The AARoads Blog

Road news and notes from the drive between Travelers Rest, South Carolina and Canton, Ohio.

Signs of construction along U.S. 25 northbound near East Flat Rock south of Hendersonville (compare this scene with this 2007 view). Widening of the two-lane highway is underway to bring it up to four-lane Interstate standards. At-grade intersections with Kay Road and other residential roads will be handled by a new frontage road built along the northbound (east) side of the new freeway. Completion of the overall project is expected by August 2012.

New signs (see the old ones here) posted at Exit 49 (junction U.S. 64) on Interstate 26 west & U.S. 25 north still ignore the fact that U.S. 74 shares the same stretch of highway. Southbound (eastbound) signs also omit the overlap.

Associated with ARRA projects, Interstate 26 at North Carolina 146 work involves the widening of N.C. 146 between N.C. 191 and U.S. 25 near Skyland. The concrete surface of Interstate 26 from Exit 37 north toward Exit 33 is now asphalt. What appeared to be a new configuration of the Exit 37 diamond interchange was nothing more than the building of Biltmore Park Town Square nearby. See the 2007 photo of the same location for the changes to the area.

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Barricades were removed on the latest stretch of Interstate 485 to open for motorists in the northern Charlotte area yesterday. What was expected to be completed in March 2007 opened without any fanfare by midday between North Carolina 16 (Brookshire Boulevard) and Interstate 77 / North Carolina 115 (Old Statesville Road). The 5.5 mile stretch completes the northwest quadrant of the Charlotte beltway, leaving the unconstructed northeast quadrant as the final link to a finishd Interstate 485.

Many thanks go to Jamie Dzencelowcz, who documented the new road this morning. Guides to Interstate 485 now include his efforts along the new stretch in both directions:

• Interstate 485 index
• Inner Loop
• Outer Loop
• Interstate 77 North
• Interstate 77 South

Sources:

• Malme, Bob. “Latest I-485 Segment is (Finally) Open.” Online posting, Yahoo! Groups Southeast Roads and Transport, December 5, 2008.
• “Drivers And Businesses Benefit From New Stretch Of I-485.” WSOC Charlotte, December 5, 2008.

One of the few freeways being built these days entails is the Charlotte beltway, Interstate 485. Slated for opening soon is the latest segment of Interstate 485, extending the beltway east from North Carolina 16 (Brookshire Boulevard) to Interstate 77 & North Carolina 115 on the north side of Charlotte. Originally supposed to open a year and a half ago, contractors hope to put the finishing touches on the new freeway by October 31 of this year sometime in November? Cold weather delays have pushed back the project yet again (10-28).

Interstate 485, as envisioned, is a 67-mile beltway encircling the city of Charlotte through its suburbs. The first segment to open was the connector between then-U.S. 521 (South Boulevard) and North Carolina 15 (Pineville-Matthews Road), though a portion of freeway from Interstate 85 to U.S. 29 on the northeast side predated the Interstate designation by several decades. The final segment to open is the northeastern quadrant, between North Carolina 115 and Interstate 85. Currently construction is delayed until 2015 with a possible 2017-18 completion.

Recent updates on SouthEastRoads include a split of our 2001-created Interstate 485 guide into inner and outer loop pages, with complete coverage of the outer belt, and photos of the inner belt between North Carolina 24 & 27 and the temporary end at North Carolina 16 (Brookshire Boulevard).

• Interstate 485 Inner
• Interstate 485 Outer

Sources:

• “Next Leg Of I-485 Could Steer Future Of Northlake Mall Area.” WSOCtv, October 16, 2008.
• “Key voice backs I-485 widening of I-85 widening.” Charlotte Observer, September 21, 2008.

Construction of the new Greensboro bypass, otherwise known as Painter Boulevard, resulted in the relocation of Interstate 85 from the city onto the southeastern section of the new road in 2004 and then Interstate 40 on both the sections of the new bypass in February 2008. The new bypass was constructed in an effort to alleviate the through-city route of Interstates 40 and 85 and their “Death Valley” interchange south of downtown. Painter Boulevard carries six overall lanes of traffic with a 65 mph speed limit.

Interstate 85′s original alignment was renumbered to Business Loop Interstate 85 in 2004, and the majority of motorists now travel the bypass if they are not headed toward Greensboro. The shield swap did not cause problems in the long run and the designations stuck. Interstate 40′s relocation did its job of relocating through traffic away from the city through the southwest suburbs, but at the dismay of area residents who complained about the noise level associated with the many trucks that use the cross-country route. That problem was compounded with numerous complaints leveled at the Business Loop vs. Interstate 40 designations and the confusion that they caused. So just seven months after opening the new Interstate 40, the designation was returned to its original alignment through the city.

The September 2008 relocation of Interstate 40 back into Greensboro left new Interstate 73 alone along Painter Boulevard between Future Interstate 840 and the merge with Interstate 85. Additionally Interstate 73 follows a portion of the northwest Greensboro beltway with Future Interstate 840 to Bryan Boulevard.

The numbering debacle that arises is that area freeways will receive their third exit renumbering in four years. Interstate 40′s exit numbers will return to the short-lived Business Loop and they will replace the Business Loop Interstate 85 numbering convention used between “Death Valley” and junction Interstate 840. But that is not the end of it, as Painter Boulevard’s southwest quadrant will also be renumbered to match the mileage of the easy-to-follow Interstate 73.

The Exit numbering scheme of the Greensboro Interstate system after the February 21, 2008 opening of new Interstate 40 & 73.

How the exits will be renumbered with the mid-September announcement that Interstate 40 will return to its original route.

Through all of this, Interstate 40′s statewide mileage will again be accurate. During the Business Loop Interstate 40′s time, the mileage figures from Durham eastward were significantly off from the actual distance to Tennessee due to the additional mileage gained from the Greensboro bypass. U.S. 421 also was shifted from its in-city routing along the Joseph M. Hunt Jr. Expressway and Interstate 40 to Interstates 85 and 73 along the bypass route. No other changes are expected in the Greensboro area until the completion of Interstate 840 and the building of Interstate 785, two projects still many years away due to funding needs.

Painstakingly done, all of our North Carolina guides affected by the return of Interstate 40 to Greensboro are now updated. Additionally Interstate 73 gets its own guide for the first time on SouthEastRoads:

• http://www.southeastroads.com/i-040_nc.html
• http://www.southeastroads.com/i-073_nc.html
• http://www.southeastroads.com/i-085_nc.html
• http://www.southeastroads.com/bl-040_nc.html
• http://www.southeastroads.com/bl-085_nc.html

Exit number maps created by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). See their press release on the Interstate 40 relocation here.

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.

I had the chance to check out and clinch the new Interstate 795 this week in North Carolina. With the early sunsets and low sun angle, I almost missed out, but for a preview of the northbound side of the freeway, see our new Interstate 795 guide at southeastroads.

And for some photos covering the south end, see U.S. 70 North Carolina @ Southeastroads.

Interstate 355 (Veterans Memorial Tollway) opens to traffic on Monday November 12, 2007 between Interstates 80 and 55. The 12.5-mile freeway was built in three years after more than 10 years of delays caused by legal and funding issues. The 2005 toll increases throughout the Illinois Tollway network helped pay for completion of the $738 million route that includes a 1.25-mile Des Plaines River Valley bridge, the second longest span in the state. No extension southward is on the books at this time, but long range plans hint at a connection to the planned Illiana Expressway corridor.

New Interstate 355 will be open to bicyclists and walkers during a Veterans Day celebration to mark the completion of the roadway. 9,000 people are expected to attend.

Looking south on the new Interstate 355 near its terminus with Interstate 80. The Original Interstate 355 (North-South Tollway) opened in 1989. Photo taken by Bill Burmaster (10/13/07).

Meanwhile in North Carolina, sign crews will begin installing red, white, and blue Interstate 795 signs throughout the 20-mile plus route appoved by AASHTO this fall. Interstate 795 replaces U.S. 117 on a freeway northward from U.S. 70 at Goldsboro to U.S. 264 at Wilson and joins U.S. 264 west to Interstate 95. U.S. 117 signs along the north-south freeway will be moved onto the original U.S. 117 alignment in the process. Signing of the newest Interstate should be completed by Spring 2008.

Sources:

1 – “I-355 extension will open Nov. 12.” DailySouthtown, November 2, 2007.

2 – “NCDOT TO BEGIN INSTALLING I-795 SIGNS IN WAYNE, WILSON COUNTIES.” NCDOT, November 7, 2007.

Denied before, North Carolina again sent their request to add an Interstate designation to a stretch of U.S. 264 and U.S. 117 between Wilson and Goldsboro at the recent AASHTO Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This time, the application was approved. Among the benefits of a new Interstate for Goldsboro, North Carolina, the designation allows trucks exceeding 48 feet in length to legally drive the U.S. 117 freeway between the city and U.S. 264 at Wilson. Previously, police were ticketing truckers traveling the route between U.S. 70 and Interstate 40, hampering local trucking companies and other businesses in the process. As of Monday October 8, 2007, that restriction will no longer be levied on the route.

Interstate 95 northbound at the new northern terminus of Interstate 795 south (east). A cloverleaf interchange with collector/distributor roadways joins the two freeways.

Interstate 795 signs will follow soon there after along the U.S. 264 Wilson bypass between Interstate 95 Exit 119 and the U.S. 117 freeway situated between Exits 42 and 43. A partial “Y” interchange joins the U.S. 264 east with U.S. 117 south, where Interstate 795 will turn south along the new freeway to U.S. 70 at Goldsboro. Essentially U.S. 117 is now obsolete north of the U.S. 70 Goldsboro bypass, though it remains to be seen whether or not the highway will see truncation.

Source:

“U.S. 117 gets OK to allow truck.,” Goldsboro News-Argus, October 2, 2007.

Charlotte’s Beltway grew by several miles in mid-December 2006 with the opening of Interstate 485 between Interstate 85 and North Carolina 27 (Mt. Holly Road). The segment is the first to open north of Interstate 85.

Steve Delery sends us the following photos covering the newest section of Interstate 485 from early April 2007:

Interstate 485 northbound continues through the interchange with Interstate 85. Until December 15, 2006, all traffic was forced to use the ramps to the right.

The first interchange along Interstate 485 north of Interstate 85 is the diamond with Moores Chapel Road. Exit 12 features roundabouts at the off-ramp ends in place of signalized intersections, a concept used along Interstate 70 at West Vail and Avon, Colorado.

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Over the last few weeks I’ve taken time to fill in some of the gaps and otherwise expand our coverage of Interstate 95 from Savannah, Georgia north to the Virginia State line, and from New Haven, Connecticut to the Rhode Island state line as part over an overall effort to cover the freeway on AARoads. Carter documented much of Interstate 95 in the Carolinas during Summer of 2005 and his efforts are now online covering South Carolina north from Walterboro to Interstate 26 and from Florence, SC to the Virginia state line. Our Connecticut coverage extends the coverage northward including every northbound exit along the 111.57-mile route.

• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• Connecticut

Coverage to be added later includes portions of the freeway in the Boston area, New Hampshire, and Maine. Gaps to fill include sections in Florida, New Jersey, and updates to the Virginia guides.