Interstate 73/74

[Strider]

The taxiway bridge looks impressive!

It is even impressive driving through it.

[compdude787]

What's the point of having a taxiway bridge in that location? It doesn't quite make sense to me for them to put it there.

[sparker]

The taxiway bridge looks impressive!

It is even impressive driving through it.

What's the point of having a taxiway bridge in that location? It doesn't quite make sense to me for them to put it there.

Looking at GE depictions of the area (which incidentally precede all but the earliest I-73 construction phases) it appears that the taxiway that crosses over the freeway alignment is an extension of the NW-SE taxiway that already passes over the access road from I-73/former Bryan Blvd. to the main terminal.  Since the main public terminal is sited in the middle of the airport between its main runways, it looks as if the purpose of the taxiway is for non-passenger airport expansion; it likely accesses a new or proposed freight or private terminal north of the main airport facility -- perhaps a hub for some sort of package delivery or freight forwarding service.

From all appearances, I'd venture a guess that the PTI airport owners/operators have very ambitious plans for the facility's future -- there already seem to be numerous outlying terminals away from the central passenger unit, so it's probable that airport management sees expansion of cargo service to be the driving force in at least the short term. 

Nevertheless -- it would be neat to see a picture of the I-73 taxiway underpass featuring a plane passing over the bridge -- preferably something at least as large as a 737! 

[LM117]

What's the point of having a taxiway bridge in that location? It doesn't quite make sense to me for them to put it there.

Here ya go.

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2017/01/06/176-5-million-taxiway-bridge-readies-pti-for.html

When a $176.5 million taxiway-bridge project opens at Piedmont Triad International Airport in summer 2017, the newly completed infrastructure will send a clear message to aviation companies looking to expand operations: We have room for you.

Up until now, PTI has been limited in what it could offer new aviation tenants, thanks to little land left to accommodate them due to space already absorbed by firms such as Honda Aircraft Co. and HAECO, which is expanding with a $60 million hangar at PTI in 2017.

But the new taxiway will provide access to more than 600 acres of PTI-owned land across Bryan Boulevard and link it to the airport's existing airfield and runways. The project opens up developable acreage to entice companies like Boeing or Airbus to locate production facilities at PTI that could employ thousands.

"We have room all the way around the airport that has the ability to be developed for these kinds of users,"  said Kevin Baker, executive director of PTI. "It will be a very unique opportunity and unique asset in the community, unique to the whole country to some extent. There are only right now probably 12 airports across the country that have all of the same assets that we do."

Chris Lloyd, senior vice president and director of infrastructure and economic development with McGuireWoods Consulting in Richmond, Va., echoed Baker, saying that the taxiway-bridge will certainly make PTI more competitive when attracting potential prospects.

"You're not in the game unless you have infrastructure to show off,"  Lloyd said. "You can't be attractive to prospects if it's just a concept or line on a piece of paper. If you have something that is real, that opens up a larger universe of prospects. Bottom line, that's what it comes down to."

Lloyd said the taxiway-bridge adds to assets that PTI and the region can boast, including great highways and nearby rail access.

"Something is going to happen,"  he said of a large company committing to PTI for a plant operation.

[sparker]

What's the point of having a taxiway bridge in that location? It doesn't quite make sense to me for them to put it there.

Here ya go.

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2017/01/06/176-5-million-taxiway-bridge-readies-pti-for.html

When a $176.5 million taxiway-bridge project opens at Piedmont Triad International Airport in summer 2017, the newly completed infrastructure will send a clear message to aviation companies looking to expand operations: We have room for you.

Up until now, PTI has been limited in what it could offer new aviation tenants, thanks to little land left to accommodate them due to space already absorbed by firms such as Honda Aircraft Co. and HAECO, which is expanding with a $60 million hangar at PTI in 2017.

But the new taxiway will provide access to more than 600 acres of PTI-owned land across Bryan Boulevard and link it to the airport's existing airfield and runways. The project opens up developable acreage to entice companies like Boeing or Airbus to locate production facilities at PTI that could employ thousands.

"We have room all the way around the airport that has the ability to be developed for these kinds of users,"  said Kevin Baker, executive director of PTI. "It will be a very unique opportunity and unique asset in the community, unique to the whole country to some extent. There are only right now probably 12 airports across the country that have all of the same assets that we do."

Chris Lloyd, senior vice president and director of infrastructure and economic development with McGuireWoods Consulting in Richmond, Va., echoed Baker, saying that the taxiway-bridge will certainly make PTI more competitive when attracting potential prospects.

"You're not in the game unless you have infrastructure to show off,"  Lloyd said. "You can't be attractive to prospects if it's just a concept or line on a piece of paper. If you have something that is real, that opens up a larger universe of prospects. Bottom line, that's what it comes down to."

Lloyd said the taxiway-bridge adds to assets that PTI and the region can boast, including great highways and nearby rail access.

"Something is going to happen,"  he said of a large company committing to PTI for a plant operation.

I wouldn't at all be surprised if PTI is positioning itself to be a service center for major airlines -- even those who don't directly service the area.  Their main runways are 10K and 9K (feet) respectively (longer than LAX's average!), so pretty much any commercial aircraft can safely land there.  They're already a regional FedEx hub (probably that outlying terminal structure at the east end of the property that's surrounded by planes on GSV); getting another parcel carrier -- or even a major consumer distribution center such as a regional Dayton-Hudson or possibly WalMart warehouse, would certainly yield fiscal benefits to both the airport governing body and the region.  It's no wonder they're expanding into the hills behind the airport itself (hence the I-73 taxiway overcrossing); once the planes are on the ground, a slight slope won't be of concern.

As far as actual aircraft production is concerned, it may be difficult to entice one of the "majors" (i.e. Boeing and Airbus) to relocate there if they've already committed resources elsewhere; but perhaps a smaller concerns such as Embraer, Northrop/Grumman, Beech, or Cessna might consider opening assembly facilities there; it's certainly positioned well geographically to serve most of the East Coast.     

[CYoder]

So what happened to the people on Caindale Drive now that access to North Regional Road is cut off by I-73?  (Old configuration on Google Maps for comparison.)

[Mapmikey]

So what happened to the people on Caindale Drive now that access to North Regional Road is cut off by I-73?  (Old configuration on Google Maps for comparison.)

The airport bought the golf course nearby and I also found where they bought out homes on the east side of the airport.

My guess is the airport bought the landowners out from the now-inaccessible area...

[Strider]

So what happened to the people on Caindale Drive now that access to North Regional Road is cut off by I-73?  (Old configuration on Google Maps for comparison.)

That area (and the houses) was bought by NCDOT and PIAA, so that area is now owned by PIAA.

[Fermion]

I feel like I'm in some tiny niche of the population because I just moved from GSO to the Roanoke area. My wife's family lives just off I-73/US-220 in southern Guilford County, and with the new road openings we can get from her folks to VA with only a single stoplight. It's a vast improvement over the two-lane NC68 route.

[LM117]

NCDOT has awarded a contract to resurface I-73 in Greensboro between I-40 and Bryan Boulevard.

https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=14183

GREENSBORO — The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $5.4 million contract to mill and resurface a 3.9-mile section of Interstate 73 from I-40 to Joseph Bryan Boulevard.

Work can begin as early as Aug. 28, and completion is anticipated for September 2018.

The contract also includes, pipe work and pavement marking installations.

Triangle Grading and Paving Inc. of Burlington is the contractor for this project.

This was one of 16 highway and bridge project contracts recently awarded by the Department of Transportation. They were worth about $204.5 million, which was more than $13 million under DOT estimates.

[bob7374]

NCDOT has awarded a contract to resurface I-73 in Greensboro between I-40 and Bryan Boulevard.

https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=14183

GREENSBORO — The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $5.4 million contract to mill and resurface a 3.9-mile section of Interstate 73 from I-40 to Joseph Bryan Boulevard.

Work can begin as early as Aug. 28, and completion is anticipated for September 2018.

The contract also includes, pipe work and pavement marking installations.

Triangle Grading and Paving Inc. of Burlington is the contractor for this project.

This was one of 16 highway and bridge project contracts recently awarded by the Department of Transportation. They were worth about $204.5 million, which was more than $13 million under DOT estimates.

Hopefully, it will actually be signed as I-73 (and I-840) on approaching roadways before the project is completed.

Fixed quote. - rmf67

[Roadsguy]

Is the concrete really that bad there already? Or am I thinking of the wrong section?

[Strider]

Is the concrete really that bad there already? Or am I thinking of the wrong section?

The concrete on I-73 is just fine. Not sure why they feel obligated to do that kind of repairs. They should have been replacing these signs along I-73 already.

[bob7374]

NCDOT has published sign plans as part of advertising for bids for constructing the next segment of the I-74/Winston-Salem Northern Beltway this fall. The sign plans indicate that the US 311 exit number at the end of the next segment will be 49:


And, as part of the rebranding of the Business 40 route as the US 421 Salem Parkway, there will be no Business 40 shields on the signing for that exit (this sign plan is for when the segments of the Beltway are completed from Bus. 40 to US 311):


The remaining segments of the eastern section of the Beltway west to US 52 will be bid out as a design-build contract in Feb. 2018.

[Strider]

NCDOT has published sign plans as part of advertising for bids for constructing the next segment of the I-74/Winston-Salem Northern Beltway this fall. The sign plans indicate that the US 311 exit number at the end of the next segment will be 49:


And, as part of the rebranding of the Business 40 route as the US 421 Salem Parkway, there will be no Business 40 shields on the signing for that exit (this sign plan is for when the segments of the Beltway are completed from Bus. 40 to US 311):


The remaining segments of the eastern section of the Beltway west to US 52 will be bid out as a design-build contract in Feb. 2018.

Why isn't NC 150 included on the US 421 signage? Last time I know, NC 150 is running concurrently with US 421.

[bob7374]

NCDOT has published sign plans as part of advertising for bids for constructing the next segment of the I-74/Winston-Salem Northern Beltway this fall. The sign plans indicate that the US 311 exit number at the end of the next segment will be 49:


And, as part of the rebranding of the Business 40 route as the US 421 Salem Parkway, there will be no Business 40 shields on the signing for that exit (this sign plan is for when the segments of the Beltway are completed from Bus. 40 to US 311):


The remaining segments of the eastern section of the Beltway west to US 52 will be bid out as a design-build contract in Feb. 2018.

Why isn't NC 150 included on the US 421 signage? Last time I know, NC 150 is running concurrently with US 421.

It apparently will appear on supplemental signs only. Unlike, Bus. 40, I have not heard any plans to remove NC 150 from its current routing.

[Henry]

Bordering a bit on the Fictional side, but this kind of reminds me of how Business 80 in Sacramento may one day be decommissioned. In a perfect world, it would be just US 50 on the west end, and CA 51 would be signed on the east end. Also, the Greensboro extension of Business 85 should be just US 29/US 70, and the Spartanburg version should be US 29, or a US 29 Bypass.

[Strider]

Bordering a bit on the Fictional side, but this kind of reminds me of how Business 80 in Sacramento may one day be decommissioned. In a perfect world, it would be just US 50 on the west end, and CA 51 would be signed on the east end. Also, the Greensboro extension of Business 85 should be just US 29/US 70, and the Spartanburg version should be US 29, or a US 29 Bypass.

I have not heard about NCDOT's plan to remove Business 85 and make it US 29/70 through Greensboro, but I won't be surprised if NCDOT decides to do so in the near future. They are already planning on decommissioning Business 40 and keep it US 421 (US 158 and NC 150 in some locations). They may be trying to eliminate business routes afterall.

[LM117]

NCDOT and SCDOT have begun their study of the extension of the Carolina Bays Parkway.

http://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20170913/carolina-bays-parkway-extension-study-begins

A more than 10-year long conversation about a new highway connecting the Carolina Bays Parkway in South Carolina to U.S. 17 in the southern portion of Brunswick County is springing up again.

Both the N.C. and S.C. Departments of Transportation have begun studying the proposed Carolina Bays Parkway Extension, which would link the existing parkway (S.C. 31) from S.C. 9 in Horry County, South Carolina, to U.S. 17 in Brunswick County. The parkway skirts outside the Myrtle Beach area.

The preliminary study area encompasses a large swath of land mostly in Brunswick County along U.S. 17. Carolina Shores, Calabash and a portion of Shallotte fall within the study area.

The primary benefit of the project would be improved traffic movement, said Mike Hargett, the county's director of economic development and planning. Right now, to get into South Carolina Hargett said drivers take a cumbersome route down U.S. 17, maneuver through the Little River area and then get on S.C. 31.

Hickman Road is another route, but Hargett said it's "not necessarily a desirable alternative in the sense of traffic movement"  since it's a two-lane road with multiple driveway connections.

"The idea would be because of the volume of traffic that is making that connection, this would improve the traffic flow,"  Hargett said of the extension.

Hargett said the current study will identify possible routes and eventually select a preferred route.

In a local input form sent to the DOT, the county noted that developed areas around U.S. 17 and Hickman Road in Brunswick County should not be considered as a potential route for the project, due to substantial impacts it would have on existing communities.

The town of Carolina Shores passed a resolution in February asking the DOT to remove the community from the preliminary study area. Mayor Joyce Dunn said the town believes the DOT should consider establishing the route further west where there is less development.

"We don't say don't do it,"  Dunn said. "We're saying don't do it in a manner that's destructive to homes and local businesses."

The overall cost for the project is $551.7 million, with North Carolina's portion being $366.7 million. While North Carolina has yet to come up with funds for the project, Horry County in South Carolina has $125 million from a local option sales tax earmarked for the South Carolina portion of the project.

Hargett said alternative routes for the project should be proposed sometime in 2019.

[The Ghostbuster]

When the parkway extension is completed in the future, if the North Carolina segment is not initially signed as Interstate 74, is it possible it might be signposted as North Carolina 31? I checked Wikipedia, and the designation is available.

[wdcrft63]

When the parkway extension is completed in the future, if the North Carolina segment is not initially signed as Interstate 74, is it possible it might be signposted as North Carolina 31? I checked Wikipedia, and the designation is available.

Probably. Don't hold your breath, though; this project (R-3436) is not in the 2018 STIP, which means at this point no funds are projected for construction through 2027. (Obviously this could change in the future.)

[bob7374]

When the parkway extension is completed in the future, if the North Carolina segment is not initially signed as Interstate 74, is it possible it might be signposted as North Carolina 31? I checked Wikipedia, and the designation is available.

Probably. Don't hold your breath, though; this project (R-3436) is not in the 2018 STIP, which means at this point no funds are projected for construction through 2027. (Obviously this could change in the future.)

The only way the Extension (or the rest of the Parkway, for that matter) would be signed as I-74 would be if it connected to another interstate (and NC doesn't change the terminus to Wilmington in the meantime). So unless I-73 between I-95 and Myrtle Beach gets built before the Extension is complete, the appearance of any interstate signage will be far into the future.

[LM117]

Sign installation.

https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=14350

N.C. Department of Transportation contract crews will close the right lane of I-73 North near Wendover Avenue for one day while crews perform sign installation work in Greensboro.

The lane will be closed from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

While this section of highway will not be completely closed, contract crews will be working very close to traffic. Transportation officials encourage drivers to use caution in the work zone.

[roadman65]

I-73 has its first child already. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Route_173#/media/File:New_Jersey_State_Route_173_typo_shield.jpg

[plain]

I-73 has its first child already. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Route_173#/media/File:New_Jersey_State_Route_173_typo_shield.jpg

Damn... that's even worse than when Maryland posted MD 85 as I-85 on I-70 lmao