Interstate 42

[LM117]

NCDOT has awarded a contract to resurface the Clayton Bypass.

https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=14061

RALEIGH– Johnston County drivers will encounter fewer bumps during their commutes on the U.S. 70 Bypass as a result of a $3.5 million contract awarded by the N.C. Department of Transportation.

The contract awarded to Fred Smith Company of Raleigh includes milling and resurfacing 9.6 miles of the U.S. 70 Bypass in each direction between Sadisco Road and the Wake County line. The project will also include each of the following ramps and loops, which amounts to an additional 5.2 miles:

Westbound U.S. 70 Bypass Exit 326A loop to U.S. 70 Business

Eastbound U.S. 70 Bypass Exit 326 loop to U.S. 70 Business

Westbound and Eastbound U.S. 70 Business Entrance Ramps to U.S. 70 Bypass

Westbound and Eastbound U.S. 70 Bypass Exit Ramps to Ranch Road

Westbound and Eastbound Ranch Road Entrance Ramps to U.S. 70 Bypass

Westbound and Eastbound U.S. 70 Bypass Exit Ramps to N.C. 42

Westbound and Eastbound N.C. 42 Entrance Ramps to U.S. 70 Bypass

Work on the project can begin April 2, 2018 and is expected to be complete by October 19, 2018.

[LM117]

The US-70 Corridor Commission has posted their minutes from their previous May 18 meeting.

http://www.super70corridor.com/wp-content/uploads/Meeting-Minutes-May_2017.pdf

[wdcrft63]

The US-70 Corridor Commission has posted their minutes from their previous May 18 meeting.

http://www.super70corridor.com/wp-content/uploads/Meeting-Minutes-May_2017.pdf

Thanks for the link. There's been some skepticism in the Forum about whether I-42 would actually be built east of New Bern, but here we see the James City and Havelock sections both scheduled for construction by 2019.

[The Ghostbuster]

And thus, the (likely) slow march converting US 70-to-Interstate 42 would begin.

[LM117]

Yesterday's article talking about the upcoming projects near Wilson's Mills.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/traffic/article161514373.html

WILSON'S MILLS
The N.C. Department of Transportation is taking away the main entrance to Double Barley Brewing in Johnston County. And the owners are thrilled.

Brewers Cheryl and Larry Lane will lose the driveway as part of a project prepping U.S. 70 Highway to become the future Interstate 42. Double Barley isn't hard to find, but relies on directions like "the first left after the Family Dollar"  to get people into the taproom. Now, Cheryl said, they can just name an exit.

"We're definitely impacted, but we're impacted in a good way,"  Lane said of the changes. "70 is a very fast road and right now people have to turn off of it to get to us. For me as a business owner, it's way better for me to say "˜exit blah blah blah' so people know where to find us."

The changes will take Wilson's Mills from a two stoplight town to a no-stoplight town. DOT is taking the U.S. 70 intersections at Swift Creek Road and Wilson's Mills Road and turning them into exits. For Swift Creek, a bridge will be built over the highway. At Wilson's Mills Road, the more developed of the two, the highway will be shifted to the south and a bridge will be built over the road.

"One of the main goals of the project is to increase the safety along the corridor,"  said DOT project manager Matt Clarke. "The easiest way to improve safety is to no longer have an intersection."

This is a fast five-mile stretch of Highway 70, where the speed limit drops from 70 miles per hour to 55. Removing the stop lights and closing off the driveways and business entrances will cause headaches for some and a culture shift for many. Employees of contractor S.T. Wooten will now have to get to their facility by way of a to-be-constructed service road, turning what used to be a right turn into a four-mile excursion.

At the Wilson's Mills intersection, Clarke said the highway was shifted to the south so it wouldn't affect a group of businesses. That intersection has a Family Dollar, a Handy Mart gas station and a White Swan Barbeque. The new exit will one day be the route that drivers take to get to Double Barley Brewing.

"For me it's a big bonus; it's going to get people to us even faster,"  Lane said. "It's getting them to where they can find us. It's going to put us more on the map."

Aside from safety, Clarke said the project would improve mobility along the highway. In this case, mobility means getting those in the Triangle to the beach faster, which is one of the main drivers of the future Interstate 42.

Wilson's Mills is enjoying some of the residential growth going on across Johnston County, but has seen little in the way of commercial projects. Taking away the stoplights could mean even less of a reason to stop in the small town, but Mayor Phillip Wright is optimistic.

"The intersections will help; Swift Creek is one of the most accident-prone intersections in Johnston County,"  Wright said. "I just don't know what the impact will be. I suspect time will tell. There's been some commercial interest around Swift Creek."

Town councilman Kenneth Jones will lose a fair chunk of land to make way for the highway changes, closing a car lot he leases to a business owner and cutting off a corner of a cow pasture. Jones says it's the price of progress.

"It's like anything else,"  Jones said. "Progress is coming. I think it's a good thing for Wilson's Mills. If I'm going to be on the board, I've got to look at in a positive manner because it's best for the town."

Like the mayor, Jones hopes developers will see opportunity in building near the future exits, pointing out more than 400 acres north and south of the highway.

"That could be a win-win for the town,"  Jones said. "Some of that could be developed as commercial, but a large portion would be for homes. ... Anything in Johnston County, if you can put in one tract of land that's 100 acres-plus, you've got something to deal with. That can be asset to a builder for commercial or residential."

Construction costs for the project will run around $31 million, Clarke said, and that $7.8 million had been set aside for right of way acquisition. Clarke said DOT will start buying land and easements this October and that construction is slated to begin in October of 2019 and take 24 months.

This will just about do it for stoplights on 70 in Johnston County and Wayne County, one of the chief obstacles for eastern-bound beach goers. Clarke said two lights will remain in Princeton for now and that another is already on the chopping block near Pine Level.

A public meeting on the Wilson's Mills projects will be held Monday, July 17, at Wilson's Mills Elementary School from 4 to 7 p.m. DOT engineers will be on hand to answer questions about the conversions of intersections to exits, but no formal presentation will be made.

[sparker]

If the attitudes of the folks being impacted by the I-42 development are indicative of those within the state in general (the denser cities notwithstanding), it's quite easy to see how NCDOT and the internal jurisdictions within the state are able to plan and develop new Interstate corridors with relative ease.  Whether those attitudes reflect a deferential/compliant norm or a genuine feeling that highway enhancement does provide palpable public benefits is something possibly TBD at some point in time.  OTOH, the difficulties -- and corresponding delays -- encountered with the I-26 extension/realignment in Asheville may just illustrate that even in a state demonstrably favorable to Interstate construction in general, attempting to do so in a larger city encounters the criticisms and obstacles found elsewhere!   

[WashuOtaku]

If the attitudes of the folks being impacted by the I-42 development are indicative of those within the state in general (the denser cities notwithstanding), it's quite easy to see how NCDOT and the internal jurisdictions within the state are able to plan and develop new Interstate corridors with relative ease.  Whether those attitudes reflect a deferential/compliant norm or a genuine feeling that highway enhancement does provide palpable public benefits is something possibly TBD at some point in time.  OTOH, the difficulties -- and corresponding delays -- encountered with the I-26 extension/realignment in Asheville may just illustrate that even in a state demonstrably favorable to Interstate construction in general, attempting to do so in a larger city encounters the criticisms and obstacles found elsewhere!

The culture difference between Havelock and Asheville couldn't be more different.  Havelock's population works with the U.S. Military and are transit, thus would see the benefit in an Interstate in the area.  Asheville has a lot of hipsters and tree huggers, who believe any progress must be fought to protect the charm of the city.

[LM117]

If the attitudes of the folks being impacted by the I-42 development are indicative of those within the state in general (the denser cities notwithstanding), it's quite easy to see how NCDOT and the internal jurisdictions within the state are able to plan and develop new Interstate corridors with relative ease.  Whether those attitudes reflect a deferential/compliant norm or a genuine feeling that highway enhancement does provide palpable public benefits is something possibly TBD at some point in time.  OTOH, the difficulties -- and corresponding delays -- encountered with the I-26 extension/realignment in Asheville may just illustrate that even in a state demonstrably favorable to Interstate construction in general, attempting to do so in a larger city encounters the criticisms and obstacles found elsewhere!

The culture difference between Havelock and Asheville couldn't be more different.  Havelock's population works with the U.S. Military and are transit, thus would see the benefit in an Interstate in the area.  Asheville has a lot of hipsters and tree huggers, who believe any progress must be fought to protect the charm of the city.

I've heard people refer to Asheville as a "mini San Francisco".

[LM117]

If the attitudes of the folks being impacted by the I-42 development are indicative of those within the state in general (the denser cities notwithstanding), it's quite easy to see how NCDOT and the internal jurisdictions within the state are able to plan and develop new Interstate corridors with relative ease.  Whether those attitudes reflect a deferential/compliant norm or a genuine feeling that highway enhancement does provide palpable public benefits is something possibly TBD at some point in time.

I think the majority of I-42's support from locals is is due to the fact that the business owners and local leaders commute on US-70 themselves and know firsthand how dangerous the road is and that leaving it as-is is not acceptable anymore, from both an economic and safety standpoint. I remember right after I-795 was built, several people in Goldsboro used I-795 & US-264 as an alternate route to Raleigh just to avoid US-70. More mileage, but a lot safer. There were concerns in Goldsboro from businesses since they would be bypassed entirely, but they never fully objected to the bypass since, as mentioned earlier, they commute on US-70 themselves and know that US-70 was parking lot, particularly at the US-70/Grantham Street interchange, which was famous for it's backups. Everybody knew that bypass was desperately needed.

The only opposition I-42 seems to be getting is from the envrionmentalists near the coast. The Sierra Club has already filed a lawsuit against NCDOT to try to stop the Havelock Bypass from being built. I can only imagine their reaction if/when NCDOT decides to bring up the idea of the Northern Carteret Bypass again, which would cut through much more land than the Havelock Bypass.

What blows my mind is that US-64 and US-264 were made freeways first while US-70, which carries much more traffic than 64/264, remained mostly an expressway with numerous at-grades and traffic lights. US-70's upgrade has been loooong overdue. If there was ever a corridor in eastern NC that warranted becoming an interstate, it's US-70, with US-117 (Future I-795) being a close second.

[LM117]

I went to NCDOT's US-70 Corridor page and found the map of future & ongoing projects and what's left to be done before the entire corridor becomes I-42. Note that while the sections in La Grange and between Dover and New Bern are marked as existing freeways, they do not meet interstate standards due to the lack of 10ft. outside shoulders.

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/US70corridor/download/US70Corridor_Map.pdf

[sparker]

I went to NCDOT's US-70 Corridor page and found the map of future & ongoing projects and what's left to be done before the entire corridor becomes I-42. Note that while the sections in La Grange and between Dover and New Bern are marked as existing freeways, they do not meet interstate standards due to the lack of 10ft. outside shoulders.

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/US70corridor/download/US70Corridor_Map.pdf

Which means that since they're functioning freeways -- and the upgrades would simply be to satisfy current Interstate criteria -- they'll be among the last segments to be addressed.  At least the sections that will pose the most difficulty and expense (Wilsons Mills, Kinston bypass, Havelock bypass) are "front-loaded" within the overall plan; probably the most effective way to expedite the entire corridor (save the less costly projects, with less inflationary impact, for last). 

[LM117]

I went to NCDOT's US-70 Corridor page and found the map of future & ongoing projects and what's left to be done before the entire corridor becomes I-42. Note that while the sections in La Grange and between Dover and New Bern are marked as existing freeways, they do not meet interstate standards due to the lack of 10ft. outside shoulders.

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/US70corridor/download/US70Corridor_Map.pdf

Which means that since they're functioning freeways -- and the upgrades would simply be to satisfy current Interstate criteria -- they'll be among the last segments to be addressed.  At least the sections that will pose the most difficulty and expense (Wilsons Mills, Kinston bypass, Havelock bypass) are "front-loaded" within the overall plan; probably the most effective way to expedite the entire corridor (save the less costly projects, with less inflationary impact, for last).

Agreed. The one thing that puzzles me is that NCDOT repaved the US-70 freeway in La Grange last year, as well as reconstruct the shoulders (Google Streetview updated to show it), but they did not widen the outside shoulders to interstate standards. It would've made sense IMO to do so while they were working on it at the time.

Something that stood out to me on the map is that the Northern Carteret Bypass is no longer shown.

[sparker]

The one thing that puzzles me is that NCDOT repaved the US-70 freeway in La Grange last year, as well as reconstruct the shoulders (Google Streetview updated to show it), but they did not widen the outside shoulders to interstate standards. It would've made sense IMO to do so while they were working on it at the time.

If NCDOT is anything like Caltrans, the reconstruction project mentioned was likely planned several years in advance -- well before the I-42 designation activity.  The parameters probably specified simple "in place" criteria that didn't include widening to 10 feet.  Districts & contractors tend to view the "brief" as more or less set in stone; they'll do the work called for -- period.  It would be nice if a newer set of parameters, such as the shoulder widening, could be incorporated in a pre-existing contract, but normally it doesn't work that way -- the widening would have to come later under separate cover.  Often it ends up that a job with this sort of scenario ends up being done at least twice -- but most contractors would consider that "gravy" -- or at least job security! 

[LM117]

The one thing that puzzles me is that NCDOT repaved the US-70 freeway in La Grange last year, as well as reconstruct the shoulders (Google Streetview updated to show it), but they did not widen the outside shoulders to interstate standards. It would've made sense IMO to do so while they were working on it at the time.

If NCDOT is anything like Caltrans, the reconstruction project mentioned was likely planned several years in advance -- well before the I-42 designation activity.  The parameters probably specified simple "in place" criteria that didn't include widening to 10 feet.  Districts & contractors tend to view the "brief" as more or less set in stone; they'll do the work called for -- period.  It would be nice if a newer set of parameters, such as the shoulder widening, could be incorporated in a pre-existing contract, but normally it doesn't work that way -- the widening would have to come later under separate cover.  Often it ends up that a job with this sort of scenario ends up being done at least twice -- but most contractors would consider that "gravy" -- or at least job security!

What misled me into thinking NCDOT was going to widen the shoulders to interstate standards was this tidbit from their June 7, 2016 press release announcing the project:

https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=12609

Milling and resurfacing improves both traction and ride quality on the road, which is especially important during rainy and snowy weather. Shoulder reconstruction provides motorists with a refuge area in case of an emergency.

...yet the new shoulders are only slightly wider than what they were to begin with. If you pull over, at least half of your vehicle would still end up in the grass.

[sparker]

https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=12609

Milling and resurfacing improves both traction and ride quality on the road, which is especially important during rainy and snowy weather. Shoulder reconstruction provides motorists with a refuge area in case of an emergency.

...yet the new shoulders are only slightly wider than what they were to begin with. If you pull over, at least half of your vehicle would still end up in the grass.

I suppose with narrow shoulders abutting a grassy area the thought is that at least two tires (L, front/rear) are still on the pavement, allowing a measure of traction when pulling back into the traffic lane (a quasi-analog of taking only 2 tires on a pit stop!).  Since grass -- at least when damp -- is pretty slippery, this is a questionable concept that might result in a clumsy road re-entry as right side tires slip.  I remember driving on US 78 in MS prior to the I-22 designation; their shoulders (since paved) were graded earth but wide enough to accommodate a passenger vehicle or small pickup (they looked like 10' wide but could have been marginally less); some consistent traction would be available for those pulling off & on the roadway.  Luckily, I never had to test that prospect on that stretch of highway.  But at least they were functional shoulders!

[LM117]

I suppose with narrow shoulders abutting a grassy area the thought is that at least two tires (L, front/rear) are still on the pavement, allowing a measure of traction when pulling back into the traffic lane (a quasi-analog of taking only 2 tires on a pit stop!).  Since grass -- at least when damp -- is pretty slippery, this is a questionable concept that might result in a clumsy road re-entry as right side tires slip.  I remember driving on US 78 in MS prior to the I-22 designation; their shoulders (since paved) were graded earth but wide enough to accommodate a passenger vehicle or small pickup (they looked like 10' wide but could have been marginally less); some consistent traction would be available for those pulling off & on the roadway.  Luckily, I never had to test that prospect on that stretch of highway.  But at least they were functional shoulders!

I had the misfortune of having to test out the narrow shoulders on US-264 near Zebulon last year on my way to Wilson and I hope the day I use them again never comes. No graded earth. Just grass. It wasn't fun trying to merge back into 70+ mph traffic, never mind that hellacious bump going from pavement to grass and vice-versa. You can slow down all you want, but you're still going to feel that bump.

[Rothman]

So...is I-42 signed out by Goldsboro or is Google Maps just sucking again?

[dfilpus]

So...is I-42 signed out by Goldsboro or is Google Maps just sucking again?

Both, US 70 Bypass has Future I-42 signs, but is not fully signed, so Google Maps is jumping the gun.

[Rothman]

So...is I-42 signed out by Goldsboro or is Google Maps just sucking again?

Both, US 70 Bypass has Future I-42 signs, but is not fully signed, so Google Maps is jumping the gun.

That is what I suspected.  Thanks much.

[LM117]

According to this article, upgrading US-70 to interstate standards between the Goldsboro Bypass and Princeton will be done in two phases.

http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2017/08/13/road_improvement_projects_included_in_states_10year_budget/

Also in the plan, U.S. 70 would be upgraded to freeway standards from the west end of the U.S. 70 Bypass to the Wayne-Johnston county line by eliminating at-grade intersections and driveway connections.

The $130.5 million project to bring U.S. 70 up to freeway standards would be completed in two phases.

The first would be for the section of highway from the U.S. 70 Bypass to west of Lube Smith Road. Right of way would start in 2023 and construction in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The second phase would be from west of Lube Smith Road to east of Pondfield Road. The second phase is unfunded for future years past 2027.

[LM117]

While the minutes from last month's meeting have not yet been posted, the US-70 Corridor Commission did post the Director's Report for June & July. The Havelock Bypass is still tied up in negotiations due to the lawsuit filed by the SELC last December. The let date for upgrading US-70 to interstate standards in James City has been moved up from 2021 to 2019 with no opposition from the locals. The Kinston Bypass is apparently being designed to be raised above the flood area that was hit by Hurricane Matthew and the draft Environmental Impact Statement is planned for early 2018. The planned projects on US-70 near Wilson's Mills got a lot of support during the public meeting on July 17 with Right of Way beginning next year.

http://www.super70corridor.com/wp-content/uploads/June_July_2017-Directors-Report.pdf

[LM117]

Construction coming to US-70 in Lenoir and Jones counties.

https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=14270

GREENVILLE — The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $6.5 million contract to mill, resurface and reconstruct shoulders on more than 11 miles of roadway in Lenoir and Jones Counties.

The contract awarded to Barnhill Contracting Company of Rocky Mount includes improvements to four sections of U.S. 70 between Mt. Vernon Park Drive in Kinston and Dover Road in Jones County.

Milling and resurfacing improves both traction and ride quality on the road, which is especially important during rainy and snowy weather. Shoulder reconstruction provides motorists with a refuge area in case of an emergency.

Work on this project is scheduled to begin as soon as Sept. 25, and is scheduled to be completed by Dec. 30, 2018. Some lane closures will be needed but no detours are proposed at this time.

Despite what NCDOT says about the shoulder reconstruction providing a place to pull over in an emergency, I wouldn't count on the shoulders being widened. They made the same claim when they did the same project between La Grange and Kinston last year and yet the shoulders are still narrow. So much for the "refuge area"...

[LM117]

For those interested, I found the most recent crash summary posted by the US-70 Corridor Commission, which covers 2014-2016. It also provides AADT info.

http://www.super70corridor.com/wp-content/uploads/US-70-Corridor-2014-2016-Crash-Data.pdf

[Henry]

Similar to what they did with I-87, the same thing is now happening to I-42. Apparently, Google Maps has been hacked!

[LM117]

Similar to what they did with I-87, the same thing is now happening to I-42. Apparently, Google Maps has been hacked!

It's been like that for a while. It's probably some idiot that doesn't know what the word "future" means. Google is quick to put out false information but slow as hell correcting it.