Highway bill includes $100 million for I-69 in TN

[Rural King]

Highway bill includes $100 million for I-69 in Tenesee

Read the article here:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TN_...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

The Jackson Sun - Jackson, TN

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Well the ball is about to get rolling on the TN portion of I-69. I'm ready to start seeing some work start next year (hopefully).

Now if we could only get Indiana to get going on their part (Indy-Evansville), since they are talking about 2010 or later now to get started.

[sleepy]

Well the ball is about to get rolling on the TN portion of I-69. I'm ready to start seeing some work start next year (hopefully).

Now if we could only get Indiana to get going on their part (Indy-Evansville), since they are talking about 2010 or later now to get started.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Arkansas only got $75 million. Way to go Doc Frist.

Well, I hope I live long enough. 20 yrs. from now, I'll be well into retirement and might just hop in my RV to take a tour of the newly finished road. lol

I-269, the outer loop around Memphis, seems to be moving along:

1. The northern leg from Millington to I-40 at Arlington has been finished for years of course.

2. The eastern leg from Arlington down to Collierville has, I believe, had some bids let and preliminary work done.

3. The southern leg-- the only thing I know is that the portion from Hernando Mississippi to Tunica should be opening soon. That leaves the stretch from Hernando to Collierville and I have no clue about that.

4. I-22 tie-in. From what I've read, it looks like I-22 will tie into I-269 somewhere between Hernando and Collierville, continue into Hernando and then go up I-55 into Memphis.

5. The I-240 route through the center of Memphis is presently being expanded to accomodate I-69.

For the immediate Memphis area, I think the best thing will be the I-69 connection between I-240 and Millington/Covington. That area's been the red-headed stepchild of the Memphis metro forever. It's odd, isn't it, how Memphis ignores the rest of West Tennessee and seems to be in bed more with North Mississippi. I mean I-55 is an 8 lane freeway going into North Mississippi. I-269's first leg in Mississippi is to connect Memphis with Tunica, etc.. All the while, north Shelby County and Tipton County get ignored.

[mandrws1]

Arkansas only got $75 million.  Way to go Doc Frist.

Well, I hope I live long enough.  20 yrs. from now, I'll be well into retirement and might just hop in my RV to take a tour of the newly finished road.  lol

I-269, the outer loop around Memphis, seems to be moving along: 

1.  The northern leg from Millington to I-40 at Arlington has been finished for years of course. 

2. The eastern leg from Arlington down to Collierville has, I believe, had some bids let and preliminary work done.

3.  The southern leg-- the only thing I know is that the portion from Hernando Mississippi to Tunica should be opening soon.  That leaves the stretch from Hernando to Collierville and I have no clue about that.

4.  I-22 tie-in.  From what I've read, it looks like I-22 will tie into I-269 somewhere between Hernando and Collierville, continue into Hernando and then go up I-55 into Memphis.

5.  The I-240 route through the center of Memphis is presently being expanded to accomodate I-69.

For the immediate Memphis area, I think the best thing will be the I-69 connection between I-240 and Millington/Covington.  That area's been the red-headed stepchild of the Memphis metro forever.  It's odd, isn't it, how Memphis ignores the rest of West Tennessee and seems to be in bed more with North Mississippi.  I mean I-55 is an 8 lane freeway going into North Mississippi.  I-269's first leg in Mississippi is to connect Memphis with Tunica, etc..  All the while, north Shelby County and Tipton County get ignored.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree, it does seem that North Shelby County and Tipton County get ignored. But it may be a good thing for homeowners and those who invest in land and real estate. I often see homes on the Crye-Leike show in Atoka, Millington, and other municipalities up there for around $200,000 that would easily sell for $350,000 to $400,000 in Bartlett, Collierville, etc. Millington is much more developed now even after most of the Navy's operations up there went south to Pensacola. After all of the land in east Shelby and northern Desoto is eaten up, I predict that the area will explode with development. 5 maybe 10 years from now.

[cdarr]

2. The eastern leg from Arlington down to Collierville has, I believe, had some bids let and preliminary work done.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They're hard at work on the eastern leg of TN 385/I-269 now. Some overpasses have already been built over US 64 in Eads, TN 57 east of Collierville in Piperton, and perhaps other places I haven't seen. The roadway is under construction from I-40 south to Macon Rd., and from the end of Bill Morris Parkway to Hwy 57. According to the TDOT website, those projects should be complete by the end of the year.

TDOT says the right-of-way has been acquired for remainder of the eastern leg (Macon Rd. south to TN 57) but construction funding hasn't been approved. There's no construction timetable.

[sleepy]

Thanks for the update. didn't know things were that far along.

I don't live in Memphis so I only know what I pick up here and there.

Of course when I make my yearly visit, I have more fun things to do than running out to east Shelby County to look at road construction. lol

[mandrws1]

The only thing that gets me is the fact that after you pass Winchester and Hacks Cross, TN-385 is only two lanes on both sides. Southeastern Shelby County, Collierville, and Olive Branch are growing very fast. It seems as though expressways are widened and rebuilt every 3-5 years in the Memphis area. Why not just do it one time and put 4-5 lanes in each direction and not have to worry about it for about 20 years?