Virginia

[plain]

Your neighbor to the west-southwest (Chesapeake) forever uses yellow signals, even for new installs.

Oh, I was thinking of having the black outer layer around the signal. NC doesn't have this, and some areas in VA don't either IIRC.

This is what I mean - https://www.google.com/maps/@36.292646,-76.2455819,3a,37.5y,352.42h,89.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZsIV9WxH_NelXrAvuon7bg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I'm actually in Chesapeake, so I get what you're saying now. My location is just set as Va Beach.

Oh ok. The "black outer layer around the signals" are called backplates. And yes, some backplates actually do exist in NC, but they are definitely not very common at all, especially compared to VA.

What we were referring to earlier was the color of the signal housings themselves.

[roadman65]

Your neighbor to the west-southwest (Chesapeake) forever uses yellow signals, even for new installs.

Oh, I was thinking of having the black outer layer around the signal. NC doesn't have this, and some areas in VA don't either IIRC.

This is what I mean - https://www.google.com/maps/@36.292646,-76.2455819,3a,37.5y,352.42h,89.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZsIV9WxH_NelXrAvuon7bg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I'm actually in Chesapeake, so I get what you're saying now. My location is just set as Va Beach.

North Carolina and South Carolina use telephone poles to string their wires out.  To me that looks cheap and in many state's are used for temporary signals during construction.

[sprjus4]

Your neighbor to the west-southwest (Chesapeake) forever uses yellow signals, even for new installs.

Oh, I was thinking of having the black outer layer around the signal. NC doesn't have this, and some areas in VA don't either IIRC.

This is what I mean - https://www.google.com/maps/@36.292646,-76.2455819,3a,37.5y,352.42h,89.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZsIV9WxH_NelXrAvuon7bg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I'm actually in Chesapeake, so I get what you're saying now. My location is just set as Va Beach.

Oh ok. The "black outer layer around the signals" are called backplates. And yes, some backplates actually do exist in NC, but they are definitely not very common at all, especially compared to VA.

What we were referring to earlier was the color of the signal housings themselves.

Interestingly enough, this new install last year at Butts Station Rd / Centerville Tpke has a yellow backplate as well.

Then down the road at Blue Ridge Rd / Centerville Tpke back in 2014 - 2015, another new signal has a full black backplate and signal itself. Then again, it appears it was a special design to match the historic nature of the Fentress area.

North Carolina and South Carolina use telephone poles to string their wires out.  To me that looks cheap and in many state's are used for temporary signals during construction.

Agreed. Temporary signals similar to those were used on Dominion Blvd when it was under construction being converted from a two-lane roadway into the four-lane freeway it is today.

[plain]

North Carolina and South Carolina use telephone poles to string their wires out.  To me that looks cheap and in many state's are used for temporary signals during construction.

Agreed. Temporary signals similar to those were used on Dominion Blvd when it was under construction being converted from a two-lane roadway into the four-lane freeway it is today.

Also agreed, though I know of one case in Henderson, NC that gives me hope, though this is still the only place I know of.

On Ruin Creek Rd, there's steel masts (thick ones at that) instead of telephone poles supporting the wires. They're located on both sides of I-85 (Exit 212), the intersection north of that (hospital/shopping center), and then north of that at US 158 (bypass).

[roadman65]

At least NC got rid of the double red left balls on protected left turns.  Though Texas picked up where the Tar Heel State left off. I see more and more red arrows in NC, but one signal in Cheraw on US 1 and SC 9 (the east end of the wrong way concurrency) copied NC's old way of heading a protected left.

[plain]

At least NC got rid of the double red left balls on protected left turns.  Though Texas picked up where the Tar Heel State left off. I see more and more red arrows in NC, but one signal in Cheraw on US 1 and SC 9 (the east end of the wrong way concurrency) copied NC's old way of heading a protected left.

Interestingly Henrico County still uses double reds for single-lane protected lefts on county roads... not those "T" signals though, these are completely vertical (NC sometimes used these completely vertical ones too though, and Baltimore still has some). Nowadays even these have red arrows instead of balls.

[MASTERNC]

At least NC got rid of the double red left balls on protected left turns.  Though Texas picked up where the Tar Heel State left off. I see more and more red arrows in NC, but one signal in Cheraw on US 1 and SC 9 (the east end of the wrong way concurrency) copied NC's old way of heading a protected left.

Interestingly Henrico County still uses double reds for single-lane protected lefts on county roads... not those "T" signals though, these are completely vertical (NC sometimes used these completely vertical ones too though, and Baltimore still has some). Nowadays even these have red arrows instead of balls.

Baltimore County even uses one of those "double arrow" signals for dual left turn lanes.

Delaware uses the T signals with two red arrows (though both arrows never show simultaneously - one is steady and the other flashes).

[jakeroot]

In response to an earlier comment, I've also seen all-black signals in Crystal City. Not too many.

Route 1 at 20th St has quite a few black signals, as do many of the intersections along Crystal Drive.

Don't remember seeing any all-black signals in the Courthouse or Rosslyn areas of Arlington.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Many recent installs in Morganton NC, made by NCDot, have been black signal units on curved mast arm supports also Hunter green.

[jakeroot]

Many recent installs in Morganton NC, made by NCDot, have been black signal units on curved mast arm supports also Hunter green.

Could you specify any specific locations? Didn't find any on Google Maps.

[sprjus4]

http://www.chesapeakeexpressway.com/

FYI for anybody traveling to the Outer Banks, tolls on the Chesapeake Expressway (VA-168) are increasing to $8 on weekends starting this Saturday, May 18.

https://wtkr.com/2019/05/16/as-summer-approaches-the-currituck-county-sheriffs-office-aims-to-stop-speeders/

Also, be sure to watch your speed heading into North Carolina as it drops from 55 MPH (for most, it's 70+ MPH on the expressway) to 45 MPH, there's heavy enforcement going through Moyock and Currituck County. The speed increases back to 55 MPH once past Moyock.

[roadman65]

I always found it odd but very interesting that I-64 in Norfolk lacks an interchange with Virginia Beach Blvd.  I am thinking that was done purposely to avoid weaving issues with weaving on I-64 with the original clever leaf with I-264 and VA 44 nearby and also thought it was redundant to having an interchange with two side by side E-W routes as well.

[froggie]

^ Had it right the first time.  Too close to 264.

[jakeroot]

^ Had it right the first time.  Too close to 264.

I am hardly familiar with the area, but they could have built it, with enough money. You can unweave an interchange with enough ramps.

[LM117]

^ Had it right the first time.  Too close to 264.

I guess that's the same reason there's no I-40/US-301 interchange in Benson, NC.

[LM117]

Latest progress update on US-29 in Danville.

https://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/lynchburg/2019/traffic-pattern-change-on-us-29-bypass5-11-2019.asp

[roadman65]

^ Had it right the first time.  Too close to 264.

I guess that’s the same reason there’s no I-40/US-301 interchange in Benson, NC.

Yes, but they added a connection though via other roads.  I guess the same could be said here as you have Newtown Road which leads to I-264 that does interchange with I-64.

I say its interesting as well as odd is because of traffic growth from population in the area growing, its probably best that an interchange is not built there even though I am sure some planners have proposed the idea.  VA Beach Blvd had its share of congestion even in 1976 when we stayed in Norfolk and we used to eat at the many restaurants along US 58 in that area.  It took forever basically to reach the Oceanfront which is 12 miles from that uninterchanged crossing.  The stoplights were bad then and now its 43 years later in time, so I can imagine a trip on I-264 saves more than 3 times the amount of time using US 58 all the way to US 60.

[Beltway]

Yes, but they added a connection though via other roads.  I guess the same could be said here as you have Newtown Road which leads to I-264 that does interchange with I-64.
I say its interesting as well as odd is because of traffic growth from population in the area growing, its probably best that an interchange is not built there even though I am sure some planners have proposed the idea.  VA Beach Blvd had its share of congestion even in 1976 when we stayed in Norfolk and we used to eat at the many restaurants along US 58 in that area.  It took forever basically to reach the Oceanfront which is 12 miles from that uninterchanged crossing.  The stoplights were bad then and now its 43 years later in time, so I can imagine a trip on I-264 saves more than 3 times the amount of time using US 58 all the way to US 60.

There is a lot of old development right up along US-58 and I-64 where they cross, including businesses. 

They would have needed a C-D system or braided ramps if they wanted I-64 interchanges at both I-264 and US-58, in addition to major right-of-way acquisitions as mentioned above. 

Granted that there were plenty of right-of-way acquisitions for the rest of I-64 and I-264, they may have wanted to avoid the added complexities of building an interchange at I-64/US-58, given that the connection could be made via Military Highway, I-264 and Newtown Road.

[sprjus4]

They would have needed a C-D system or braided ramps if they wanted I-64 interchanges at both I-264 and US-58, in addition to major right-of-way acquisitions as mentioned above. 

If you're trying to meet today's traffic needs, you'd need braided ramps between I-264, US-58, and US-13 / VA-166. Where I-264 traffic heading towards the base comes in mixing with I-64 traffic heading the same direction, there's a 2 mile period between that mix and US-13 / VA-166 with a lot of merging and changing lanes to exit, and to stay on mainline I-64. It's crazy already. I just could never see any interchange at US-58, and if there was one, a 3 exit, 3 mile braided ramp system with a lot of R/W would be necessary. A C-D system would quickly overload.

[Mapmikey]

Anything involving an I-64 interchange with Virginia Beach Blvd would also have required major upheaval in the routing of VA 165 Kempsville Rd which has no interchange with I-64 or I-264 either.

[sprjus4]

Something interesting about this area, Virginia Beach Blvd on either side of the I-64 overpass is generally an 8-lane section, though through the I-64 area, it's still the original design with 4 thru-lanes & 2 local lanes. The traffic already warrants this be expanded to 8-lanes, and eventually it's going to need to happen.

The only issue is that the grass-strip dividing the thru-lanes from the local lane in either direction holds the bridge supports for the I-64 overpass.

To create a consistent 8-lane corridor, the bridges would likely need to be replaced which won't be an easy task given the volume of traffic using I-64. And it'd be expensive.

[sprjus4]

I was viewing a, document from 2034 LRTP from 2013 regarding all of the transportation priorities & cost estimates at that time, and noticed an interesting project in the Unfunded Category

"MLK Freeway extension to I‐464" - $883 million

I was never aware of any concept or proposal to extend the MLK beyond I-264? Was there any previous studies done in the past on this, and how it would be routed?

There's no clear path any freeway extension could traverse that area of Portsmouth, heavily developed.

[Beltway]

Anything involving an I-64 interchange with Virginia Beach Blvd would also have required major upheaval in the routing of VA 165 Kempsville Rd which has no interchange with I-64 or I-264 either.

Indeed, I forgot to mention how close the VA-165 Kempsville Road intersection with US-58 Virginia Beach Blvd. is to where I-64 was built.  Old development around that intersection as well.

[sprjus4]

Anything involving an I-64 interchange with Virginia Beach Blvd would also have required major upheaval in the routing of VA 165 Kempsville Rd which has no interchange with I-64 or I-264 either.

Indeed, I forgot to mention how close the VA-165 Kempsville Road intersection with US-58 Virginia Beach Blvd. is to where I-64 was built.  Old development around that intersection as well.

If an interchange was constructed when I-64 was constructed through the area, the whole area would've likely been bought out and a complete re-routing of the roads nearby, including Kempsville. Also, the design of the I-264 interchange would've been slightly different probably as well.

I think it's a good thing traffic wise there's not one there either way. Way too much merging and traffic coming in, no need for more troubles.

[Beltway]

Indeed, I forgot to mention how close the VA-165 Kempsville Road intersection with US-58 Virginia Beach Blvd. is to where I-64 was built.  Old development around that intersection as well.

If an interchange was constructed when I-64 was constructed through the area, the whole area would've likely been bought out and a complete re-routing of the roads nearby, including Kempsville. Also, the design of the I-264 interchange would've been slightly different probably as well.
I think it's a good thing traffic wise there's not one there either way. Way too much merging and traffic coming in, no need for more troubles.

Perhaps.  But right-of-way impacts would have been especially severe for that Virginia Beach Blvd. and Kempsville Road area commercial strip and residential area, much more than at the I-64/I-264 interchange.

Slightly OT: Have you ever heard of the Witch of Kempsville?  Do you know what that refers to?