Interstate 69 in Kentucky

Once sign installation is complete in late 2008, Interstate 69 will pass through the western part of the U.S. state of Kentucky.

I-69 has been divided into three of sections of independent utility (SIUs) through Kentucky. SIUs 5 and 6 encompass existing freeways. Federal legislation has designated the route for these sections and Kentucky is in the process of installing I-69 signs on the route. SIU 4 includes a new bridge over the Ohio River between Henderson and Evansville, Indiana, and is currently in the EIS process.

Federal Legislation Designating Parkways as I-69

On May 2, 2008 the House of Representatives passed HR-1195 (SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008) which designates the Breathitt Parkway from Henderson to Madisonville, and the Western Kentucky Parkway from Madisonville to I-24 at Eddyville as I-69. It further designates the Audubon Parkway as a future spur (I-X69) of I-69 once necessary upgrades are completed. President Bush signed the bill on June 6, 2008, and I-69 signs may begin appearing on the Parkways during the summer of 2008. [ [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h1195eas.txt.pdf HR-1195 Text] ] [ [http://whitfield.house.gov/news/press.aspx?id=228 KY I-69 Designation Cruises Through Congress, Representative Whitfield Official Website, May 4, 2008] ] [ [http://tristatehomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=6440 Interstate 69 Legislation, Tristate Homepage.com] ] [ [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20080606-4.html President Bush Signs HR-1195, whitehouse.gov, June 6, 2008] ]

On June 6, 2008 President George W. Bush signed the SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008 into law. This legislation applies the I-69 designation to the following roadways:

* Pennyrile Parkway from just south of the Audubon Parkway in Henderson to the Western Kentucky Parkway near Madisonville
* Western Kentucky Parkway from the Pennyrile Parkway to Interstate 24 near Eddyville
* Interstate 24 from Eddyville to the Purchase Parkway near Calvert City
* Purchase Parkway from Interstate 24 to the US-51 interchange at the Tennessee state line

The Kentucky Transportation expects to complete installation of I-69 signage along the route during the summer of 2008, and mark the route as I-69 in the 2009 Kentucky state highway map. A September 25, 2008 article in the Evansville Courier-Press indicates that while I-69's route has been defined, the FHWA has not yet authorized Kentucky to start erecting I-69 signs. However, comments from readers on this article suggest that I-69 signs may already be in place on the Pennyrile Parkway. [ [http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/sep/25/audubon-parkway-will-get-future-i-69-spur-signs-to/ Audubon Parkway will get "future I-69 spur" signs today, Evansville Courier-Press, September 25, 2008] ]

IU 5

On May 15, 2006, Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher announced that I-69 will encompass convert|130|mi|km|0 of existing parkways and a convert|17|mi|km|0|sing=on segment of Interstate 24. [cite web | title=Governor Fletcher Unveils I-69 Corridor Designation
publisher=Commonwealth of Kentucky | url=http://governor.ky.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20060515i69.htm | accessdate=2007-01-17] To reflect this decision by state and federal officials, crews began erecting Future Interstate 69 signs along the following highway segments:

* Western Kentucky Parkway (between I-24 and Pennyrile Parkway, convert|38|mi|km|0)
* Pennyrile Parkway (between Western Kentucky Parkway and Interchange 63, convert|25|mi|km|0)

A recent engineering study for SIU 5 identified current conditions along the Pennyrile and Western Kentucky Parkways. The report identified seven overpasses that fell short of the 16-foot minimum vertical clearance necessary for Interstate highways. An additional 28 mainline bridges were identified for not meeting the minimum horizontal clearance of 38 feet. Most--if not all--of the aforementioned bridges were built during construction of the Parkways in the 1960s and are nearing the end of their serviceable lifespans and are due to be replaced. The main issues concerning the 16 interchanges in SIU 5 are short acceleration/deceleration lanes (the average is 615 feet while Interstate standards mandate 1200 feet), and tight curve radii at interchanges with loop ramps. [ [http://www.planning.kytc.ky.gov/projects/projects/I-69/I-69.asp I-69 Strategic Corridor Planning Study, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet] ] A particular challenge will be reconfiguring the cloverleaf interchange between the Pennyrile and Western Kentucky Parkways in Madisonville to accommodate the future movement of traffic primarily between points north and points west.

According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet 2006 Six-Year Transportation Plan Executive Summary, the KYTC "has recently completed a study of the parkway upgrade needs from Interstate 24 to Henderson" (SIU 5). The summary further stated that "Continuing work on Interstate 69 in Kentucky will depend upon the financial support that can be garnered for the project through federal reauthorization and appropriations processes." The Transportation Plan estimated that the cost of upgrading the parkways would cost around $700 million.

Nonetheless, the required improvements may be performed on individual segments of the parkways when the existing road surfaces reach the end of their life-spans, in what are known as "Pavement Preservation Projects." During a pavement preservation project, the existing pavement is removed, repairs are made to the highway's sub-base, and the road is then resurfaced. During such a project bridges and overpasses may be rehabilitated or replaced, drainage systems are upgraded, and other modifications are made to improve safety on the road without completely reconstructing it, allowing it to remain at least partially open during construction.

Two projects on the Pennyrile Parkway and the Western Kentucky Parkway in Hopkins County are evidence that Kentucky is taking this approach. In 2007, work is expected to begin on a $14.9 million project to replace convert|7|mi|km|0 of pavement on the Pennyrile Parkway segment slated for the I-69 designation. A similar $23 million project in 2005 replaced and upgraded convert|11|mi|km|0 of pavement on the Western Kentucky Parkway west of the interchange with the Pennyrile Parkway, which is also slated to become part of I-69 and I-66 as well.

Several public meetings were held in towns along the Parkways in late November and early December 2007 where Kentucky officials provided detailed information on upgrading the Parkways including changes to the projected cost for the upgrades. The adjusted cost of upgrading the parkways in SIUs 5 and 6 was pegged at around $300 million, significantly lower than initial estimates of $700 million. Of that $300 million price tag, high-priority projects account for about half ($145 million) of the total cost. Kentucky transportation officials also raised the idea of applying for a waiver that would allow the parkways to immediately be signed as I-69, making the parkways eligible for federal Interstate highway funds to complete the upgrades. Without the I-69 designation the parkway sections slated to become I-69 are not eligible for Interstate highway funds for upgrades. [ [http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/nov/23/parkway-upgrade-underway/ Parkway Upgrades Underway, Evansville Courier-Press, November 23, 2007] ] Kentucky officials announced that no funding for I-69 was included in the 2008-2014 Transportation Improvement Plan, and many legislators believe that tolls will be required to finance upgrades to the parkways. [ [http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/feb/15/no-i-69-funding-in-state-road-plan/ No I-69 funding in State Road Plan, Evansville Courier-Press, February 15, 2008] ]

IU 6

From Eddyville, I-69 will follow I-24 for convert|17|mi|km|0, then turn southwest on the Purchase Parkway. Interstate 69's designation along the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway from I-24 to the Tennessee state line at South Fulton was written into law with the Fiscal Year 2002 Transportation Appropriations Bill. [ [http://www.aaroads.com/high-priority/corr18.html High Priority Corridor 18/20 aaroads.com] ] However, many of the same issues that are being addressed in SIU 5 arise in SIU 6 as well, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky will likely approach upgrading the Purchase Parkway in a similar fashion once funding becomes available. The massive interchange with US-45 and US-51 at the Tennessee state line in South Fulton is the main challenge for completing SIU 6.

Kentucky is the only state that will be routing almost its entire portion of I-69 over existing freeways, allowing the state to avoid years of costly environmental studies, thereby enabling the KYTC to upgrade the Parkways to I-69 as soon as funding becomes available. Technically, the State of Kentucky could request a waiver from the AASHTO that would allow the state to apply the I-69 designation to its parkways before upgrades are completed. This would only be done if adjoining segments in Tennessee or Indiana are completed first.

Reinstate tolls?

The Pennyrile Parkway, Western Kentucky Parkway, and Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway were all originally built as toll roads when they opened in the 1960s. These tolls were removed at various times during the 1990s as the parkways' construction bonds were paid off. To fund over $700 million to upgrade substandard segments of the parkways and fund a new $800 million Ohio River crossing for I-69, Kentucky transportation officials are considering reinstating tolls on the parkway segments over which I-69 is routed.

References