me time instead of driving on that stretch of 41-Alt and having to worry about the risk of amish buggies.

[truejd]

Does anyone know when phase III is set to open between Lover's Lane and I-24?  It would be good to know before I head that way again in the fall.  I thought I had seen somewhere that it would be open by November but I wasn't sure.

[RoadWarrior56]

I drove that stretch of I-24 in June.  There is NO WAY the Pennyrile Extension will be open all the way to I-24 for the better part of a year, if not longer, by my estimation.

[hbelkins]

Heard today in a meeting in Frankfort that both the Pennyrile extension from Bypass 68 to I-24, and the widened US 68/KY 80 in Land Between the Lakes, could be open by the end of the year.

Also heard that the Natcher Parkway extension in Bowling Green will be open next summer, after which time the I-65/US 231 Scottsville Road interchange will be rebuilt, most likely as a SPUI with wider exit ramps.

[ShawnP]

Scottsville Road is definitely needed as traffic is starting to back up onto I-65 with all the traffic.

[wriddle082]

H.B., let me know as soon as the Pennyrile extension and widened 68/80 open up.  I probably live the closest to both of them, and I can try to swing up and get photos one day.

[ShawnP]

I visit BG alot for time with family so I will give a report.

[hbelkins]

H.B., let me know as soon as the Pennyrile extension and widened 68/80 open up.  I probably live the closest to both of them, and I can try to swing up and get photos one day.

Since we have a goobernatorial election coming up next year, I suspect there will be ribbon-cutting ceremonies for both roads.

[ShawnP]

Speaking of a certain Gooberner. I am so tired of them text and driving lectures on the radio. Today will driving I counted 8 lectures from him. Texting and driving is stupid yes but stop the lectures PLEASE.

[hbelkins]

H.B., let me know as soon as the Pennyrile extension and widened 68/80 open up.  I probably live the closest to both of them, and I can try to swing up and get photos one day.

The westernmost part of 68/80 (from the Kentucky Lake bridge to The Trace) is supposed to open next week.

[froggie]

Speaking of a certain Gooberner. I am so tired of them text and driving lectures on the radio. Today will driving I counted 8 lectures from him. Texting and driving is stupid yes but stop the lectures PLEASE.

The lectures will stop when the activity stops.  Good luck with that...

[ShawnP]

The activity will always occur because it's a free society. However as one who doesn't do it. I would like to keep the lectures at a maximum of no more than 1-2 a day on the same radio station (I listen to the same sports radio station every day out of Louisville).

[RoadWarrior56]

Any date announced yet as to when the Pennyrile will be completed to I-24?  I drove through there in late November, even the striping seemed to be on parts of it.

[hbelkins]

Any date announced yet as to when the Pennyrile will be completed to I-24?  I drove through there in late November, even the striping seemed to be on parts of it.

Possibly in February, according to something I heard last week.

[wriddle082]

If I'm not mistaken, this will be only the second true freeway opening in KY since they finished the Gene Snyder Freeway (I-265) in 1988.  The previous one was the first new section of the Pennyrile from US 68 Bypass to Alt. US 41.

Since it was nearly dark when I drove that short new section, I can't remember whether or not the median is "parkway width" or "interstate width".  Anyone happen to notice which it is?

[RoadWarrior56]

It is "Parkway" width, in otherwords, the short section that is already open appears to be the same width as the section completed back in 1969.

[hbelkins]

If I'm not mistaken, this will be only the second true freeway opening in KY since they finished the Gene Snyder Freeway (I-265) in 1988.

Unless you want to count the new section of the Cumberland Parkway, a/k/a "I-66" in Pulaski County. The new section is full freeway to US 27 and the section it bypassed/replaced had a couple of at-grade intersections.

[wriddle082]

If I'm not mistaken, this will be only the second true freeway opening in KY since they finished the Gene Snyder Freeway (I-265) in 1988.

Unless you want to count the new section of the Cumberland Parkway, a/k/a "I-66" in Pulaski County. The new section is full freeway to US 27 and the section it bypassed/replaced had a couple of at-grade intersections.

You are absolutely correct!  I haven't been to that area since the Somerset meet, but I recently had to inform my youngest brother who lives in Lexington about the new road since he was traveling from there to Nashville via Somerset.

So if I'm not mistaken, here is a recent list of true freeway openings in KY:

* 1988: completion of I-265 around Louisville (this section has even had pavement rehabilitation performed on it in the past few years)
* 2009 or 2010: Pennyrile Pkwy extension from Bypass US 68 to Alt US 41 in Hopkinsville
* 2010: Cumberland Parkway "Future I-66" extension in Somerset
* 2011: Pennyrile Pkwy extension from I-24 to Bypass US 68