Charlotte

[sprjus4]

I don't think the Beltway HO/T Lanes project was that big of an issue.  I-95/395, on the other hand...

I would agree that the I-495 project was okay, but not the I-95 / I-395 portion.

[Mileage Mike]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4017547,-80.6983075,3a,75y,55.74h,79.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZUdpXrct-ZVgtXz7A7lSHg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

They got space to put another lane here. Maybe in the future there will be some managed lanes?

I-85 doesn't really need more lanes in that area. 85 is pretty good for the most part through Charlotte. It's 77 between Uptown and the SC line that's the biggest (and most costly) issue that needs to be fixed.

[tolbs17]

There's a proposal that it would say it would be get 5-2-2-5.

[LM117]

The speed limit on I-485 between the western NC-27 interchange and US-74 in Matthews will be reduced to 65mph.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-09-19-charlotte-speed-limit-reduction.aspx

[sprjus4]

The speed limit on I-485 between the western NC-27 interchange and US-74 in Matthews will be reduced to 65mph.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-09-19-charlotte-speed-limit-reduction.aspx

Yes, because reducing the speed limit will definitely slow drivers down and decrease accident rates... I highly doubt anything will change.

The design speed is 70 mph, the speed limit should reflect this, and that's what drivers will do no matter what's posted.

I feel like this is the start to a new trend... first I-485 has half of the highway reduced to 65 mph... next the remainder will be reduced to 65 mph... then I-540 around Raleigh will be lowered to 65 mph, and so on.

[tolbs17]

The speed limit on I-485 between the western NC-27 interchange and US-74 in Matthews will be reduced to 65mph.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-09-19-charlotte-speed-limit-reduction.aspx

Not sure if i really like that idea, but I guess reducing the speed limit to 65 (especially in high AADT highways) would be fine.

[sprjus4]

The speed limit on I-485 between the western NC-27 interchange and US-74 in Matthews will be reduced to 65mph.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-09-19-charlotte-speed-limit-reduction.aspx

Not sure if i really like that idea, but I guess reducing the speed limit to 65 (especially in high AADT highways) would be fine.

The highway may have a high AADT, but it was constructed as a rural freeway and still has a rural freeway design, spaced out interchanges, large curve radius, 70 mph design speed, etc... it should still be reflected in the posted the speed limit, which is currently 70 mph and should remain 70 mph.

If you use AADT as a standard, then you'd have to lower a lot of 70 - 75 mph highways across the country to 65 mph.

And again, ultimately, will this slow people down? Will be people all a sudden go from 70 - 75 mph to 65 - 70 mph? Doubt it.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Is not the class clockwise direction coming into a work zone.

[TimQuiQui]

The rationale at the time of increasing the speed limit is that internal studies showed average drivers going above 70 throughout the loop. I personally doubt I'll slow down any on that stretch. I'm a little surprised they didn't extend this to Exit 57 - NC 16. That'd cover the whole remaining four lane section and I always felt the mile 51-57 zone is where I saw the most crashes. Maybe they're planning on that being cut to construction soon anyway.

[The Ghostbuster]

I doubt reducing the speed limit to 65 will make much difference. Does anyone really obey the posted speed limit? Also: will law enforcement also beef up on cracking down on speeders?

[wdcrft63]

I doubt reducing the speed limit to 65 will make much difference. Does anyone really obey the posted speed limit? Also: will law enforcement also beef up on cracking down on speeders?

Probably not. When I drive on I-40 between Raleigh and Durham, I think the speed limit is 65, but you have to do 75 if you don't want to be flattened.

[Mileage Mike]

The rationale at the time of increasing the speed limit is that internal studies showed average drivers going above 70 throughout the loop. I personally doubt I'll slow down any on that stretch. I'm a little surprised they didn't extend this to Exit 57 - NC 16. That'd cover the whole remaining four lane section and I always felt the mile 51-57 zone is where I saw the most crashes. Maybe they're planning on that being cut to construction soon anyway.

They did. Exit 57 lies between US 74 in Matthews and the NC 27/I-485 Interchange in West Charlotte.

[fillup420]

whats annoying about that is the speed limit was raised from 65 to 70 on all of I-485 once the loop was finished. now they're dropping it back down? Everyone is going to continue doing 90 anyway.

[tolbs17]

whats annoying about that is the speed limit was raised from 65 to 70 on all of I-485 once the loop was finished. now they're dropping it back down? Everyone is going to continue doing 90 anyway.

Yeah, they did a bad idea. I-77 in Charlotte and I-40 between Durham and Raleigh are fine 65, but not I-485. All of I-485 should stay 70.

If you look back in 2015, NCDOT raised most of their freeways to 70 mph.

[fillup420]

Drove up I-77 north today and passed the section of new express lanes that have opened. I must admit that it looks really good now that (part of) it is done

[sprjus4]

If you look back in 2015, NCDOT raised most of their freeways to 70 mph.

It's funny - it seems most of the beltways around urban areas are 70 mph, yet the mainlines in rural areas still maintain 65 mph...

[LM117]

The speed limit on I-485 between the western NC-27 interchange and US-74 in Matthews will be reduced to 65mph.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-09-19-charlotte-speed-limit-reduction.aspx

Turns out NCDOT jumped the gun. The speed limit will remain 70mph.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/traffic/article235427247.html#storylink=mainstage_card5

[sprjus4]

^

Certainly not complaining, but can this state stay consistent on anything? 

[wriddle082]

^

Certainly not complaining, but can this state stay consistent on anything? 

The article mentions significant traffic volume increases since the last leg of the loop was finished.  What it doesn't mention is that since that time, nearly all of I-77 within the loop has had some form of nonstop construction.  Whether it be the toll lanes north of 277 Brookshire or just general resurfacing south of there.  It hasn't stopped since 2015/2016 timeframe.  And a significant number of motorists who want to avoid 77 are now regularly using 485, and I'm thinking even if it's a little out of the way.

As for I-85 through traffic, it really hasn't been affected as much, mostly because it has had sufficient capacity ever since they finished a lot of the widening projects in Cabarrus.  The only significant slowdowns it seems to encounter are in Gaston, and those will likely be addressed once the 485 work from Ballentyne to Matthews is completed.

Also, I really wish they would do something about the 485 merge onto 85 south near the airport!  And why they built the Sam Wilson Rd bridge over 85 *with* shoulder piers, thus making adding more lanes impossible w/o rebuilding this bridge, is beyond me!

[sprjus4]

Also, I really wish they would do something about the 485 merge onto 85 south near the airport!

Agreed. I usually take I-85 straight thru, though I decided to try out the new(er - ~2015) bypass one trip heading southbound. It's a nice 8-lane freeway, and all 70 mph, but at the end, I sat at the interchange of I-485 / I-85 South for at least 20 minutes barely moving, and that was just on the ramp. After getting onto I-85, it was stop and go all the way to the US-321 / I-85 split. Finally got up to speed at that point, and into South Carolina.

NCDOT has plans to expand this segment to 8-lanes, but like you said, no planned improvements for the I-485 / I-85 South interchange.

[jcarte29]

Drove up I-77 north today and passed the section of new express lanes that have opened. I must admit that it looks really good now that (part of) it is done

Speaking of, I haven't received any updates from I-77 Mobility Partners (they send through email subscription monthly and quarterly updates) in over 2 months. Input is welcome here, but I think we are within a month of the "required" completion (It was supposed to be January 1, 2019) before they face 10k/day fines!

[roadman65]

I think that I-95  is odd the way it is only 70 from Kenly and the Fayetteville Bypass. The rest is only 65 even south of Fayetteville to the SC Line where the exits are spaced enough apart unlike from Eastover to Kenly (the oldest part of the route built in the late 50's I think) where ramps are almost every mile similar to I-95 in CT.

[sprjus4]

I think that I-95  is odd the way it is only 70 from Kenly and the Fayetteville Bypass. The rest is only 65 even south of Fayetteville to the SC Line where the exits are spaced enough apart unlike from Eastover to Kenly (the oldest part of the route built in the late 50's I think) where ramps are almost every mile similar to I-95 in CT.

Once the 50s portions get reconstructed to 8-lanes (which begins next year), that stretch could easily be posted at 70 mph. The design speed is 70 mph, it can handle it. If I-485 and I-540 beltways in urban metro areas can be 70 mph, then a rural stretch can be 70 mph.

Quite frankly, all of I-95 thru North Carolina could be 70 mph. It's not like everybody is already going 80 mph.

And as for 50s portions, and 65 mph, look at I-95 around Emporia, VA. Lower vertical clearances, 20-30 ft median (heavily protected by guardrail though), and bridges that look like they're going to collapse. It was built in 1958 and is posted at 70 mph, an increase from 65 mph when the state limit was raised, even that part was eligible. Granted though, there's way fewer exits, though the interchanges that do exist are extremely substandard, especially the narrow cloverleaf with US-58.

US-64 around Nashville, NC is posted at 70 mph, despite that section being constructed in the early 60s, having substandard bridges with no shoulder, lower clearance bridges, and again, bridges that look like they're about to collapse. It lowers to 65 mph once past I-95 heading east, but that's due to the Rocky Mount area and closely spaced exits - yet even then the study to upgrade US-64 to I-87 evaluated raising the speed limit to a uniform 70 mph thru there by correcting geometrical issues.

[roadman65]

However with VA and 70 around Emporia for ole 95, it's because some engineers say go for it and the others ((like in NC) say motorists need a buffer for safety.

Heck go to Texas and they have five lane arterials posted at 75 mph where many states would question signing it over 55.

[sprjus4]

However with VA and 70 around Emporia for ole 95, it's because some engineers say go for it and the others ((like in NC) say motorists need a buffer for safety.

But then there's also that segment of US-64 around Nashville that's just as aged that's posted at 70 mph.

Heck go to Texas and they have five lane arterials posted at 75 mph where many states would question signing it over 55.

Texas is one of my favorite states to drive in - mostly because you're always doing at least 70 - 75mph outside of urban areas, no matter what type of road. And even better - there's no urge to speed because the speed limit is an appropriate cap, unlike that 55 mph in the other state that most people do around 60 - 65 mph already.