Heading east on I-40, coming up on the TN 155 exit.
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Another
shot of the Briley Parkway interchange, this one shot in the morning
sun. Note the bridge support in the center of the interstate. This will
be used when additional flyovers are added. |
Approaching the I-440 split.
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Huntsville
(the I-65 south control city) and Chattanooga (the I-24 east control
city) are listed here as additional destinations for I-440. |
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Coming up on I-65.
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I-40 east joins I-65 north at what used to be the terminus of I-265 before I-65 was routed along that route.
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Approaching the split of I-40 and I-65.
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Prior
to the demise of I-265, I-65 north joined I-40 east here. The
decertification of I-265 came so all traffic staying on the three major
two-digit interstate routes would not be routed through one
interchange. Plus it eliminated a wicked weave required by southbound
I-65 traffic on the old alignment. |
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At one time this was both east 40 and north 65.
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This is an older section of interstate carrying I-40 and I-24.
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This
photo is from I-24 in Kentucky. You can see that Kentucky signs its
alternate US highways with the "Alternate xx" designation instead of
"xxA" like Tennessee. Also you can see that this is still the original
version of the Pennyrile Parkway sign and it hasn't been changed out to
the new blue and white sign with the "Kentucky Unbridled Spirit" logo. |
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This is the northern end of Alternate US 41 in Hopkinsville, KY. A little "sine salad" for Mr. Slater!
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Back in Nashville, on I-40 west where I-24 west splits.
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The
traffic merging on the right comes from I-24 eastbound. Once upon a
time, when I-24 shared the eastern portion of the loop around downtown
with I-65, that carried I-65 south traffic. As you can see, there was a
lane drop (at Exit 210C) and then traffic had to move to the left to
stay on I-65. I-40 traffic had to move to the right. The
decommissioning of I-265 and moving I-65 to the route of its former
child route eliminated this nasty weave. |
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I-40 traffic has to negotiate a wicked curve here.
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Another really good photo of the lonely bridge support pier at the Briley Parkway interchange.
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An LED sign, with flashers in the black border of the sign, warning of the sharp curve onto I-440 east.
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Again ... entering the Four-Forty Parkway.
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Note the small "s"es in the US 70S signage. Or would that be US 70s in this case?
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These signs use the more traditional capital letters for the S in 70S.
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The overpass reveals the secret unsigned state route number for US 70S.
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Another small "s."
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Opryland no longer exists, but it still has a sign on I-40.
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On the ramp from I-40 east to TN 45.
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This is on US 70S westbound approaching the end of the split route.
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The end of US 70S.
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Heading west on US 70 beyond US 70S.
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Heading in the other direction, this is approaching US 70S going east.
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Beyond US 70S.
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Approaching US 70S going west.
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On eastbound US 70.
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Yet another view of the converging flyovers at I-40 and TN 155.
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A view of the two flyovers from eastbound I-40.
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US 431 overheads at the ramp from eastbound I-440.
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This is on Woodmont Boulevard, which connects the loop formed by TN 155.
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The end of the ramp from Woodmont to US 31.
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The flyovers at the I-65/I-440 exit as seen from northbound US 31.
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Anotther shot of those flyovers.
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Downtown Nashville's skyline as seen from US 31.
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US 41 and US 41A actually are multiplexed through downtown Nashville. There should be a US 70S sign here too.
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The directional banners for US 70S and US 431 are reversed.
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The US routes are well signed through downtown Nashville.
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Four US routes using only three numerals -- 1, 3 and 4.
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US 41A departs its parent.
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This is approaching the split of US 31 into US 31E and US 31W. The overhead is mounted on the I-24 overpass.
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There should be a US 31W sign on this post.
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There are two entrances to US 31E here. It is accessible by a left turn here or via a ramp behind the camera.
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Here
is a view of that aforementioned ramp. The US 31E sign is obscured by a
light pole and you can see the US 41/431 signage shown in a previous
photo in the background. (The one that is missing a US 31W sign.) |
US
31E's secret unsigned state route is TN 6. These milage markers make
reference to the secret state route and not the US route. |
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The freeway portion of US 31E, Ellington Parkway, ends at Briley Parkway. US 31E briefly merges onto TN 155 before departing.
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A
ground-mounted I-65 sign lets travelers see where the exit begins
before they can get a good view of the overhead seen in the background.
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The aforementioned overheads at the ramp to I-65 north.
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Again -- Opryland lives on via a big green sign.
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As soon as it joins Briley Parkway, US 31E departs.
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This sign is for traffic heading north on Gallatin Pike to turn onto Briley Parkway heading west.
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Approaching TN 45.
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This
box, with the blue lights flashing, is located at the corner of US 31E
and TN 45. Its purpose is not apparent. The camera above it overlooks a
strip mall parking lot. |
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TN 386 is a freeway linking I-65 with Gallatin. There is an access route between US 31E in the Hendersonville area and TN 386.
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The sign at the exit gore says "Ramp," not "Exit."
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There
is another intersection with TN 386 just south of Gallatin. The route
curves over US 31E and makes a sweeping turn and crosses 31E again. |
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Here is where TN 386 crosses US 31E.
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And here it crosses back over.
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Gallatin has a few of these signs where photo enforcement of traffic lights is touted. Here's one.
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And here is the offending camera. Anyone got a slingshot or good aim with a softball?
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Both
primary and secondary signage for TN 109 can be found here, south of
downtown Gallatin. TN 109 intersects US 31E at a grade-separated
interchange. |
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TN
109 runs to I-40 near Lebanon and also to US 31W near the Kentucky
state line. Here you can see a side-by-side comparison of the new- and
old-style state route markers with the differences in the state shape
and the font for "Tennessee." |
The larger first letter on the directional banners is becoming more popular in Tennessee.
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TN 25 crosses US 31E in downtown Gallatin.
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Closeup of the new-style sign.
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This
used to be the intersection of US 31E and TN 174 before the state route
was relocated to an intersection a bit further north. |
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North
of Gallatin, 31E is an improved two-lane route. You can see the hills
of northern Tennessee in the background as the route heads toward
Westmoreland. |
Intersection of US 231.
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This
intersection has been improved with turning lanes added. The signs
along US 31E have been replaced with conventional shield shapes. The
old signs were of an unusual design. |
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This is the junction sign on US 231 approaching US 31E. The numbers are a bit off-center.
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Here are the unusually shaped signs that used to permeate this intersection. These are still in existence.
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US 31E/231 adds a truck lane just south of Westmoreland.
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The US routes cross TN 52.
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There has been a TN 109 sign on this assembly for years. This one is even one of the newer ones.
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TN 52 heading west.
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The
truck speed limit used to be 50 mph and was changed to 55 mph. That's
why the redundancy on the sign, and also why the 5 that's pasted over
the last digit of the truck speed limit looks different. |
Crossing TN 174 on TN 52.
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Just beyond the TN 174 intersection is this one for TN 259.
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TN 52 crosses TN 109 in Portland.
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Larger first letter on the "west" banner.
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Even the rural two-lane surface routes have the new watershed signs.
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Preparing to cross US 31W, which parallels I-65 in this area.
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This
route marker shows TN 52 as a secondary route. It's also signed as
secondary on the I-65 exit signs, despite being signed as primary at
the US 31W intersection. |
Coming up on I-65.
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Look
carefully and you can see an outline around the 31W on this sign. There
is an access route linking the weigh station to US 31W, since the weigh
station serves that parallel route as well, and similar signs about
I-65 are posted on 31W. |
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Nashville is surrounded by Franklins. Franklin KY lies north, Franklin TN lies south, both along I-65.
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The widening project started in Tennessee, south of the state line which can be seein the distance.
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Crossing into Kentucky -- with a reminder of the (expletives deleted) that beat Ernie Fletcher in the governor's race in 2007.
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I-65
through Kentucky to Jefferson County is known as the Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Expressway. Here motorists also get their first taste of the
Clearview font in Kentucky. |
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Another shot of Clearview, as seen from the welcome center parking lot.
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Clearview exit sign for the first exit in Kentucky.
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An I-65 sign so big it takes two posts to hold it up.
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Clearview on the center mile marker.
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All-caps Clearview.
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The weigh station was open on Easter Sunday. It's unusual for one to be open on any weekend day, much less a holiday.
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The road narrows as the next phase of the widening project begins.
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Approaching the second exit in Kentucky.
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The
widening project has an unusual setup for southbound traffic. Both
lanes are divided by a concrete barrier and once you choose the lane
you're going to be in through the construction zone, you're stuck in
int. |
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Old sign at the KY 100 exit.
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Equipment at the bridge crossing KY 100. Note how thick the base coat of asphalt is.
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Another shot showing how thick the asphalt base is.
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These signs have been installed at all the interstate entrances into Kentucky. This one promotes the Ryder Cup.
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This
sign is in error. This route used to be KY 265 but its number was
changed to KY 585 when I-265 was established in Kentucky. This is in
Simpson County a few miles north of the KY 100 exit. |
This
photo shows how the southboudn lanes separate in the construction zone.
The yellow truck is opting for the left (passing) lane while the
passenger vehicle at the right of the yellow truck is staying in the
right (slow) lane. You an barely see the beginning of the barrier wall
that separates those two southbound lanes. |
More construction on I-65.
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This bridge has been torn down and a new one is being built to accommodate the widened I-65.
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THe end of the construction zone.
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Oops,
we got a little blur going here but this is the two-mile sign for the
William H. Natcher (formerly the Green River) Parkway exit. |
This
is where I-65 widens to three lanes in each direction in the Bowling
Green area. Some work is taking place around the center bridge support.
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More Clearview.
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A fourth lane is added beyond the Natcher Parkway merge.
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This
is an unusual treatment of a typical exit. The use of the arrows
indicates that a freeway is splitting off I-65, but in reality this is
just your garden variety exit. |
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E-town is hardly the next exit or town on I-65 but it's listed here on this sign
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Even
though Kentucky has a restriction against trucks in the left lane of a
three-lane freeway, this clown decided to hop into the left lane for
reasons known only to him. |
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Traffic
needing to get back on northbound I-65 can go a couple miles east on KY
68/80 to KY 101 and then turn north to access the interstate. |
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From
the Department of Redundancy Department ... "Nolin Lake Reservoir?"
Nolin River Reservoir would have been appropriate, as would have simply
"Nolin Lake." |
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Once
upon a time, this exit was a partial exit only for traffic exiting
southbound or entering northbound. This ramp and the corresponding ramp
entering southbound I-65 were added later. This partial exit and the US
68/KY 80 exit were meant to serve this area as two partial exits until
this one was completed. |
Don't know why the "8" is smaller than the other numbers.
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Heading east on the Cumberland Parkway, which is prominently marked as the Future I-66 Corridor.
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This refers to Barren County, but the sign doesn't say who did the voting.
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Typical view of the Cumberland Parkway, which stretches nearly 90 miles from I-65 to Somerset.
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This
Clearview sign replaced one that was falling apart (letters and border
falling off) when I last drove across this road in February 2005. |
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Looking east toward the Edmonton exit and beyond.
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This
exit s a cloverleaf because it was where one of the toll booths was
located. Exiting and entering motorists looped around and paid toll
under the bridge. |
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Approaching the new KY 61 exit at Columbia. Note the absolute lack of traffic on a Sunday afternoon.
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This sign is faded and looks to be in need of replacement.
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The construction sign is obscuring the exit sign in this photo.
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This bridge was built in 2007 and is for the KY 55 bypass of Columbia that is currently under construction.
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Heading east from Columbia toward Jamestown and Russell Springs.
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This was another former toll booth location, necessitating a cloverleaf exit.
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After crossing into Pulaski County, the parkway enters a more rugged and mountainous area.
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You can see the mountains beginning to rise in the background as the parkway approaches Somerset.
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Fog Area warnings as the parkway begins to descend to cross the Fishing Creek tributary of Lake Cumberland.
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Looking
at the Fishing Creek bridge in the distance. Near the top of the hill
in the distance is where the Somerset bypass will eventually cross the
parkway and is where I-66 will depart for its course along the northern
portion of the bypass. |
Another look at the Fishing Creek bridge.
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This is the general area where the Somerset bypass will cross the parkway.
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Coming
up on the end of the limited access portion of the parkway. There are a
couple of at-grade intersections on the west side of somerset, includng
the one seen here that provides a link to KY 80. |
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Coming up on the end of the parkway.
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This traffic light is at the intersection of the parkway and Ringgold Road.
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Approaching the parkway's end.
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The end of the Cumberland Parkway.
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This is where the old alignment of US 27 curves away from the new four-lane route.
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This shot shows the signage partially visible in the previous photo.
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KY 2227 is the old route of US 27.
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Looking north on the new four-lane US 27. The bridge in the background is for I-66 and the northern Somerset bypass.
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This
bridge was built as part of the US 27 widening project and will be
ready for I-66/northern bypass traffic when that route is built and
opened. |
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This
shot shows three different iterations of US 27. KY 1247 was the
original route of US 27. KY 2227 was a more recent alignment. From this
spot the four-lane US 27 will use two lanes from the old relocated
alignment while KY 1247 still uses the original alignment of the US
route. |
The old alignment of US 27 can be seen at left.
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This is where the current four-lane ends and the route enters the construction zone involving more widening.
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The old alignment of US 27 is the left (southbound) lanes.
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The route narrows to two lanes in the new alignment of what will eventually be the northbound lanes of the four-lane road.
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KY 635 crosses US 27 at Science Hill.
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This
is heading south on US 27 in what will be the northbound lanes when the
four-laning is complete. This carriageway is new. The one on the right
is the former two-lane alignment of US 27 and it's being rehabbed and
will become the southbound lanes when complete. KY 1247, the original
alignment of US 27, basically parallels this road off to the right
(west). |
The road widens out and southbond traffic is shunted to the southbound lanes.
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To the right you can see the old US 27 alignment.
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This is what will be the ramp from southbound US 27 to westbound I-66.
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You can see the I-66 bridge in the background.
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Coming back to the convergence of old and new US 27 in Somerset.
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Dual-head red lights at the US 27/KY 80/Cumberland Parkway intersection. These were installed to enhance safety and visibility.
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KY 80 and Cumberland Parkway signage on northbound US 27.
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At KY 80 and the parkway.
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KY 80 crosses the old US 27.
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Coming up on the KY 461 intersection.
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KY 80 narrows to two lanes.
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Typical view of KY 80.
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KY 1956 is the original alignment of KY 80.
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This is how KY 80 looked before the new road was built.
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Very old-style guardrail on KY 1956.
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KY
1956 clips a corner of Rockcastle County. KY 80 now goes directly from
Laurel to Pulaski and bypasses Rockcastle. While in Rockcastle County,
KY 1956 intersects KY 1249, which leads to Mt. Vernon and comes out at
the intersection of US 25 and US 150. |
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This
bridge was originally a metal truss bridge. I was hoping to see and
photograph it, but was surprised to find that it had been replaced with
a new concrete structure. |
KY 1956 climbs out of the Rockcastle River valley toward London.
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Old concrete posts alongside of the road.
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KY 1956 comes close to new KY 80 near the spot where it widens from two to four lanes.
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KY 80 approaches US 25 and the Hal Rogers Parkway.
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KY 30 is marked with a trailblazer.
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The new KY 30 in Laurel County.
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Note the difference in the shape of the route marker in this photo and the next one.
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KY 3094 is the old alignment of KY 30.
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The end of the new section of KY 30 and the beginning of the construction area.
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This font looks unusual. Is it Clearview?
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Stringbean,
a famous bluegrass musician who often appeared on the old Buck Owens
show and other country music programs, was originally from Jackson
County. |
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Most
local traffic uses KY 399 and KY 587 to get from Vincent (where this
photo was taken) to Beattyville. But the sign directs Beattyville-bound
traffic to stay on KY 30. |
Home at last!!!
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Heading
north on KY 587 beyond KY 399. This hill was rebuilt several years ago
to replace the old road which was severely prone to slips. |
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