The AARoads Blog

New Interstate 40 Interstate 73, a road locally known as Painter Boulevard, is now open to traffic southwest of Greensboro. Traffic cones and other barriers were removed the morning of February 21, 2008 on the newest section of North Carolina Interstate, a 7.5-mile stretch of freeway between Future Interstate 73 & 840 near Piedmont Triad International Airport and Interstate 85 & Business Loop Interstate 85 south of the city.

Interstate 85 south (and now Interstate 40 west) merge with Interstate 73 at the U.S. 220 interchange south of central Greensboro. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (February 23, 2008).

Work on the $122 million project began in February 2004, that now fully relocates relocated Interstate 40 away from its in-city alignment until September 2008. Exit numbers along old Interstate 40 now carry a numbering scheme originating from the Business Loop through Winston-Salem, with an implied overlap along Interstate 40. This is similar to the scheme implemented along old Interstate 85 with an extension of Business Loop Interstate 85 northward from High Point.

The new freeway carries six lanes and a high speed design speed for through traffic interests between Winston-Salem and Durham. Interstate 73 joins the southwest bypass between Future Interstate 840 near PTI Airport and the U.S. 220 freeway leading south to Asheboro. The signing of Interstate 73 creates only the third set of three two-digit Interstates in the country (I-39/90/94 and I-55/64/70 being the other) to overlap.

Approaching Business Loop Interstate 85 north, Interstate 85, and U.S. 29-70 on Interstate 40 east (and Interstate 73 south). Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (February 23, 2008).

Additional work on the Greensboro beltway is slated for 2011 and beyond according to NCDOT’s draft seven year 2009-2005 STIP. Construction of Interstate 840 will next open the stretch between U.S. 70 (Exit 19) and the U.S. 29 expressway northeast of Greensboro. U.S. 29 of course, is part of the future Interstate 785, a corridor with seemingly no active construction. Other sections of the eventual Interstate 840 remain unfunded at this time.

AARoads contributor Jamie Dzencelowcz drove the new Interstate 40 on Saturday and provides us with detailed photos of the new roadway. See the following pages for new coverage:

• http://www.southeastroads.com/i-040ec_nc.html
• http://www.southeastroads.com/i-085b_nc.html
• http://www.southeastroads.com/i-040wd_nc.html

NCDOT has a page covering the new route and the Greensboro Beltway overall at Greensboro Urban Loop

More coverage from Jamie Dzencelowcz involving Future Interstate 840 north of Interstate 40 will be added this week.

The first ramp of the new Interstate 4 and Florida 408 Toll interchange opened this morning, carrying drivers from the eastbound toll road to the northbound freeway. A $120 million project is underway to replace some of the original movements between the East-West Tollway and Interstate 4. Included in this initial project is a new flyover to carry westbound Florida 408 to eastbound Interstate 4, the directional loop ramp that opened today, and a new Anderson Road overpass and connecting ramps. Work on these projects will be completed between Spring and Fall of 2008.

Two new diagrammatical overheads partition drivers bound for Interstate 4 into separate ramps from eastbound Florida 408 Toll. Previously all traffic departed in unison via a trumpet interchange onto a connecting roadway before choosing east or west Interstate 4 at a second trumpet. The configuration is typical for older toll roads, where a toll plaza would reside between the two trumpet interchanges.

Traffic destined for Interstate 4 east now departs via the new Exit 10B off-ramp.

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An update on the Maitland Boulevard Extension / John Land Apopka Expressway (Florida 414 Toll). Nine miles of new freeway style roadway is either proposed or under construction from U.S. 441 in Lockhart to U.S. 441 northwest of Apopka. One year of work has produced significant results in northwestern Orange County. A tour of the work follows below:

A refresher view of the John Land Apopka Expressway projected path.

U.S. 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) northbound at junction Florida 414 (Maitland Boulevard), where the new John Land Apopka Expressway will begin. Work broke ground on January 19, 2007 on the first 5.5 miles of the new toll road. Work here focuses on the building of a partial-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 441. A set of span wire traffic lights hang in the distance, for when crews shift Florida 414 onto the future westbound off-ramp so construction on the Apopka Expressway overpasses can begin.

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