Monroe US 74 Bypass

[index]

I saw there was no thread on this to-be bypass, so I decided to make one.

It is opening in 2018, and you can see the construction on google maps. I've saw some of it in person for myself. There's a really nice lane shift just before US 74 enters Union County that they constructed last January, to make room for the interchange where the bypass will begin.

There's quite a bit of roundabouts for its interchanges (saw this from looking on google maps), and I believe it'll end between Marshville and Wingate. This tollway received really bad opposition from NIMBYs.

I'm wondering a few things for this bypass: How much are the tolls, and how much did it cost? I remember it being somewhere in the low millions. (20 or so?)

NCDOT has a page on the project: https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/monroeconnector/

They call it the Monroe Connector, despite it bypassing Monroe and not actually connecting it with anything.

[froggie]

IIRC, we've discussed it in the regular North Carolina thread.  There wasn't enough discussion (or material) to warrant a separate thread.

[index]

Hmm, well, okay then.. I had figured that after seeing other dedicated threads about major projects that didn't have much discussion that this would have been fine.

I suppose I could still make something out of this thread...

[froggie]

If you have a lot to add, go for it...

[Third Strike]

I saw there was no thread on this to-be bypass, so I decided to make one.

It is opening in 2018, and you can see the construction on google maps. I've saw some of it in person for myself. There's a really nice lane shift just before US 74 enters Union County that they constructed last January, to make room for the interchange where the bypass will begin.

There's quite a bit of roundabouts for its interchanges (saw this from looking on google maps), and I believe it'll end between Marshville and Wingate. This tollway received really bad opposition from NIMBYs.

I'm wondering a few things for this bypass: How much are the tolls, and how much did it cost? I remember it being somewhere in the low millions. (20 or so?)

NCDOT has a page on the project: https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/monroeconnector/

They call it the Monroe Connector, despite it bypassing Monroe and not actually connecting it with anything.

I believe the new name is the Monroe Expressway, which makes more sense. I'm really interested in what the daily traffic count will be on this road, especially since Union County has some of the worst congestion in the metro. I'm also wondering if being a toll road will curtail the inevitable sprawl in that side of the county. Right now it's nothing but farmland.

[LM117]

I believe the new name is the Monroe Expressway, which makes more sense. I'm really interested in what the daily traffic count will be on this road, especially since Union County has some of the worst congestion in the metro. I'm also wondering if being a toll road will curtail the inevitable sprawl in that side of the county. Right now it's nothing but farmland.

I'm interested in the traffic counts, too. I can't help but wonder how many will shunpike the toll road by sticking with US-74.

[Mapmikey]

The cost of the project is about $840M.

See page 141 of the 2017 STIP - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/STIPDocuments1/2018-2027%20STIP%20-%20Divisions%208-14.pdf

Toll rates have not been released as best I can find...

[RoadPelican]

Regarding the Toll Rates for the US 74 Monroe Bypass, I remember reading a couple years ago that the rate that NCDOT was targeting is 20 cents a mile and the new bypass would be 15 miles in length.  So 20 cents X 15 miles = $3.00 each way.

[orulz]

I believe the new name is the Monroe Expressway, which makes more sense. I'm really interested in what the daily traffic count will be on this road, especially since Union County has some of the worst congestion in the metro. I'm also wondering if being a toll road will curtail the inevitable sprawl in that side of the county. Right now it's nothing but farmland.

I'm interested in the traffic counts, too. I can't help but wonder how many will shunpike the toll road by sticking with US-74.

Quite a few people initially tried that with the parallel routes for NC540 in western Wake County. Even though they widened NC55 in roughly 2004, Davis Drive in roughly 2008, opened 540 in 2013, and are currently working on Green Level Church as another parallel route, the TriEx has been soundly beating expectations. Basically what it comes down to is this: with so much growth, shunpikers will easily overwhelm the parallel free routes, especially during rush hour, leaving plenty of traffic to take the toll road. Is there any reason to expect Monroe won't be the same?

[Interstate 69 Fan]

Question - Will US 74 itself be rerouted onto the Bypass? If so, what will it's old route become?

[Strider]

Question - Will US 74 itself be rerouted onto the Bypass? If so, what will it's old route become?

The bypass will be called US 74 Toll Bypass, while the old route will be just US 74, unless otherwise stated.

[Avalanchez71]

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

[froggie]

^ Because the initial "bypass" wasn't built as limited access.

[Strider]

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

It isn't really a bypass  as it is filled with businesses along the route. That road where US 74 is currently on, was built to "bypass" the former 2 lane US 74 that goes through downtown.

[index]

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

It isn't really a bypass  as it is filled with businesses along the route. That road where US 74 is currently on, was built to "bypass" the former 2 lane US 74 that goes through downtown.

US 74 went through downtown Monroe? TIL. Do you know what route it took through downtown?

[Avalanchez71]

Guessing E Franklin Rd to Charlotte Ave.

[roadman65]

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

Its like Kokomo, IN on US 31.  Originally it went through Downtown Kokomo and then Indiana built the current IN 931 as a bypass for that which eventually opened the door for sprawl leading to strip malls and a bunch of big box retailers to congest that bypass.  So IN built a freeway bypass of the 1955 arterial one a few years back.  Of course the freeway won't get slammed with development, but of course the interchanges will soon boom with businesses, but that is for another story.

However, the same thing happened there.

IMO this is why I-74 should be part of an E-W interstate corridor along US 74 from Charlotte to Wilmington as with the need for the tolled Fulton Bypass shows that all of US 74 east of Charlotte is worthy of a continuous freeway.  Being part of a diagonal NW to SE corridor with 2 other states not even planning to build their parts is helping a small section of a bigger piece that could use the whole 100 yards as per whatever purpose the N-S portion of I-74 ( redundant to I-73) will serve.

[Strider]

Guessing E Franklin Rd to Charlotte Ave.

It was more likely have followed E. Franklin Rd and Charlotte Ave. (at the eastern end of Franklin Rd, facing US 74 and US 601 Split), you can see the road curves to the north before ending at US 74, at the same time the current US 74 curves to the north.

[Mapmikey]

Guessing E Franklin Rd to Charlotte Ave.

It was more likely have followed E. Franklin Rd and Charlotte Ave. (at the eastern end of Franklin Rd, facing US 74 and US 601 Split), you can see the road curves to the north before ending at US 74, at the same time the current US 74 curves to the north.

If only there were a site to look these things up...

From http://vahighways.com/ncannex/route-log/us074.html
Through Monroe, US 74 followed Charlotte Rd, then Franklin St through downtown. US 74 then followed US 601 south to "Old 74" then east to current US 74 which it followed to Wingate.

Here is a mapscan from when there was an inner bypass in the 1940s-52



That went away when the current US 74 bypass was opened in 1952.  The primary designation through downtown went away by 1954...

[wdcrft63]

I believe the new name is the Monroe Expressway, which makes more sense. I'm really interested in what the daily traffic count will be on this road, especially since Union County has some of the worst congestion in the metro. I'm also wondering if being a toll road will curtail the inevitable sprawl in that side of the county. Right now it's nothing but farmland.

I'm interested in the traffic counts, too. I can't help but wonder how many will shunpike the toll road by sticking with US-74.

Quite a few people initially tried that with the parallel routes for NC540 in western Wake County. Even though they widened NC55 in roughly 2004, Davis Drive in roughly 2008, opened 540 in 2013, and are currently working on Green Level Church as another parallel route, the TriEx has been soundly beating expectations. Basically what it comes down to is this: with so much growth, shunpikers will easily overwhelm the parallel free routes, especially during rush hour, leaving plenty of traffic to take the toll road. Is there any reason to expect Monroe won't be the same?

I suspect the electronic tolling encourages traffic to use the TriEx and other toll roads. When you don't have to stop and dig change out of your pocket, it makes the toll seem a little less real or a little less burdensome.

[index]

I went up to Asheville about two weeks ago and caught some (mediocre) photos of bypass construction on my way there.

[hockeyjohn]

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

Its like Kokomo, IN on US 31.  Originally it went through Downtown Kokomo and then Indiana built the current IN 931 as a bypass for that which eventually opened the door for sprawl leading to strip malls and a bunch of big box retailers to congest that bypass.  So IN built a freeway bypass of the 1955 arterial one a few years back.  Of course the freeway won't get slammed with development, but of course the interchanges will soon boom with businesses, but that is for another story.

However, the same thing happened there.

IMO this is why I-74 should be part of an E-W interstate corridor along US 74 from Charlotte to Wilmington as with the need for the tolled Fulton Bypass shows that all of US 74 east of Charlotte is worthy of a continuous freeway.  Being part of a diagonal NW to SE corridor with 2 other states not even planning to build their parts is helping a small section of a bigger piece that could use the whole 100 yards as per whatever purpose the N-S portion of I-74 ( redundant to I-73) will serve.

When US-74 was extended from Asheville to Chattanooga in the early 1990's, it seemed like a prelude for an extension of I-24 across the mountains and down to Wilmington.   That route number fits decently into the grid.

[wdcrft63]

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

Its like Kokomo, IN on US 31.  Originally it went through Downtown Kokomo and then Indiana built the current IN 931 as a bypass for that which eventually opened the door for sprawl leading to strip malls and a bunch of big box retailers to congest that bypass.  So IN built a freeway bypass of the 1955 arterial one a few years back.  Of course the freeway won't get slammed with development, but of course the interchanges will soon boom with businesses, but that is for another story.

However, the same thing happened there.

IMO this is why I-74 should be part of an E-W interstate corridor along US 74 from Charlotte to Wilmington as with the need for the tolled Fulton Bypass shows that all of US 74 east of Charlotte is worthy of a continuous freeway.  Being part of a diagonal NW to SE corridor with 2 other states not even planning to build their parts is helping a small section of a bigger piece that could use the whole 100 yards as per whatever purpose the N-S portion of I-74 ( redundant to I-73) will serve.

When US-74 was extended from Asheville to Chattanooga in the early 1990's, it seemed like a prelude for an extension of I-24 across the mountains and down to Wilmington.   That route number fits decently into the grid.

There's zero chance that US 74 would ever be upgraded to interstate standards between Asheville and Chattanooga. The cost is too great and the need too little. But there could be an interstate along US 74 from I-26 to Wilmington; I-36 would be a good number for that route.

[index]

https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=15280

INDIAN TRAIL— Crews working on the Monroe Expressway project will have temporary lane closures in place on Indian Trail-Fairview Road near Stinson Hartis Road in Indian Trail, starting Monday, June 4. Crews will be flagging traffic to tie in pavement at either end of a new bridge taking Indian Trail — Fairview Road over the expressway. Paving operations will be in place from 9 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day through Thursday, June 7. When work is completed, traffic will be shifted to a new section of Indian Trail-Fairview Road and the new bridge.

http://www.co.union.nc.us/departments/planning-building-development/planning-zoning/calendar/secrest-short-cut-small-area-plan

Union County and the Town of Indian Trail are developing a Small Area Plan for the Secrest Short Cut area to guide future growth near the Monroe Expressway interchange at Unionville-Indian Trail Road. The plan aims to reflect community priorities and economic development opportunities in the changing landscape.Growth pressures are evident in this area as development projects and potential rezoning petitions are being discussed. Currently, the Secrest Short Cut study area is approximately 1,323 acres and most of land is undeveloped. About 25% of land is used for agriculture and much of developed land is for residential purposes.The Town of Indian Trail and Union County will be asked to approve the plan in mid-2018.

An open house on this event occurred on May 31.


As for other events, I also believe that construction of flyovers is occurring near the Western terminus of the new bypass.

[Henry]

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

Its like Kokomo, IN on US 31.  Originally it went through Downtown Kokomo and then Indiana built the current IN 931 as a bypass for that which eventually opened the door for sprawl leading to strip malls and a bunch of big box retailers to congest that bypass.  So IN built a freeway bypass of the 1955 arterial one a few years back.  Of course the freeway won't get slammed with development, but of course the interchanges will soon boom with businesses, but that is for another story.

However, the same thing happened there.

IMO this is why I-74 should be part of an E-W interstate corridor along US 74 from Charlotte to Wilmington as with the need for the tolled Fulton Bypass shows that all of US 74 east of Charlotte is worthy of a continuous freeway.  Being part of a diagonal NW to SE corridor with 2 other states not even planning to build their parts is helping a small section of a bigger piece that could use the whole 100 yards as per whatever purpose the N-S portion of I-74 ( redundant to I-73) will serve.

When US-74 was extended from Asheville to Chattanooga in the early 1990's, it seemed like a prelude for an extension of I-24 across the mountains and down to Wilmington.   That route number fits decently into the grid.

There's zero chance that US 74 would ever be upgraded to interstate standards between Asheville and Chattanooga. The cost is too great and the need too little. But there could be an interstate along US 74 from I-26 to Wilmington; I-36 would be a good number for that route.

Then again, any other number in the 30s would also fit (32, 34 and 38), because it is completely south of I-40, and none of those numbers have ever been used before. If the Chattanooga extension were doable, then I-24 could be used here, but since it's impossible, then the 30s would be the next best thing.