Today MODOT through a party.  Yesterday, they closed the second stretch of the New I-64, that is to be renovated in 2009.  Tomorrow they will open up the first stretch, that has already been renovated in 2008.  Out with the old and in with the new.  Today that first stretch was open to the non-motorist public. 

MODOT was expecting 3000 people.  Today’s 55 degree temperature ensured that number of people and many more.  There were organized races, both foot and cycle.  The bicycle race was a time trail event.  There were walkers, joggers, dog walkers, kids on trikes, roller bladers, skate boarders, horse drawn carrages, recumbents, road bikers, mountain bikers and kids with training wheels, all enjoying the pristine pavement.

In conjunction with MODOT’s New I-64 party, Mark and Merri threw a Team Kaldi’s party.  Anne and I biked over to Mark and Merri’s place and rendezvoused there with the rest of the team.  We did a mass start and headed towards the highway.  We stayed together well on the way to the highway, even through automotive traffic.  Once we got on the highway though the mass of other people there broke the peleton.  We all started off heading east, towards Brentwood. 

I did the fly-over ramps at the I-170 interchange and ended up on the west bound side.  I crossed back over at McKnight and eventually caught up with some of the team.  Anne and I finally reconnected at the western terminus of the stretch of closed off highway.  At this point, we had had as much fun as we could stand.  Anne and I along with Jim and Diane headed back to Mark and Merri’s place.

Merri and Mark had laid a board with many good eats.  I sampled the mulled wine, clam chowder and the cashew brittle.  Yum Yum!  With little over a week to winter soltace we couldn’t stay as long as we wished and still bike back home in daylight.  Tom, Diane, Jim, Anne and I headed out together.  We got back on the highway and put our pedals to the metal and headed home.  Today was a very good day.  I got 27 miles today.