Interstate 795 extension (NC)

[Roadsguy]

https://www.newsargus.com/news/section-of-country-club-road-to-close/article_bb78071e-37f2-11e9-ba8c-d77112478560.html

MOUNT OLIVE – The section of Country Club Road between the northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. 117 will be closed starting Monday.

The closure is needed in order for S.T. Wooten Co. of Wilson to continue construction of interchange at Country Club Road and U.S. 117, just north of town.

Work on the Country Club Road project, which will take U.S. 117 over Country Club Road, started January 2018 and is scheduled for completion in July.

Both northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. 117 at the intersection have been closed since last fall. Traffic is being routed onto the interchange ramps.

"Traffic in both directions will exit the highway, come to a stop, then they can get back onto the highway,"  said state Department of Transportation spokesman Andrew Barksdale. "This is part of the work to build an interchange here. As you know, we opened the O'Berry Road interchange just up the road in December. And now we are finishing the interchange at this intersection. Same contract.

"This interchange will open sometime this summer. These kind of occasional detours will occur until the interchange is completed and opened to traffic. We went through the same process last year for O'Berry Road."

The interchange is part of a $20.6 million project that also includes the interchange that opened in December at U.S. 117 and O'Berry Road at Dudley.

Both intersections carry an average of 15,000 vehicles per day, and that number is expected to increase to more than 27,000 per day by 2037, according to DOT data.

Both interchanges are being built to enhance safety and in preparation for U.S. 117 eventually being designated as Interstate 795 in this area, transportation officials said.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.

So Country Club Road will remain closed through the interchange until summer?

[LM117]

So Country Club Road will remain closed through the interchange until summer?

Yep.

[sprjus4]

Google Earth was updated with new aerial imagery from March 23, 2019 along the I-795 / US-117 corridor.

US-117 / Oberry Rd Interchange, which was completed last year -


US-117 / Country Club Rd interchange under construction, ramps constructed with traffic shifted and down to one lane, the overpass still has a little ways to go as of March 23, 2019.


Final configuration for US-117 / Country Club Rd interchange -

[LM117]

Google Earth was updated with new aerial imagery from March 23, 2019 along the I-795 / US-117 corridor.

US-117 / Oberry Rd Interchange, which was completed last year -


US-117 / Country Club Rd interchange under construction, ramps constructed with traffic shifted and down to one lane, the overpass still has a little ways to go as of March 23, 2019.

I just saw those the other day using the desktop version of Google Maps. Funny thing is that when I use the Google Maps app on my iPhone, it still shows images that were taken before construction began.

I still have friends that live in Wayne County and from what I've been told, those 3-way stops at the new ramps at Country Club Road have been causing major backups for US-117 traffic. Mount Olive town officials have complained to NCDOT about it, trying to have the stop signs for US-117 traffic removed, but no dice.

Judging from the image, I seriously doubt the Country Club Road interchange will open in July like originally planned. Probably towards the end of the year if we're lucky.

[sprjus4]

I still have friends that live in Wayne County and from what I've been told, those 3-way stops at the new ramps at Country Club Road have been causing major backups for US-117 traffic. Mount Olive town officials have complained to NCDOT about it, trying to have the stop signs for US-117 traffic removed, but no dice.

I wasn't aware there was a 3-way stop. That just seems like poor planning IMHO. Here in Chesapeake, when the interchange with US-17 at VA-166 was being constructed a few years back as part of the project to upgrade that stretch of US-17 between Cedar Rd and I-64 to freeway standards, traffic was shifted onto the on and off-ramps while the mainline was being raised & constructed over VA-166, and only VA-166 had stop signs, while US-17 mainline traffic forced onto the ramp was free flowing. It's been switched now so VA-166 is free-flowing and the ramp traffic has to stop, but the point still stands.

Here's old street view imagery you can see the construction pattern. This is how it should be at Country Club IMHO for now. Makes a lot more sense.

Judging from the image, I seriously doubt the Country Club Road interchange will open in July like originally planned. Probably towards the end of the year if we're lucky.

I was thinking the same thing. Still have a lot of work to do.

[LM117]

I-795's extension could be accelerated due to the CSX terminal in Rocky Mount being built.

https://www.newsargus.com/news/rail-terminal-set-to-spur-economic-growth/article_b576dada-6ee2-11e9-a752-9bf14d19fbae.html

[LM117]

I-795's extension could be accelerated due to the CSX terminal in Rocky Mount being built.

https://www.newsargus.com/news/rail-terminal-set-to-spur-economic-growth/article_b576dada-6ee2-11e9-a752-9bf14d19fbae.html

Somewhat part two on this. Most relevant part of this article (for those interested) is the latest traffic counts on I-795.

https://www.newsargus.com/news/i--steers-county-toward-emerging-possibilities/article_104d28b2-7459-11e9-be04-23f0365eeeaf.html

[sparker]

Obviously the relationship between I-795 and the Rocky Mount CSX terminal is the expectation that traffic from the Port of Wilmington to that terminal will be expedited by the "cutoff" from I-40 to I-95 provided by I-795.  However, NDOT had better get cracking on completion of 795; CSX is readying plans (already approved by NDOT, so they're well aware of them) to restore their direct line from Wilmington to Wilson; they removed the section from Wilmington to Wallace back in 1986 as part of a corporate cost-cutting program.  If & when restored, the line would likely draw off much of the large-scale shipping between the two points -- although smaller shipments -- a few containers, not enough to warrant a train -- would still find their way to trucks offloading at Rocky Mount.  And while I-795 does have purposes not necessarily connected to such traffic, completion prior to the rail restoration would certainly enhance I-795's commercial role for at least a while. 

Another question echoing one asked about I-11 out west:  Once I-795 is completed, would there be a push to decommission US 117, considering its functional duplication as well as its relatively short length?

[sprjus4]

Once I-795 is completed, would there be a push to decommission US 117, considering its functional duplication as well as its relatively short length?

I think it'd be easier just to route it all back on it's old alignment. Nothing wrong with that IMHO. It's not like Interstate 795 will be a complete upgrade of the original road. All of the original road still exists for the most part, a majority of the 4-lane US-117 south of Goldsboro is new alignment. It's just not currently signed as US-117,  the relocation is. US-117 is still in it's original alignment between Faison and Wilmington which was paralleled by Interstate 40 in the late 80s & 90s.

[froggie]

If AASHTO follows their own policies, US 117 would not be moved back onto its old alignment unless NCDOT can demonstrate that the old alignment has independent utility outside of the current 4-lane alignment.  "Emergency detour route" does not count.

[LM117]

Yeah, I don't think US-117 is moving anywhere. US-117 Alternate is pretty much nothing but a detour route anymore. It was easier to convince AASHTO to move US-117 back to it's old alignment between Goldsboro and Wilson since there's still local traffic commuting between Fremont, Pikeville, and Black Creek. Very few people would hop on I-795 just to go from one of those towns to the other. It's quicker to stick with US-117, unless there's a wreck or construction. The only benefit of I-795 for local traffic in that area is being a quicker route for going to Wilson or Goldsboro from one of the towns mentioned.

Now, I could see US-117 Connector between Calypso and I-40 being decommissioned since it would have no real reason to exist once I-795 takes over most of it's route. I think I-795 is planned to have a new interchange with I-40 just south of the existing interchange. I think it's safe to say the interchange upgrade option went out the window when Enviva built their plant. A traffic light was recently put at the entrance to the plant because of all the truck traffic.

[sprjus4]

It was easier to convince AASHTO to move US-117 back to it's old alignment between Goldsboro and Wilson since there's still local traffic commuting between Fremont, Pikeville, and Black Creek. Very few people would hop on I-795 just to go from one of those towns to the other. It's quicker to stick with US-117, unless there's a wreck or construction. The only benefit of I-795 for local traffic in that area is being a quicker route for going to Wilson or Goldsboro from one of the towns mentioned.

You made the point that US-117 serves Fremont, Pikeville, and Black Creek between Goldsboro and Wilson.

You do realize other towns exist too?

From Goldsboro to Wilmington, the old US-117 passes through Mar-Mac, Brogden, Mount Olive, Calypso, Faison, Bowdens, Warsaw, Magnolia, Rose Hill, Wallace, and Burgaw. Plenty of reason to justify it. US-117 already runs it original route from Faison to Wilmington. Why didn't they remove it when I-40 was built? Because it serves all those towns. The same can happen with I-795 is completed, route US-117 back onto it's original alignment for that short stretch compared to the long parallel of I-40.

[LM117]

Section from this morning's article regarding I-795.

https://www.newsargus.com/news/road-projects-set-to-change-landscape/article_baeb81dc-79dc-11e9-92ce-976d463860d2.html

U.S. 117 CORRIDOR

Planning and design are underway for a $227 million project to upgrade the approximately 24-mile stretch of the U.S. 117 corridor between Goldsboro and Interstate 40 in Sampson County into an extension of Interstate 795. The corridor includes the U.S. 117 Connector between Calypso and Interstate 40 in Sampson County, N.C. 403, U.S. 13 and N.C. 581.

Public meetings will be scheduled this winter to review conceptual designs with agencies, local officials and the public. At that time, the project team will request input to improve design options and to help identify design options that will proceed forward.

More public meetings will be scheduled in the spring of 2022 to review more detailed designs and studies with agencies, local officials and the public. The final environmental decision document is targeted for winter 2023-24, which will include the recommended/selected alternative.

Some of the road will be built on a new location, particularly in the northern 6.5 miles of existing U.S. 117 from U.S. 117 Alternate to north of N.C. 581, also Ash Street. The section of highway has no access control and has numerous driveways, two at-grade railroad crossings, controlled by crossing gates, and 22 at-grade intersections. Nine intersections have traffic signals, and 13 are controlled by stop signs.

This portion of the project corridor has the most adjacent development, has numerous engineering and environmental constraints and will require the most extensive upgrades.

As a freeway, the road will have full access control with interchanges or grade separations at major road and railroad crossings. There will be no at-grade access.

About 7 miles of the proposed route – roughly between Country Club Road at Mount Olive and Genoa Road at Dudley – is currently funded in the State Transportation Improvement Program, which has property acquisition scheduled to begin in 2025 and construction to start in 2027.

The project includes new bridges and ramps on U.S. 117 to replace at-grade intersections at O'Berry Road in Dudley and Country Club Road in Mount Olive.

The O'Berry Road project is completed and work is continuing on the interchange that will take U.S. 117 over Country Club Road.

A third related project will realign Smith Chapel Road with Lee's Country Club Road just south of Mount Olive where an interchange will be built. It also includes constructing a new connector road along U.S. 117 in the area.

The estimated cost is $28.5 million with right-of-way acquisition to start in 2024 followed by construction in 2026 and 2027.

The U.S. 117 project is broken down into four parts:

- North of Country Club Road in Mount Olive to south of South Landfill Road at Dudley; $17.3 million; right of way, 2025; construction, 2027.

- South of South Landfill Road to south of Genoa Road; $35 million; right of way, 2025; construction in 2027.

- South of Genoa Road to south of Arrington Bridge Road (N.C. 581); $62.4 million; unfunded for future years past 2027.

- South of Arrington Bridge Road (N.C. 581) to north of West Ash Street (N.C. 581); $111.3 million; unfunded for future years past 2027.

The project webpage can be found at https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/us-117-goldsboro/Pages/default.aspx

[LM117]

Unsurprisingly, the opening date for the Country Club Road interchange has been pushed back to spring 2020.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-06-18-us-117-ramp-closure-wayne-county.aspx

[LM117]

In today's article about a wreck near the O'Berry Road interchange, one of the pics shows the sign on US-117 for the interchange, which has no exit number.

http://goldsborodailynews.com/blog/2019/07/18/wednesday-crash-closes-portion-of-u-s-117-photos/

[sprjus4]

In today's article about a wreck near the O'Berry Road interchange, one of the pics shows the sign on US-117 for the interchange, which has no exit number.

http://goldsborodailynews.com/blog/2019/07/18/wednesday-crash-closes-portion-of-u-s-117-photos/

Google Street View imagery was updated on part of this interchange area in April 2019... at least the movement from US-117 northbound off-ramp area, the rest is still December 2016.

You can see the signage in the little bit that was updated April 2019.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2632223,-78.0532331,3a,75y,10.86h,78.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5qaHHgJvcUg4aqKuyLh7GA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

[LM117]

In today's article about a wreck near the O'Berry Road interchange, one of the pics shows the sign on US-117 for the interchange, which has no exit number.

http://goldsborodailynews.com/blog/2019/07/18/wednesday-crash-closes-portion-of-u-s-117-photos/

Google Street View imagery was updated on part of this interchange area in April 2019... at least the movement from US-117 northbound off-ramp area, the rest is still December 2016.

You can see the signage in the little bit that was updated April 2019.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2632223,-78.0532331,3a,75y,10.86h,78.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5qaHHgJvcUg4aqKuyLh7GA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

Google must've added that image very recently. I was using Streetview there yesterday and it still showed nothing but the 2016 images. I use the Google Maps app on my iPhone, FWIW. I also see Streetview images from O'Berry Road itself have been updated. About time!

[tolbs17]

In today's article about a wreck near the O'Berry Road interchange, one of the pics shows the sign on US-117 for the interchange, which has no exit number.

http://goldsborodailynews.com/blog/2019/07/18/wednesday-crash-closes-portion-of-u-s-117-photos/

Google Street View imagery was updated on part of this interchange area in April 2019... at least the movement from US-117 northbound off-ramp area, the rest is still December 2016.

You can see the signage in the little bit that was updated April 2019.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2632223,-78.0532331,3a,75y,10.86h,78.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5qaHHgJvcUg4aqKuyLh7GA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

Google must've added that image very recently. I was using Streetview there yesterday and it still showed nothing but the 2016 images. I use the Google Maps app on my iPhone, FWIW. I also see Streetview images from O'Berry Road itself have been updated. About time!

Many many people would use 40 and 117 to go to 95. So yeah. An extension would be handy. I wonder what the 117 and 40 interchange would look like.

[tolbs17]

Why is this project slated to start in 2027? Is it because of the other major projects like I-87 upgrades and complete 540 and what not?

[sprjus4]

Drove through the interchange along US-117 northbound yesterday heading back from Wilmington.

The roadway approaches look completed, though the bridges still have some work to do. The roadway is still narrowed to one-lane and you are forced to exit and come to a stop at the bottom of the ramp. Wasn't an issue, not too much heavy traffic along US-117 at least during this drive.

The speed limit through the area remains at 55 mph along the entire segment. Once the interchange construction is completed, the speed limit ought to be increased to 70 mph along the 9 mile freeway segment between the NC-55 interchange and the US-117 Alt intersection. Easily cruised 70 mph once past the work zone, and most traffic was traveling around the same speed.

Here's a couple images of the overpass taken from the ramp below.

[LM117]

^ Thanks for posting the other pic. Were there any more "Future I-795" signs posted along the highway? The only one I know of so far is on the southbound side in Goldsboro, just south of the US-70 interchange.

[sprjus4]

Were there any more "Future I-795" signs posted along the highway? The only one I know of so far is on the southbound side in Goldsboro, just south of the US-70 interchange.

Yes. Just like the other future interstates, they are posted at each county line. Along US-117 heading northbound, there's one just off of I-40 before the NC-403 intersection, and another one just south of Mt. Olive at the Wayne and Duplin County line. The first one is visible on Google Streetview.

[LM117]

Were there any more "Future I-795" signs posted along the highway? The only one I know of so far is on the southbound side in Goldsboro, just south of the US-70 interchange.

Yes. Just like the other future interstates, they are posted at each county line. Along US-117 heading northbound, there's one just off of I-40 before the NC-403 intersection, and another one just south of Mt. Olive at the Wayne and Duplin County line. The first one is visible on Google Streetview.

The one at NC-403 is somewhat surprising, since there's good chance that I-795 will split off from the connector and follow a short new alignment and connect with I-40 south of the existing interchange. I know Sampson County is adamantly opposed to upgrading the existing interchange because of the potential impact on the Enviva plant.

That traffic light is also fairly new. It wasn't there when I last drove through in 2017. Enviva asked NCDOT to put it there, IIRC.

[LM117]

According to a paywalled article in The Mount Olive Messenger (part of Goldsboro News-Argus), the US-117/Country Club Road interchange will open in early April, weather pending.

[tjcreasy]

I missed my exit for second time in the last year going from I-40W to NC-403 (Future I-795). It would be very helpful if NCDOT added Goldsboro and "To I-795 North"  to the exit signs.