North Carolina

[amroad17]

Could be that the city of Raleigh owns that stretch of freeway now, since I-40 was taken off of it.  Similar to Sam Cooper Blvd. in Memphis.

[NE2]

It's state maintained.

[plain]

I really don't see the need in the Wade Ave freeway becoming an interstate. The "TO 440" and "TO 40 West" signage is more than adequate here. Not to mention NC already has enough fucking interstate designations 

[LM117]

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-03-i-95-guardrail-work-johnston-county.aspx

SMITHFIELD — Drivers on Interstate 95 in Johnston County will encounter overnight lane reductions starting this month and lasting through much of this year to allow contract workers to safely upgrade the guardrails and drainage systems in the grassy median.

The project stretches 17 miles, between mile marker 81 (the I-40 Benson exit) and mile marker 98. From mid-May until November, drivers in both directions will encounter occasional sections reduced to one lane after 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and after 10 p.m. on the weekends.

The lanes will be reopened by 7 each morning.

The improvements will include replacing the cable-guide rail and guard rail systems, which are nearing their lifespan. Some guardrail and drainage boxes along the outside shoulders will be repaired or upgraded, too.

Fred Smith Co. of Raleigh will do the work, after the N.C. Department of Transportation awarded a $2.3 million contract last month.

Motorists should be alert when approaching the work zone, obey the posted speed limit and allow extra time to reach their destinations.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

There'd be a riot if they tried to remove the entry and exit point from PNC and Carter-Finley.

There are plans to widen that stretch next decade, plus the interchange modification with I-440 coming up. Who knows what will happen after that.

[LM117]

There'd be a riot if they tried to remove the entry and exit point from PNC and Carter-Finley.

There are plans to widen that stretch next decade, plus the interchange modification with I-440 coming up. Who knows what will happen after that.

Isn't that entry/exit point the only thing keeping that stretch of Wade from meeting current interstate standards?

[wriddle082]

There'd be a riot if they tried to remove the entry and exit point from PNC and Carter-Finley.

There are plans to widen that stretch next decade, plus the interchange modification with I-440 coming up. Who knows what will happen after that.

Isn't that entry/exit point the only thing keeping that stretch of Wade from meeting current interstate standards?

It has an inadequate interchange with I-440 at the east end of the freeway (diamond with one loop ramp EB Wade to EB 440).

But there is a more recent precedent for having a temporary interstate access like the Carter-Finley parking lot access.  Back in the early 2000's, after the first Bonnaroo concert weekend in Manchester, TN, TDOT added a temporary gated access point from the Bonnaroo field to I-24 west.  Officially TDOT calls it "Temporary Exit 112" .  All traffic egressing from the property after the show is over on Sunday night that is bound for Nashville is routed through this access point to I-24 west.

[Mapmikey]

Is there a reason why the freeway part of Wade Avenue through Cary is not given an interstate designation being it now connects two interstates and was a long time ago the actual I-40 until the state extended it east to Wilmington?

A 2nd question about this:  was the former I-40/Wade Avenue constructed with chargeable Interstate funds? 

Doesn't seem likely.  Wade Ave extension was on the 1962 Wake County map (well before I-40 was approved to extend east of Greensboro) as a FAP designated dotted line that was originally going to be a freeway for NC 54 to use.  The study of how to get I-40 from I-85 to Raleigh in the late 60s chose a large portion of the NC 54 freeway corridor.

In the 1968 Wake County map, it shows the dotted line as FAI for the parts that were to become I-40 and FAP for what is now the Wade Ave extension.

In the 1972 Wake County map, it shows the Wade Ave extension freeway under construction as well as I-40 west of there, with a FAI dotted line where I-40 east would run.  The Wade Ave segment was still shown as FAP and had no numerical designation while further west there were I-40 shields.

I haven't been able to locate when SR 1728 was assigned to the Wade Ave extension, which was done sometime after 1980.

[wdcrft63]

I really don't see the need in the Wade Ave freeway becoming an interstate. The "TO 440" and "TO 40 West" signage is more than adequate here. Not to mention NC already has enough fucking interstate designations 

It could at least have a primary highway number; currently it's classed as a secondary highway.

[roadman65]

I-440 at Wade Avenue is not up to interstate standards there, but it is signed as interstate and not future interstate.  I do not see why the Wade Avenue (or even why US 52 from Winston- Salem to Mount Airy for I-74 either) can't be signed as interstate as well.

[amroad17]

Not every freeway has to have a posted number, even though some state DOT's may have an internal number for that freeway.  Look at the Parkway system in Kentucky.  Yes, they are signed with the Parkway name, but without a posted number.  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet does have an unposted internal number (in the 9000's) for each one, though.

US 52 isn't close to modern Interstate standards right now.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Final Beltline widening plans will be presented at Raleigh transportation fair (along with multiple other projects)

[Strider]

Final Beltline widening plans will be presented at Raleigh transportation fair (along with multiple other projects)

Interesting design for the Wade Ave. interchange. Either way, I am glad they're addressing that stretch of I-440. It was AWFUL when I drove on that part of the beltline.

[The Ghostbuster]

I agree that the Wade Ave doesn't need an Interstate designation, but if one were ever assigned, it would probably be numbered Interstate 340.

[sprjus4]

So much discussion about an interstate designation for the 2-mile Wade Ave, but what about an I-x40 for the 40 miles of US-1 south of I-40? Or an I-440 extension?

[The Ghostbuster]

I'd make US 1 an extension of Interstate 87, at least to US 421. But since that won't happen anytime soon, this is a Fictional Highways proposal.

[LM117]

So much discussion about an interstate designation for the 2-mile Wade Ave, but what about an I-x40 for the 40 miles of US-1 south of I-40? Or an I-440 extension?

NCDOT tried to get that stretch of US-1 designated as I-140 in 1999, but AASHTO rejected it and NCDOT never tried again. As we all know, I-140 was later assigned to the Wilmington Bypass.

The Ghostbuster does have a good point, though. If US-1 ever became an interstate south of Raleigh, an extension of I-87 to I-73/74 at Rockingham would make the most sense. At least then I-87 would actually be more N/S.

[wdcrft63]

Not every freeway has to have a posted number, even though some state DOT's may have an internal number for that freeway.  Look at the Parkway system in Kentucky.  Yes, they are signed with the Parkway name, but without a posted number.  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet does have an unposted internal number (in the 9000's) for each one, though.

Posted route numbers are helpful for drivers not familiar with the area. That's my argument for a number on Wade Avenue. Is there any possible argument for why it should not have a number?

[Roadsguy]

Pull an Elgin-O'hare and sign it with "Wade Ave" shields.

[roadman65]

Not every freeway has to have a posted number, even though some state DOT's may have an internal number for that freeway.  Look at the Parkway system in Kentucky.  Yes, they are signed with the Parkway name, but without a posted number.  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet does have an unposted internal number (in the 9000's) for each one, though.

US 52 isn't close to modern Interstate standards right now.

And I-440 isn't?  The part near Cary and around Wade Avenue is still old school freeway when it was only an upgrade of US 1 in the 1960's.

[LM117]

NCDOT is holding a public meeting on May 9 in Cary to discuss rebuilding the I-40/I-440/US-1 interchange, as well as widening I-40 between that interchange and Lake Wheeler Road.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-07-i-40-440-widening-interchange-meeting.aspx

[Roadsguy]

NCDOT is holding a public meeting on May 9 in Cary to discuss rebuilding the I-40/I-440/US-1 interchange, as well as widening I-40 between that interchange and Lake Wheeler Road.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-07-i-40-440-widening-interchange-meeting.aspx

Good to see that all three concepts include two flyovers for the NB-to-WB and WB-to-SB movements. I remember seeing older concepts with just one flyover, indicating any multi-flyover design was dropped, but I could be misremembering that.

[LM117]

All lanes of I-40 near the TN state line will open early Wednesday morning.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-07-i-40-slide-all-lanes-open.aspx

[slorydn1]

US-17 New Bern Bypass is now open again, finally. All southbound traffic is being shunted to the new exit ramp down to the existing stoplight at US-17 Business at the Craven/Jones County line, but you can definitely see the progress being made on the bypass heading down into Jones County both carriage ways are paved at that point down as far as I can see from the new overpass.

[sprjus4]

US-17 New Bern Bypass is now open again, finally. All southbound traffic is being shunted to the new exit ramp down to the existing stoplight at US-17 Business at the Craven/Jones County line, but you can definitely see the progress being made on the bypass heading down into Jones County both carriage ways are paved at that point down as far as I can see from the new overpass.

Planning to head down that way hopefully this weekend to see the progress.

Hopefully the new bypass is opened by the end of the year.