Interstate 73/74

[74/171FAN]

There is an interesting type on the second page of the SigningPlans3 file, signs on US 74 West for NC 130 are marked as NC 220, fortunately they're not replacing them.

Yeah, I was confused with Shelby for a minute there.

[bob7374]

Google Maps Street View has updated some of its coverage of I-40 south of Winston-Salem to October. I made some screen grabs of the newly paved future ramps to I-74 East and West, eastbound here:


Additional images at: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg4.html#photos

[GreenLanternCorps]

Google maps is showing the bypass interchange with US 52 as partially open.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.2083734,-80.2931324,2363m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m2!1e1!1e4?entry=ttu

[PColumbus73]

Google maps is showing the bypass interchange with US 52 as partially open.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.2083734,-80.2931324,2363m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m2!1e1!1e4?entry=ttu

Drove through the area yesterday coming back from Thanksgiving, it looks like 74 is open from US 52 to US 421. I didn't get on it this time, I was in the wrong lane and it was kind of hard to tell with the ongoing construction.

[The Ghostbuster]

The portion of future Interstate 74 between US 421 and Interstate 74/future NC 192 does not show any signs of construction yet on Google Maps Satellite View. One has to go onto Street View to get any signs of construction.

[bob7374]

Google maps is showing the bypass interchange with US 52 as partially open.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.2083734,-80.2931324,2363m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m2!1e1!1e4?entry=ttu

Drove through the area yesterday coming back from Thanksgiving, it looks like 74 is open from US 52 to US 421. I didn't get on it this time, I was in the wrong lane and it was kind of hard to tell with the ongoing construction.

I take that comment to mean there's not much new signage up as yet along US 52. Based on viewing the traffic cameras on US 421 they have also not yet updated signage at the Beltway exit indicating that NC 74 can be used as a bypass around Winston-Salem to US 52 North.

[PColumbus73]

Google maps is showing the bypass interchange with US 52 as partially open.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.2083734,-80.2931324,2363m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m2!1e1!1e4?entry=ttu

Drove through the area yesterday coming back from Thanksgiving, it looks like 74 is open from US 52 to US 421. I didn't get on it this time, I was in the wrong lane and it was kind of hard to tell with the ongoing construction.

I take that comment to mean there's not much new signage up as yet along US 52. Based on viewing the traffic cameras on US 421 they have also not yet updated signage at the Beltway exit indicating that NC 74 can be used as a bypass around Winston-Salem to US 52 North.

Except for portable VMS signs, there was none heading south on US 52.

[Strider]

Google maps is showing the bypass interchange with US 52 as partially open.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.2083734,-80.2931324,2363m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m2!1e1!1e4?entry=ttu

Drove through the area yesterday coming back from Thanksgiving, it looks like 74 is open from US 52 to US 421. I didn't get on it this time, I was in the wrong lane and it was kind of hard to tell with the ongoing construction.

I take that comment to mean there's not much new signage up as yet along US 52. Based on viewing the traffic cameras on US 421 they have also not yet updated signage at the Beltway exit indicating that NC 74 can be used as a bypass around Winston-Salem to US 52 North.

Except for portable VMS signs, there was none heading south on US 52.

There are two portable VMS signs on US 52 South. One of them is hard to see because it is sort of hidden behind the construction trucks right before the NC 65 exit. The second one is right before the temporary NC-74 East and US 52 South split, but it is switching between "NC-74 EAST, LEFT EXIT" and "US 52 SOUTH, RIGHT LANES" repeatedly. I often see cars switch lanes at the very last minute (almost missing the exit just like you did).

[PColumbus73]

Google maps is showing the bypass interchange with US 52 as partially open.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.2083734,-80.2931324,2363m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m2!1e1!1e4?entry=ttu

Drove through the area yesterday coming back from Thanksgiving, it looks like 74 is open from US 52 to US 421. I didn't get on it this time, I was in the wrong lane and it was kind of hard to tell with the ongoing construction.

I take that comment to mean there's not much new signage up as yet along US 52. Based on viewing the traffic cameras on US 421 they have also not yet updated signage at the Beltway exit indicating that NC 74 can be used as a bypass around Winston-Salem to US 52 North.

Except for portable VMS signs, there was none heading south on US 52.

There are two portable VMS signs on US 52 South. One of them is hard to see because it is sort of hidden behind the construction trucks right before the NC 65 exit. The second one is right before the temporary NC-74 East and US 52 South split, but it is switching between "NC-74 EAST, LEFT EXIT" and "US 52 SOUTH, RIGHT LANES" repeatedly. I often see cars switch lanes at the very last minute (almost missing the exit just like you did).

Judging by the satellite view, it looks like the current east/southbound exit to 74 will eventually be the westbound lanes of 74. I don't imagine permanent signage will be installed until the south/eastbound lanes are shifted to their final alignment.

[bob7374]

Tar Heel Dashcam has a new video traveling the new (but still far from complete) extension of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74) from NC 66 to US 52 (after the 12 minute mark of the 25 minute video) showing the lack of permanent signage referred to above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oszR8UMuYgk

[bob7374]

I've added new photos with coverage of the now open US 52 interchange with the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74), such as this showing the current split of lanes on US 52 South, courtesy of Mark David Moore:


to my I-74 Segment 3, https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg3.html#seg3photos
and Segment 4 https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg4.html#seg4photos  pages.

[bob7374]

Another December video highlighting construction of the Winston-Salem Beltway, this time at the southern end along I-40 and I-74. The I-40 portion shows progress in building the flyover ramps:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W58A-kHjvAo

[bob7374]

Before the New Year gets too old, I've posted my 2023 year in review for I-73/I-74 and other new and future interstates in NC on the Gribblenation blog site:
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/01/i-73i-74-and-nc-new-and-future.html

[sprjus4]

Before the New Year gets too old, I've posted my 2023 year in review for I-73/I-74 and other new and future interstates in NC on the Gribblenation blog site:
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/01/i-73i-74-and-nc-new-and-future.html

Good article! One thing I'll comment on at the end, "If the completion of the Reedy Fork interchange occurs on schedule, a couple miles will be ready for the signing of I-785 along US 29."

Last I recall, the Reedy Fork interchange project was only constructing a new interchange at that location, it was not upgrading the mainline between Reedy Fork Rd and the Hicone Road interchange near I-840. Signing will have to wait until the mainline itself is upgraded.

I don't imagine NCDOT will sign any portion additional of I-785 until the mainline is upgraded between Hicone Road and the existing freeway near Reidsville.

[Strider]

Before the New Year gets too old, I've posted my 2023 year in review for I-73/I-74 and other new and future interstates in NC on the Gribblenation blog site:
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/01/i-73i-74-and-nc-new-and-future.html

Good article! One thing I'll comment on at the end, "If the completion of the Reedy Fork interchange occurs on schedule, a couple miles will be ready for the signing of I-785 along US 29."

Last I recall, the Reedy Fork interchange project was only constructing a new interchange at that location, it was not upgrading the mainline between Reedy Fork Rd and the Hicone Road interchange near I-840. Signing will have to wait until the mainline itself is upgraded.

I don't imagine NCDOT will sign any portion additional of I-785 until the mainline is upgraded between Hicone Road and the existing freeway near Reidsville.

Yeah, you are correct. NCDOT is not going to sign additional I-785 sign until the entire roadway between Hicone Road and Business US 29/US 29 split. I would be surprised if they extended I-785 for a little bit towards the Reddy Fork interchange, but I doubt it.

[PColumbus73]

Are there any plans to rebuild the US 52 / US 421 interchange in Winston-Salem after I-74 is built?

[bob7374]

I have posted several photos courtesy of David Gallo showing progress in constructing the new interchange on US 74 (Future I-74) with NC 130/NC 72 in Robeson County, including:


Other photos are at: https://www.malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg17.html#segment

[The Ghostbuster]

No updates yet on Google Maps or Street View (latest update was May 2023).

[PColumbus73]

When the interchange in west Rockingham is completed with US 74, are there any plans to reroute US 74 back onto Business 74 through Rockingham and Hamlet?

Having three 74s meeting at one interchange (I-74, US 74, Business 74) seems like it would invite confusion since this is where I/US 74 split from each other.

[bob7374]

When the interchange in west Rockingham is completed with US 74, are there any plans to reroute US 74 back onto Business 74 through Rockingham and Hamlet?

Having three 74s meeting at one interchange (I-74, US 74, Business 74) seems like it would invite confusion since this is where I/US 74 split from each other.

It doesn't appear so based on the sign plans for the Bypass project. Confusion, what confusion?:

[The Ghostbuster]

Once future Interstates 73/74 from US 220 to the US 74 Rockingham Bypass is completed, will the exits on the remainder of the bypass get exit numbers via the mileage of Interstate 74 (Exit 306 could probably stay the same, at least eastbound)?

[PColumbus73]

When the interchange in west Rockingham is completed with US 74, are there any plans to reroute US 74 back onto Business 74 through Rockingham and Hamlet?

Having three 74s meeting at one interchange (I-74, US 74, Business 74) seems like it would invite confusion since this is where I/US 74 split from each other.

I was thinking more about the westbound direction.
It doesn't appear so based on the sign plans for the Bypass project. Confusion, what confusion?:

I was thinking more about the westbound direction.

[Strider]

Once future Interstates 73/74 from US 220 to the US 74 Rockingham Bypass is completed, will the exits on the remainder of the bypass get exit numbers via the mileage of Interstate 74 (Exit 306 could probably stay the same, at least eastbound)?

The exits will follow I-73's from its current end at US 220 (Exit 22) towards the US 74/Business 74 interchange (Exit 16) where I-73 will temporarily end until I-73 is extended into SC (whenever that comes), and the rest of the mileage will either follow US 74's or I-74's.

[bob7374]

When the interchange in west Rockingham is completed with US 74, are there any plans to reroute US 74 back onto Business 74 through Rockingham and Hamlet?

Having three 74s meeting at one interchange (I-74, US 74, Business 74) seems like it would invite confusion since this is where I/US 74 split from each other.

It doesn't appear so based on the sign plans for the Bypass project. Confusion, what confusion?:

I was thinking more about the westbound direction.

Here's one of the westbound sign plans:

[sprjus4]

Here's one of the westbound sign plans:

"At the fork, follow signs for 74 West"