North Carolina

[sprjus4]

it becomes a rural arterial route like 58 between Emporia and South Hill. 

I've always thought US 58 between Emporia and South Hill was interesting. 55 MPH. I thought, okay, it's somewhat hilly, and the lanes are a little narrow, so this is the appropriate speed. I learned last year that beyond I-85 & South Hill, the speed limit goes back up to 60 MPH. It's modern wide, full shoulder, etc. highway for a while, and then it goes back to hilly and narrow, and continues to hold 60 MPH.

US 58 between Danville and Martinsville is extremely narrow and hillyand again, holds 60 MPH. There's a few traffic signals where it drops to 55 MPH then back to 60 MPH.

I would honestly understand if that section was 55 MPH, it's reasonable. 60 MPH is a bit fast on that, especially when you're driving with a semi in the right lane (or attempting to stay in the right lane, or stay on the road around a corner).

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Way too many homes, businesses and driveways on that stretch of 64 to ever see anything higher than 55 mph, even in the rural parts. The 60 mph sections of 17 in Brunswick have no driveways and very limited intersections.

You're talking about saving two minutes over 20 miles. It seems like 10 over is the new 5 over anyway. Push it up to 60 and people will be going 70 while mee-maw is pulling the Buick out across two lanes to go 100 yards down the road to her niece's house (never getting above 35 and no turn signals) to give her some apple butter and fuss about all the speed demons and everyone being in such a hurry these days.

[sprjus4]

Way too many homes, businesses and driveways on that stretch of 64 to ever see anything higher than 55 mph, even in the rural parts. The 60 mph sections of 17 in Brunswick have no driveways and very limited intersections.

You're talking about saving two minutes over 20 miles. It seems like 10 over is the new 5 over anyway. Push it up to 60 and people will be going 70 while mee-maw is pulling the Buick out across two lanes to go 100 yards down the road to her niece's house (never getting above 35 and no turn signals) to give her some apple butter and fuss about all the speed demons and everyone being in such a hurry these days.

See my previous example about U.S. 58. Blind intersections, driveways, etc. Nothing stopped it from being 60 MPH. Most of US 58 in Virginia is 60 MPH, and has driveways everywhere. Majority of four-lane divided roadways in the south hold 65 MPH speed limits. Go to Texas, this road would easily be 75 MPH. Two-lane country roads there are 75 MPH, and when someone pulls out, you gotta slow the hell down. I was cruising down at 80 MPH on a two-lane with farms on either side, and a big tractor pulled out, slowing me down to about 15 MPH. I sat behind it for about 5 minutes until I could safely pass. It's not a reason to hold the speed limit to a low standard. Most rural non-limited-access highways could easily handle 65 MPH up here in VA and NC. And no, if you set it 65 MPH, not everybody will do 80 MPH. The majority of the drivers do around 70 MPH presently, because it's a comfortable speed. Setting the speed limit to meet the speed of most drivers, 65 MPH, will allow people to legally do a comfortable and safe speed. Another thing - there's a 15 MPH difference between the comfortable speed driver, and the speed limit obeyer. A 65 MPH limit would lower the difference to about 5 MPH mostly, and actually make conditions safer.

You'll always get the occasional person pull out doing 35 MPH, on any rural roadway. Should the speed limit be 35 MPH?

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Way too many homes, businesses and driveways on that stretch of 64 to ever see anything higher than 55 mph, even in the rural parts. The 60 mph sections of 17 in Brunswick have no driveways and very limited intersections.

You're talking about saving two minutes over 20 miles. It seems like 10 over is the new 5 over anyway. Push it up to 60 and people will be going 70 while mee-maw is pulling the Buick out across two lanes to go 100 yards down the road to her niece's house (never getting above 35 and no turn signals) to give her some apple butter and fuss about all the speed demons and everyone being in such a hurry these days.

See my previous example about U.S. 58. Blind intersections, driveways, etc. Nothing stopped it from being 60 MPH. Most of US 58 in Virginia is 60 MPH, and has driveways everywhere. Majority of four-lane divided roadways in the south hold 65 MPH speed limits. Go to Texas, this road would easily be 75 MPH. Two-lane country roads there are 75 MPH, and when someone pulls out, you gotta slow the hell down. I was cruising down at 80 MPH on a two-lane with farms on either side, and a big tractor pulled out, slowing me down to about 15 MPH. I sat behind it for about 5 minutes until I could safely pass. It's not a reason to hold the speed limit to a low standard. Most rural non-limited-access highways could easily handle 65 MPH up here in VA and NC. And no, if you set it 65 MPH, not everybody will do 80 MPH. The majority of the drivers do around 70 MPH presently, because it's a comfortable speed. Setting the speed limit to meet the speed of most drivers, 65 MPH, will allow people to legally do a comfortable and safe speed. Another thing - there's a 15 MPH difference between the comfortable speed driver, and the speed limit obeyer. A 65 MPH limit would lower the difference to about 5 MPH mostly, and actually make conditions safer.

You'll always get the occasional person pull out doing 35 MPH, on any rural roadway. Should the speed limit be 35 MPH?

Yeah, looks really safe. Go to a random section with driveways and there are skid marks everywhere...

Send the Division 8 traffic engineer an e-mail asking why the speed limit isn't 60 or 65 mph on 64 and let us know the response.

If I ever get pulled over for speeding, I'll have to remember to tell the Trooper that I was "going a comfortable speed."

[sprjus4]

Yeah, looks really safe. Go to a random section with driveways and there are skid marks everywhere...

Yes, because the road being 60 MPH as opposed to 55 MPH caused this. I've driven this stretch all the time, there's nothing wrong with a 60 MPH speed limit. The average speed here is around 67 MPH in my experience, this stretch in particular is well designed - 12 foot travel lanes, and paved shoulders.

Look at the extremely narrow, hilly stretch I linked above between Martinsville and Danville. I think 60 MPH is a bit excessive there, but nonetheless, it's posted that, and that stretch is way more dangerous than US 64.

Send the Division 8 traffic engineer an e-mail asking why the speed limit isn't 60 or 65 mph on 64 and let us know the response.

North Carolina as a state is stricter in general with setting speed limits. For the most part, 60 MPH is used in areas with few driveways. It's not a practice of NCDOT to post 60 MPH on roads like this, but it's certainly reasonable if they do. Virginia posts 60 MPH on most four-lane non-limited-access divided highways across the state. 65 MPH is not allowed on non-limited-access highways per state code in both Virginia and North Carolina, so that's out of the question.

[slorydn1]

Yeah, looks really safe. Go to a random section with driveways and there are skid marks everywhere...

Yes, because the road being 60 MPH as opposed to 55 MPH caused this. I've driven this stretch all the time, there's nothing wrong with a 60 MPH speed limit. The average speed here is around 67 MPH in my experience, this stretch in particular is well designed - 12 foot travel lanes, and paved shoulders.

Look at the extremely narrow, hilly stretch I linked above between Martinsville and Danville. I think 60 MPH is a bit excessive there, but nonetheless, it's posted that, and that stretch is way more dangerous than US 64.

Send the Division 8 traffic engineer an e-mail asking why the speed limit isn't 60 or 65 mph on 64 and let us know the response.

North Carolina as a state is stricter in general with setting speed limits. For the most part, 60 MPH is used in areas with few driveways. It's not a practice of NCDOT to post 60 MPH on roads like this, but it's certainly reasonable if they do. Virginia posts 60 MPH on most four-lane non-limited-access divided highways across the state. 65 MPH is not allowed on non-limited-access highways per state code in both Virginia and North Carolina, so that's out of the question.

I agree with you in principle, but the default rural speed limit is still only 55 MPH in NC with exceptions to that laid out in §GS 20-141(d)(2). It specifically mentions Interstate Highways or "....any part of a controlled-access highway...." (etc etc)-they may be posted as high as 70 MPH.
Unfortunately the example provided by cowboy_wilhelm isn't an access controlled highway, so statutorily NCDOT wouldn't be able post it any higher than 55 mph had his VA example been in NC.

[LM117]

US-117 in my old stomping grounds is finally getting some much needed TLC.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-22-smoother-roads-coming-wayne-county.aspx

More than 30 miles of roadways in Wayne County will be resurfaced this year after the N.C. Department of Transportation awarded two contracts.

Segments of N.C. 222 near the Johnston County line, N.C. 581 around the U.S. 70 Bypass, and U.S. 117 Alternate near Fremont and Pikeville are the primary routes to be refreshed.

S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson earned the contract to repave 15.6 miles for $2.5 million.

Barnhill Contracting Co., of Rocky Mount won a contract for $1.9 mill to resurface 16 miles of secondary routes in Wayne County.

Both contractors may begin in March, and the contract calls for completion by the end of the year.

Not sure why NCDOT calls it "Alternate" . That was dropped 10 years ago when US-117 was put back on it's original alignment between Goldsboro and Wilson...

[sprjus4]

Not sure why NCDOT calls it "Alternate" . That was dropped 10 years ago when US-117 was put back on it's original alignment between Goldsboro and Wilson...

Someone probably looked at Google Maps and saw "U.S. 117 Alternate", so they put it in there.

I agree with you in principle, but the default rural speed limit is still only 55 MPH in NC with exceptions to that laid out in §GS 20-141(d)(2). It specifically mentions Interstate Highways or "....any part of a controlled-access highway...." (etc etc)-they may be posted as high as 70 MPH.
Unfortunately the example provided by cowboy_wilhelm isn't an access controlled highway, so statutorily NCDOT wouldn't be able post it any higher than 55 mph had his VA example been in NC.

I think if this part of NC-11 can have 60 MPH, then US 64 could have 60 MPH.

Whatever that code is clearly isn't applied with all the 60 MPH non-limited-access highways in the state. There's errors in that.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Here's a video showing the construction sequence for the upcoming rebuild of the Green River bridges on I-26 in Henderson County.

[bob7374]

Another rock slide has closed I-40 near the TN border for a week:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-23-i-40-rock-slide.aspx

[LM117]

Another rock slide has closed I-40 near the TN border for a week:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-23-i-40-rock-slide.aspx

Nothin' a broom and dustpan can't fix.

[Roadsguy]

Was NC 210 rerouted in the Fayetteville area? It's always been signed as coming down Murchison Road and turning east on Rowan Street to follow NC 24. However, the signage plans for the bridge replacement project (the one that realigns Bragg Blvd, Murchison Road, and Rowan Street into a single intersection) feature NC 24 signed as normal, but no direct signage for NC 210. Murchison Road to the north is signed "To NC 210" from the other three legs of the intersection. NC 210 is still signed everywhere else as of the latest Street View from last fall and there aren't any route changes proposed for it, nor have any been approved since 1988. Does anyone know what the deal is here?

[goobnav]

Another rock slide has closed I-40 near the TN border for a week:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-23-i-40-rock-slide.aspx

Nothin' a broom and dustpan can't fix.

LOL!!!!!  That's going to be a big broom, .

[LM117]

The new Bonner Bridge opened today.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-25-bonner-bridge-replacement.aspx

[wdcrft63]

Was NC 210 rerouted in the Fayetteville area? It's always been signed as coming down Murchison Road and turning east on Rowan Street to follow NC 24. However, the signage plans for the bridge replacement project (the one that realigns Bragg Blvd, Murchison Road, and Rowan Street into a single intersection) feature NC 24 signed as normal, but no direct signage for NC 210. Murchison Road to the north is signed "To NC 210" from the other three legs of the intersection. NC 210 is still signed everywhere else as of the latest Street View from last fall and there aren't any route changes proposed for it, nor have any been approved since 1988. Does anyone know what the deal is here?

This is odd because there's no alternate routing that makes any sense. Perhaps it's just an error.

[wdcrft63]

The new Bonner Bridge opened today.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-25-bonner-bridge-replacement.aspx

"With the new bridge open, demolition of the old bridge will begin soon, and is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year. A 1,000-foot section of the south end of the old bridge will remain in place as a pedestrian walkway."

[index]

http://unioncountyweekly.com/news/2019/02/state-seeks-comments-on-indian-trail-road-projects/

INDIAN TRAIL — The Town of Indian Trail is encouraging residents to provide input to the N.C. Department of Transportation on funding road projects scheduled for 2020 to 2029.


A handful of Indian Trail projects are on the list:


- Old Monroe Road/Old Charlotte Highway widening throughout Indian Trail ($38.1 million).


- Wesley Chapel-Stouts Road widening to four lanes from U.S. 74 to Rogers Road ($31.9 million).


- Bridge over the railroad tracks on Wesley Chapel-Stouts Road ($10 million).


- Price Mill Creek Greenway between Old Monroe Road and Garden Oak Drive ($3.15 million).


- Bicycle lanes along Brandon Oaks Drive and neighborhood sidewalk connections from Beacon Hills to nearby attractions ($262,500).


"We hope our residents will take advantage of this opportunity to let NCDOT know how vital these projects would be for our community,"  Communications Director Mike Parks said. "Town officials are always working closely with our partners with the state to make sure our transportation needs are being met, and our residents speaking up about their needs will help strengthen our push to bring more projects to Indian Trail."


Residents can reach out to NCDOT from Feb. 25 to March 1. They will be able to learn more about the projects and make comments at the NCDOT office in Albemarle (716 W. Main St.). They also can provide comments online through April 15 at https://publicinput.com/2020-2029-STIP.


The plan will be considered for final approval this summer, according to NCDOT.

I welcome the widening projects proposed for my area with open arms, I believe they're badly needed. What I oppose is replacing the railroad crossing with a bridge, the crossing we have over there really doesn't do much in terms of generating traffic and it'd ultimately be a waste.

[froggie]

^ Did you consider that the rail crossing bridge may not be because of traffic on Wesley Chapel-Stouts Rd but instead because of rail traffic on the CSX Mainline through town?  It's the main CSX line to the port at Wilmington.

[sprjus4]

^ Did you consider that the rail crossing bridge may not be because of traffic on Wesley Chapel-Stouts Rd but instead because of rail traffic on the CSX Mainline through town?  It's the main CSX line to the port at Wilmington.

Agreed. Replacing at-grade crossings with grade-separation provides better flow of rail traffic as well as vehicular traffic. One local example from Hampton Roads was relocating the railroad in the median of I-664 and VA-164 for VIG, as opposed to the surface route if followed with numerous of crossings. That was a huge improvement for local traffic, and rail traffic, and opened up a new public trail for pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.

[ARMOURERERIC]

When will there be meeting for comments in the Unifour area?

[index]

^ Did you consider that the rail crossing bridge may not be because of traffic on Wesley Chapel-Stouts Rd but instead because of rail traffic on the CSX Mainline through town?  It's the main CSX line to the port at Wilmington.

Oop. That actually makes a lot more sense now that I think of it.

[LM117]

Project update on the Business 40 rebuild in Winston-Salem.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-25-forsyth-business-40-project.aspx

[Roadsguy]

Project update on the Business 40 rebuild in Winston-Salem.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-25-forsyth-business-40-project.aspx

Let's see how long after the reopening they'll still call it Business 40 on public materials.

[LM117]

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-26-johnston-county-roads-repaving-contract.aspx

More than 40 miles of roadway in Johnston County will get a fresh surface and new lane markings, under a new contract approved this month by the N.C. Department of Transportation.

The work will affect 20.5 miles of the following three state highways in the county:

N.C. 39 between U.S. 301 in Selma and the roundabout at N.C. 42
N.C. 222 between the Wayne County line and N.C. 42
N.C. 50 between Fayetteville Street and U.S. 301

Additionally, six secondary routes will be resurfaced:

Hanna Creek Road
Go Cart Road
Thunder Road
Battlefield Road
Benson Hardee Road
Barber Mill Road

A total 44 miles will be repaved under the contract awarded to Fred Smith Co. of Raleigh for almost $3.4 million. The contract starts in April and is scheduled to end in July 2020.

This is one of 21 major highway and bridge projects awarded this month by the NCDOT. Per state law they went to the lowest bidder among qualified contractors. They are worth $331.5 million, more than $57 million under engineer estimates.

[LM117]

A contract was awarded for improving the whole length of I-40 in Sampson County. Construction to begin in April and set for completion in fall 2020.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-02-26-contract-awarded-improvements-interstate-sampson.aspx