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[dlsterner]

Would be nice to see if they converted goddamn I-540 into I-640 since there's TWO interstates that connect. I87 going to Norfolk maybe when that's finished, that should happen for sure. Also, NC540 should be renumbered as NC640. Will that ever happen folks?

I think the vast majority of the motoring public probably doesn't know the difference between 3di numbers starting with odd versus even numbers, and would just see that as a renumbering for renumbering's sake.  "Why did they change 540 to 640?  540 was a perfectly good number".

Probably best not to confuse the 97% who aren't road geeks instead of pleasing the 3% who are.

[Roadsguy]

Even if I-540 didn't connect two interstates (i.e. if US 64 were never made into I-495 or I-87), it should still have been designated I-640 and NC 640 since it's a beltway, even if not all of it is an Interstate. It was clearly originally meant to be entirely Interstate before the toll road option was chosen, and I believe the plan is to remove the tolls when the road is paid off decades from now, so in that case then it will be able to be all-Interstate one day. I have no idea what they were thinking when they planned the number, since I-640 is still available and as far as I know was never planned to be used anywhere else.

That being said, as dlsterner said, they shouldn't change it now after the fact just to satisfy roadgeek OCD. Even decades from now when/if the tolls are removed and it's all eligible to become an Interstate, I wouldn't mind just making it all I-540, even though AASHTO would likely object.

[tolbs17]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/R-2513_Feasibility-Study_estimate-update-memo_2010.pdf

This should be a full freeway, period. Traffic gets bad here and Vanceboro is in the middle of nowhere.

[tolbs17]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/Feasibility-Study_1202B_Report_2014.pdf

This would come really handy to the ones that go to the beaches. Do you think this project would be useful or a waste?

[Mileage Mike]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/R-2513_Feasibility-Study_estimate-update-memo_2010.pdf

This should be a full freeway, period. Traffic gets bad here and Vanceboro is in the middle of nowhere.

A freeway between Vanceboro and Washington?  NC has a LOT more important areas that money needs to be spent on before a freeway connecting two towns that barely have 10,000 people combined. A simple 4 lane divided highway here is quite enough.

[1995hoo]

Would be nice to see if they converted goddamn I-540 into I-640 since there's TWO interstates that connect. I87 going to Norfolk maybe when that's finished, that should happen for sure. Also, NC540 should be renumbered as NC640. Will that ever happen folks?

I think the vast majority of the motoring public probably doesn't know the difference between 3di numbers starting with odd versus even numbers, and would just see that as a renumbering for renumbering's sake.  "Why did they change 540 to 640?  540 was a perfectly good number".

Probably best not to confuse the 97% who aren't road geeks instead of pleasing the 3% who are.

I agree with this based on recent experience in Northern Virginia. A couple of fairly prominent secondary routes (the Fairfax County, Prince William, and Franconia–Springfield Parkways) were all upgraded to state primary route status a few years ago, and all were renumbered to comply with VDOT standards. The Fairfax County Parkway, in particular, was a rare secondary road whose route number was well-known, largely because the radio traffic reporters usually referred to it by number (7100) instead of by name. So there were a lot of people who were confused and wondering "why did 7100 become 286?" (There were some signs up for a year or two noting the change.) An Interstate is that much more prominent than a local arterial route.

It's more of a practical matter than many of us probably realize because people on this forum tend to be informed as to these sorts of things. The average motorist out there isn't, especially in the sat-nav era.

[tolbs17]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/R-2513_Feasibility-Study_estimate-update-memo_2010.pdf

This should be a full freeway, period. Traffic gets bad here and Vanceboro is in the middle of nowhere.

A freeway between Vanceboro and Washington?  NC has a LOT more important areas that money needs to be spent on before a freeway connecting two towns that barely have 10,000 people combined. A simple 4 lane divided highway here is quite enough.

The reason why i'm talking about it should be a freeway because it's part of the proposed I-99 back in 2006.

[Mapmikey]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/R-2513_Feasibility-Study_estimate-update-memo_2010.pdf

This should be a full freeway, period. Traffic gets bad here and Vanceboro is in the middle of nowhere.

A freeway between Vanceboro and Washington?  NC has a LOT more important areas that money needs to be spent on before a freeway connecting two towns that barely have 10,000 people combined. A simple 4 lane divided highway here is quite enough.

I would agree a freeway between Vanceboro and Washington makes little sense in and of itself but the south end of this proposed project appears to be where the north end of the future US 17 bypass of New Bern around the west side would be.  The Vanceboro freeway project makes more sense if it is certain they will build this western New Bern Bypass which is likely a freeway.

[sprjus4]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/R-2513_Feasibility-Study_estimate-update-memo_2010.pdf

This should be a full freeway, period. Traffic gets bad here and Vanceboro is in the middle of nowhere.

A freeway between Vanceboro and Washington?  NC has a LOT more important areas that money needs to be spent on before a freeway connecting two towns that barely have 10,000 people combined. A simple 4 lane divided highway here is quite enough.

I would agree a freeway between Vanceboro and Washington makes little sense in and of itself but the south end of this proposed project appears to be where the north end of the future US 17 bypass of New Bern around the west side would be.  The Vanceboro freeway project makes more sense if it is certain they will build this western New Bern Bypass which is likely a freeway.

This, and the fact that the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state, and this would be a piece.

But in all likelihood, it'll probably just be built a four-lane divided highway initially and upgraded later on when there's an active push for an interstate / freeway corridor through the entire state, just like all the other recently widened US-17 segments, such as Jacksonville to Maysville, Maysville to Pollocksville, segments south and north of Washington, and the upcoming Williamston to Washington project. Right now, I think the immediate goal is to complete the four-lane divided highway throughout the state to draw in more traffic, then in the long-run upgrade the four-lane divided highway to a full freeway.

The only active freeway push for US-17 are Wilmington <-> Myrtle Beach (Carolina Bays Parkway), Pollocksville <-> south of Vanceboro (New Bern Bypass), and Williamston <-> Virginia (I-87). The rest is mere lines on a long-range vision map. The segments I've mentioned are being or have been actively studied.

[tolbs17]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/R-2513_Feasibility-Study_estimate-update-memo_2010.pdf

This should be a full freeway, period. Traffic gets bad here and Vanceboro is in the middle of nowhere.

A freeway between Vanceboro and Washington?  NC has a LOT more important areas that money needs to be spent on before a freeway connecting two towns that barely have 10,000 people combined. A simple 4 lane divided highway here is quite enough.

I would agree a freeway between Vanceboro and Washington makes little sense in and of itself but the south end of this proposed project appears to be where the north end of the future US 17 bypass of New Bern around the west side would be.  The Vanceboro freeway project makes more sense if it is certain they will build this western New Bern Bypass which is likely a freeway.

There was an old document that I would put here if I can find it because NCDOT updated their website, it's gone and it's a lot harder to find now.

Also the western proposed bypass would demolish some of highway 43 (forcing a concurrency).

https://books.google.com/books?id=fsg1AQAAMAAJ&pg=SA2-PA8&lpg=SA2-PA8&dq=%22new+bern+bypass%22+western&source=bl&ots=YJ17T-OSbu&sig=ACfU3U2KB_SEanIgYomCLma9qFQSmSCGKw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiLgJmdgsrmAhXDQc0KHbszD14Q6AEwBHoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22new%20bern%20bypass%22%20western&f=false

This is part of the proposal but this is not what i wanted.

http://prntscr.com/qee0oq

this is part of it and i know alternatives 1,2,4, and 5  were chosen i'm sure.

[sprjus4]

^

https://ncdot.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=85d0eaebc9da403c907353f796ad3cb6

This map gives you a good idea of the most recent proposed alignments.

Just zoom to the area, click on "Content", and uncheck everything except "NCDOT NHS" to get an unobstructed view of its proposed alignment.

Here's a pic of it. The circled area is the area it would replace NC-43 across the Neuse River and associated wetlands to avoid the greater environmental impacts of building a whole new alignment & footprint.

[tolbs17]

^^^^

That's nice. So I'm guessing it was alternative 5 that would have been chosen.


_________________

http://prntscr.com/qeefok

Would there be any connection here? because this is another gap they need to fix when this becomes a whole freeway. They are widening 17 to 4 lanes as a expressway right now, but is there any ideas on how to make this a free-flowing interchange?

[Roadsguy]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/Feasibility-Study_1202B_Report_2014.pdf

This would come really handy to the ones that go to the beaches. Do you think this project would be useful or a waste?

I'd be surprised if this sees the light of day, since upgrading US 70 into a six-lane freeway through James City seems to be further along in development. I suppose this could become I-242 if it's ever built, but it probably won't be necessary for a long time except perhaps as an at-grade expressway for improved local access.

[sprjus4]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/Feasibility-Study_1202B_Report_2014.pdf

This would come really handy to the ones that go to the beaches. Do you think this project would be useful or a waste?

I'd be surprised if this sees the light of day, since upgrading US 70 into a six-lane freeway through James City seems to be further along in development. I suppose this could become I-242 if it's ever built, but it probably won't be necessary for a long time except perhaps as an at-grade expressway for improved local access.

I think this project was really meant as an alternative to the US-70 James City Improvements project, and since that project is now being built, this is probably a project that won't ever get built unless traffic congestion becomes an issue in New Bern and a bypass is warranted, which I don't see happening any time soon. Either way, any traffic congestion would be most problematic on the section that's only 4-lanes, and that could easily be expanded to 6-lanes to tie into this project, and again even that's many years off.

[wdcrft63]

Several members of the Forum believe that "the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state." I simply don't see this in the actions and plans of NCDOT. Does anyone have a documentary reference for this idea?

[sprjus4]

Several members of the Forum believe that "the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state." I simply don't see this in the actions and plans of NCDOT. Does anyone have a documentary reference for this idea?

It's in the long-range plans of each county's CTP, and on the statewide one released over a decade ago as a freeway.

[wdcrft63]

Several members of the Forum believe that "the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state." I simply don't see this in the actions and plans of NCDOT. Does anyone have a documentary reference for this idea?

It's in the long-range plans of each county's CTP, and on the statewide one released over a decade ago as a freeway.

Does anyone have a link?

[LM117]

Several members of the Forum believe that "the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state." I simply don't see this in the actions and plans of NCDOT. Does anyone have a documentary reference for this idea?

It's in the long-range plans of each county's CTP, and on the statewide one released over a decade ago as a freeway.

Does anyone have a link?

This was all I could find. See page 4:

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/STC%20Documents/CoordP-2018-05-24_NewBern-TAC.pdf

[tolbs17]

Several members of the Forum believe that "the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state." I simply don't see this in the actions and plans of NCDOT. Does anyone have a documentary reference for this idea?

It's in the long-range plans of each county's CTP, and on the statewide one released over a decade ago as a freeway.

Does anyone have a link?

This was all I could find. See page 4:

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/STC%20Documents/CoordP-2018-05-24_NewBern-TAC.pdf

And when looking at Corridor X, does that mean all of it is going to be a freeway?

http://prntscr.com/qefru9

All i know is this part is not going to be built as a freeway. Planes were adjusted recently.

[sprjus4]

Several members of the Forum believe that "the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state." I simply don't see this in the actions and plans of NCDOT. Does anyone have a documentary reference for this idea?

It's in the long-range plans of each county's CTP, and on the statewide one released over a decade ago as a freeway.

Does anyone have a link?

This was all I could find. See page 4:

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/STC%20Documents/CoordP-2018-05-24_NewBern-TAC.pdf

Here's a higher quality copy of it from an I-74 Feasibility Study (the one that won't ever get built) on Page 31

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/i-74-study/Documents/i74_feasibility_study_report.pdf

[sprjus4]

Several members of the Forum believe that "the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state." I simply don't see this in the actions and plans of NCDOT. Does anyone have a documentary reference for this idea?

It's in the long-range plans of each county's CTP, and on the statewide one released over a decade ago as a freeway.

Does anyone have a link?

This was all I could find. See page 4:

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/STC%20Documents/CoordP-2018-05-24_NewBern-TAC.pdf

And when looking at Corridor X, does that mean all of it is going to be a freeway?

http://prntscr.com/qefru9

All i know is this part is not going to be built as a freeway. Planes were adjusted recently.

While the long-range plan gives a good idea of what the big picture is ultimately going to be, there are some corridors that do not make logical sense to be freeways, such as that section.

NC-11 / US-13, US-158, I-74 to Myrtle Beach, NC-11 south of Kinston, US-264 west of Greenville, US-64 west of Williamston, NC-24 between Clinton and I-40, are all examples of corridors that are never going to realistically happen.

The plan also misses corridors that -do- have logical warrant to be freeways, such as NC-24 between Jacksonville / Morehead City and I-40 and NC-87 between Fayetteville and Sanford.

[tolbs17]

Several members of the Forum believe that "the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state." I simply don't see this in the actions and plans of NCDOT. Does anyone have a documentary reference for this idea?

It's in the long-range plans of each county's CTP, and on the statewide one released over a decade ago as a freeway.

Does anyone have a link?

This was all I could find. See page 4:

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/STC%20Documents/CoordP-2018-05-24_NewBern-TAC.pdf

Here's a higher quality copy of it from an I-74 Feasibility Study (the one that won't ever get built) on Page 31

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/i-74-study/Documents/i74_feasibility_study_report.pdf

That was also the one that hasn't been updated.

[sprjus4]

That was also the one that hasn't been updated.

Fair enough.

[tolbs17]

Several members of the Forum believe that "the long-range goal is to upgrade US-17 into a full freeway through the entire state." I simply don't see this in the actions and plans of NCDOT. Does anyone have a documentary reference for this idea?

It's in the long-range plans of each county's CTP, and on the statewide one released over a decade ago as a freeway.

Does anyone have a link?

This was all I could find. See page 4:

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/STC%20Documents/CoordP-2018-05-24_NewBern-TAC.pdf

And when looking at Corridor X, does that mean all of it is going to be a freeway?

http://prntscr.com/qefru9

All i know is this part is not going to be built as a freeway. Planes were adjusted recently.

The plan also misses corridors that -do- have logical warrant to be freeways, such as NC-24 between Jacksonville / Morehead City and I-40 and NC-87 between Fayetteville and Sanford.

NC-24, I'm sure would be difficult to make a freeway (maybe an urban freeway though). Although, I can find some old plans like this.

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/R-4721_Feasibility-Study_0102A_Report_2002.pdf

As for NC-87, This is what I found.

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/FS-1106A_Feasibility-Study_Spring_Lake_Loop_2014.pdf

[tolbs17]

That was also the one that hasn't been updated.

Fair enough.

But when looking at the differences between the 2004 and 2008 maps, US-64 between Pittsboro and Apex changed to upgrade from the expressway to a freeway design.

They did the same thing near Waynesville and Fayetteville.