William H Natcher Parkway Extension

[codyg1985]

I drove through Bowling Green, KY yesterday and noticed that construction is underway at the I-65/Natcher Pkwy interchange. I looked up on the KTC website that this is for the extension of the Natcher Pkwy to US 231. Are there any additional planned improvements in the area that may be related to I-66?

[hbelkins]

I drove through Bowling Green, KY yesterday and noticed that construction is underway at the I-65/Natcher Pkwy interchange. I looked up on the KTC website that this is for the extension of the Natcher Pkwy to US 231. Are there any additional planned improvements in the area that may be related to I-66?

Actually, this isn't really related to I-66. It's meant to relieve traffic on Scottsville Road (US 231) in Bowling Green.

[mightyace]

I took a look at it myself and it looks like a good idea.  I know from passing through that traffic on US 231 in/around the city can be rough (for that area anyway).

After the project is complete, will the southern part of the Natcher carry US 231 or US 231 Bypass?

[hbelkins]

I took a look at it myself and it looks like a good idea.  I know from passing through that traffic on US 231 in/around the city can be rough (for that area anyway).

After the project is complete, will the southern part of the Natcher carry US 231 or US 231 Bypass?

Probably neither. Right now there is a business routing of US 231 in Bowling Green that skirts the southern edge of the Western Kentucky University campus. A stretch of Campbell Road that was numbered KY 880 got the US 231 designation several years ago, with the old routing getting business banners.

[Stephane Dumas]

I took a look at it myself and it looks like a good idea.  I know from passing through that traffic on US 231 in/around the city can be rough (for that area anyway).

After the project is complete, will the southern part of the Natcher carry US 231 or US 231 Bypass?

Probably neither. Right now there is a business routing of US 231 in Bowling Green that skirts the southern edge of the Western Kentucky University campus. A stretch of Campbell Road that was numbered KY 880 got the US 231 designation several years ago, with the old routing getting business banners.

How about Truck US-231?

[Stephane Dumas]

I dust-off the subject by mentionning a video of the Natcher Parkway I spotted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgN38OzEVgU  you can see some orange cones at 7:03 near I-65 in the clip.

[hbelkins]

How about Truck US-231?

It may get that as an auxiliary posting, but there is precedent for a parkway in Kentucky extending beyond an interstate to end at a US route. The Purchase Parkway extends north of I-24 to end at US 62 and the Western Kentucky Parkway extends east of I-65 to end at US 31W.

Truck traffic on US 231 probably already used I-65 south to the Natcher north, since there is really no reason for thru trucks to use US 231 north of Bowling Green.

[rickmastfan67]

So HB, is there any ETA on when this extension will open?

[hbelkins]

Late this year or early next year. A lot of the grade work was finished when I was there in the fall. Looks like the major work to be done is finishing the interchange with I-65, some of the grade and structure work at the SPUI, and paving. They're letting a paving contract this month and it contains options for both asphalt and concrete.

[Daniel Fiddler]

I drove through Bowling Green, KY yesterday and noticed that construction is underway at the I-65/Natcher Pkwy interchange. I looked up on the KTC website that this is for the extension of the Natcher Pkwy to US 231. Are there any additional planned improvements in the area that may be related to I-66?

I believe that I - 66 will follow the Louie B Nunn Pkwy to and beyond Somerset.  Assuming it's built.  I - 66 seems to be completely unfeasible and frivolous to me.

[ShawnP]

I-66 would help southeast Kentucky as east-west links are limited and not the best.

[froggie]

Moreso northwest-southeast links are limited.  For east-west, you have both a Daniel Boone Pkwy (I refuse to list its current name)/KY 80 corridor and a US 119 corridor that, except for KY 80 through London and a section of US 119 west of Baxter, are both decent.  Your "links are limited" comment makes a better argument for finishing US 460 into Virginia and widening KY 15 than it does for building I-66.

[ShawnP]

My opinion is that Super 2's like the Daniel Boone are not quality roads that was my reasoning behind lack of quality roads.

[froggie]

They're a hell of a lot better than standard 2-lane roads, and in my experience they're adequate for the traffic volumes encountered.

[NE2]

Isn't KY 15 also a high-quality two-lane (ARC corridor)?

[edit] Yes, it's Corridor I: http://www.arc.gov/images/programs/transp/adhs_status_report_2010/ADHS2010StatusReportKentucky.pdf

[ShawnP]

Maybe I'm a Interstate geek so I wouldn't mind I-66 thru southern Kentucky. But I can't see it with all the enviromental problems around London.

[hbelkins]

They're a hell of a lot better than standard 2-lane roads, and in my experience they're adequate for the traffic volumes encountered.

I live here, and I agree.

[ShawnP]

I don't want well enough roads. I want roads that improve eastern Kentucky and bring more industries/tourism. Right now eastern Kentucky is Coal and Pot for it's main economic engines.

[froggie]

Hate to break it to ya, but it requires more than just good roads to bring industries and tourism.  The former, by and large, is dying in this country because it's cheaper for industry to locate their factories elsewhere.  For tourism, you need places/entities, etc that people *WANT* to go to.  Now Cumberland Gap would qualify in that regard, but there's already a decent 4-lane road (from two directions!) that gets there.  Now replace "industries" with "economic development", and you're still needing another key ingredient:  an educated workforce.

If all it took was roads to improve things, then Meridian, MS should be an absolutely happening place.  Major interstate junction, major 4-lane north-south road, major rail junction, the Tenn-Tom Waterway only 30 miles away.  Yet it's barely scraping by...and a lot of that has to do with the presence of a naval air station.

Lastly, we don't even have enough transportation funding to maintain what we've already got, let alone building new roads.  Makes no sense to build a shiny brand-new road when there's broken, pothole-ridden pavement and failing bridges all over.

[ShawnP]

Makes no sense to build a shiny brand-new road when there's broken, pothole-ridden pavement and failing bridges all over.

I see you have visited Tennessee lately.


Shawn - use proper quote tags.

[froggie]

Not for 3 years.

[VFRinTN]

Hello all...  I ran across this forum while researching the I-65/William H. Natcher interchange construction and thought I'd share an image I took back in late May when a friend and I flew into Bowling Green from Springfield, TN (I assume it's ok to post small images within these posts and not just in the photo area...?):



A larger version may be found here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/vfr_photography/5927846183/sizes/o/in/photostream/.  I'll forewarn you, though, that the clarity/focus leaves a lot to be desired since it was a very hot, muggy, and bumpy day to be up flying and the haze only added insult to injury.  If it helps satisfy any curiosity, though, then I'm happy to share. 

[rickmastfan67]

(I assume it's ok to post small images within these posts and not just in the photo area...?)

You're good.  As long as it's on subject, there is no problem posting an image in a thread in the Regional Boards area.  Just make sure it's no wider than 800 pixels (just post a link for those that are wider than 800).

[VFRinTN]

Thanks...  I like to make sure when I'm visiting a "new" (to me, at least) forum...  It IS a wee bit annoying to have original-sized files posted, I agree. 

If and when we get back up that way, I'll shoot more as I'm able. 

[Stephane Dumas]

Google maps had updated their satellite imagery of the area showing the progress of the Natcher extension.
http://maps.google.com/?ll=36.908965,-86.423521&spn=0.026697,0.054932&t=k&z=15