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North Carolina

Started by FLRoads, January 20, 2009, 11:55:15 PM

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Roadsguy

Quote from: tolbs17 on September 22, 2020, 07:42:00 PM
Quote from: tjcreasy on September 13, 2020, 09:48:30 PM
RE: US 70 Freeway conversion in Durham: I wonder why Aviation Parkway will not be controlled access between Glebe Road and US 70? It appears from the conceptual plans that NCDOT plans to extend Aviation Parkway in the future. I assume this extension will not connect with I-85 as a portion of the Northern Durham Parkway anymore.
where that diverging diamond cuts off, I'm sure it will still be extended. It's included in the CTP.

Is the half-DDI now the selected alternative? I remember seeing another alternative that was a simple trumpet interchange.

Also, is the Aviation Parkway extension from I-540 to US 70 still being planned as a freeway? I saw an old study that indicated plans to complete the Aviation Parkway to US 70 as a freeway and then extend it as a surface road up around the east side of Durham to I-85. The "extension" included in the US 70 project is just a connector down to that other local road and doesn't connect to the existing freeway near I-540.
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.


goobnav

Quote from: architect77 on September 22, 2020, 09:17:18 PM
Quote from: goobnav on September 22, 2020, 11:16:57 AM
Quote from: architect77 on September 21, 2020, 02:42:32 PM
Quote from: goobnav on September 03, 2020, 10:23:27 AM
Quote from: orulz on September 03, 2020, 06:47:05 AM
I think all the freeways in the Triangle should become managed facilities. Low/no tolls when uncongested; modest tolls to reduce congestion.


Ah, no, as a Triangle resident for 25+ years.  The tolls for "rush" hour will cause more traffic on the side roads and just shift the congestion.  The tolls now are ridiculous and truly unwarranted. 

Bad money management from the current and previous State Administrations have caused essential projects to be placed on the "back burner" for "pet" projects and electoral advantageous projects.  Example, Charlotte's loop completed with no tolls, electoral advantageous, Greensboro's loop no tolls, "pet" project.  The Triangle has the traffic loads equal if not greater than the Triad, if any tolls, I-840 should be tolled either with FHWA exception or downgrade it to a NC Highway so it can be tolled.  540 should not be tolled at all but, the State got it's way and now a revenue stream it will not let go of until it is forced to relinquish.

Refer to my explanation of what's free versus tolled above ^.

If they tolled US1 or other existing highways in the Triangle, then people would demand all their gas taxes paid over the last 25 years to be refunded, because that's what paid for the roads to be built.

US 1 has been the Gateway to Raleigh for every state in the Northeast for a long time, even before interstates existed.

It is the first impression of Raleigh for millions of people seeing it for the first time from the populous Northeast corridor.

I experienced what they see on an overnight bus ride home from NYC on New Years Eve 2003. At night it was a sea of lights not obscured by trees' summertime leaves that grew in density for quite a long duration. It was impressive, In the daytime it wouldn't have been because you'd see the rural appearance of US1 in Franklin and Northern Wake counties.

I don't want them to make this highway any less attractive than it already is, and converting it to more of a freeway doesn't sound pretty and it hurts businesses along the way too.

Tolls have always been scheduled to rise periodically to pay off the construction bonds, and they successfully refinanced the debt 2 or 3 times saving tens of millions in interest. Excellent money management is what you meant to say.

There are plenty of checks and balances to make what you're accusing them of doing almost impossible.

Missed the 25+ years as a Triangle resident, originally from PA, moved here in December of '93, my first impression with US 1 was a 2 lane road south of Henderson all the way to Wake Forest when it went back to 4 lanes.  So, that impression was scary for a true Metro area.  US 64 and I-95 was the alternate until US 1 was 4 laned and still pretty much the alternate for most Northeast travelers if they are going to the eastern areas of the Triangle.

Until I got closer to Raleigh itself and saw the Beltline, I-440, and I-40 South of downtown, was under the impression Raleigh was a city in middle of nothing but rural country for miles. 

With the growth of the Triangle the road system grew with it, decent pace for a while due to the steady income and management of that said income revenue.  By about 2005, the road projects seem to start slowing down, after I-540 reached Knightdale and the US 64 bypass, I-87.  The growth kept happening but, the project money went elsewhere.  This is also despite a Gas Tax increase that had to be capped from getting out of control and being the highest in the South.  Needs based construction was not done and still has not since then so, no more future tolls for the Triangle, except NC 540 and, start reevaluating is going to be needed to get the funding from projects that don't have a true needs base for completion.

The one good thing Gov. McCrory did was to totally revamp how NCDOT allocated funding for road project.

No longer is 30% of highway funding equally given to every division. That took precious revenue from urgent needs and was spent in counties that had no need for it. One such project was the beginning of a loop for Henderson though it's only a couple of miles long.

Now every road project is evaluated and scored based on how much it will help a region's mobility in general along with other criteria.

The top scoring projects get the funding. In my home county of Franklin bordering Wake, the long promised (40 years) 4-laning of US401 finally got some funding in the 2000s, but once they switched to the needs-based scoring, it barely missed the threshold and was tabled. Needless to say everyone was upet. Only after their revenue exceeded projections in the late 2000s was the project active again. Thank goodness.

But I too am frustrated with the slow progress of all road projects in the state. How is it cheaper or better to take so long to complete these projects? Is the same construction company alternating working on several other projects simultaneously? We ain't got all day, I'm getting old, lol.

NC is one of the few states whose DOT manages all roads including county roads. The gas tax has historically been higher because of this, and counties would be taxing residents in other ways if they had to maintain their roads.

I like that NCDOT does it all, because there is consistency that's noticeable across the state.

The state has a highway trust fund that many states do not keep that makes money itself, though it has often been raided for other uses in times of budget shortfalls. I don't believe it is raided all the time, but during bad times it's a necessary evil.

I remember when US1 switched back and forth between 2 and 4 lanes North of Raleigh.  But in the early 90's the Triangle just had 900,000-1,000,000 people, only 700,000 in 1988 when I was at NC State. More than 2,000,000 live there now.

Believe me, NC is about the most prolific builder of new highways in the entire country except for Texas. NCDOT also maintains the 2nd largest network of over 80,000 miles of roads, Texas is number 1.

NCDOT also produces a lot with about $6 billion a year. Gas prices are higher in Atlanta so after paying more per gallon we get zero new roads over the last 25 years. Florida spends $13 billion a year on its roads and they are stellar.


NC spends about 2 million on maintenance of those 80,000 miles and uses $3 billion a year for new highways and improvements.
Where that same amount of revenue goes here in Georgia is beyond me so be grateful.

At the dawn of the automobile NC built good roads as it's way of keeping up with the Northeastern states, at one point having the most miles of paved roads in the country and earning the nickname "the Good Roads State".

Those roads are now aged and reaching the end of their service life much like in Pennsylavania.

NC puts out a report of the condition of the state's infrastructure every two years. The infrastructure is estimated to have a worth of $575 billion.

I've lived in GA, CA, NY, MA, and NJ  and I have more respect for NC's high standards now than ever. Very few other states hold themselves to the high standard that NC does for all state functions and agencies.

Georgia is utterly primitive in every aspect of the functions performed by the state. The DOT here erects signs on the side of the highway that last about 3 weeks before falling down.

While the I-85/I-40 duplex from Greensboro to Durham looks immaculate as it approaches 25 years of age. They do it right the first time and don't have to spend money on maintenance for a long time.

Even road enthusiasts on here that live in other states consider NCDOT among their favorites.

The gas tax in NC got a cap several years ago but that was to help it pass into law, and it mandated that from now on the tax would be pegged to rise with inflation so that its spending power wouldn't diminish too much.

My only gripe with NC is their reluctance to upgrade span-wire traffic signals with nicer mast-arm poles like every other state has been doing.

Raleigh is the span-wire capital and it looks sloppy.



Totally agree with the span wire, especially when we get hurricanes and those lights start dropping, what a mess.

401 is finally getting 4 laned to Louisburg which is now a ridiculous need being that people moved out of Wake county to Franklin when they blued the county government and increased the tax load.  Yeah, they are trying again in Franklin and running into the local friction of "not a chance in hell" from the farmers and rural residents.  Have family near Bunn so definitely on that pulse.

We'll see come November if the projects change but, hoping for the best.
Life is a highway and I drive it all night long!

architect77

Quote from: goobnav on September 23, 2020, 03:06:59 PM
Quote from: architect77 on September 22, 2020, 09:17:18 PM
Quote from: goobnav on September 22, 2020, 11:16:57 AM
Quote from: architect77 on September 21, 2020, 02:42:32 PM
Quote from: goobnav on September 03, 2020, 10:23:27 AM
Quote from: orulz on September 03, 2020, 06:47:05 AM
I think all the freeways in the Triangle should become managed facilities. Low/no tolls when uncongested; modest tolls to reduce congestion.


Ah, no, as a Triangle resident for 25+ years.  The tolls for "rush" hour will cause more traffic on the side roads and just shift the congestion.  The tolls now are ridiculous and truly unwarranted. 

Bad money management from the current and previous State Administrations have caused essential projects to be placed on the "back burner" for "pet" projects and electoral advantageous projects.  Example, Charlotte's loop completed with no tolls, electoral advantageous, Greensboro's loop no tolls, "pet" project.  The Triangle has the traffic loads equal if not greater than the Triad, if any tolls, I-840 should be tolled either with FHWA exception or downgrade it to a NC Highway so it can be tolled.  540 should not be tolled at all but, the State got it's way and now a revenue stream it will not let go of until it is forced to relinquish.

Refer to my explanation of what's free versus tolled above ^.

If they tolled US1 or other existing highways in the Triangle, then people would demand all their gas taxes paid over the last 25 years to be refunded, because that's what paid for the roads to be built.

US 1 has been the Gateway to Raleigh for every state in the Northeast for a long time, even before interstates existed.

It is the first impression of Raleigh for millions of people seeing it for the first time from the populous Northeast corridor.

I experienced what they see on an overnight bus ride home from NYC on New Years Eve 2003. At night it was a sea of lights not obscured by trees' summertime leaves that grew in density for quite a long duration. It was impressive, In the daytime it wouldn't have been because you'd see the rural appearance of US1 in Franklin and Northern Wake counties.

I don't want them to make this highway any less attractive than it already is, and converting it to more of a freeway doesn't sound pretty and it hurts businesses along the way too.

Tolls have always been scheduled to rise periodically to pay off the construction bonds, and they successfully refinanced the debt 2 or 3 times saving tens of millions in interest. Excellent money management is what you meant to say.

There are plenty of checks and balances to make what you're accusing them of doing almost impossible.

Missed the 25+ years as a Triangle resident, originally from PA, moved here in December of '93, my first impression with US 1 was a 2 lane road south of Henderson all the way to Wake Forest when it went back to 4 lanes.  So, that impression was scary for a true Metro area.  US 64 and I-95 was the alternate until US 1 was 4 laned and still pretty much the alternate for most Northeast travelers if they are going to the eastern areas of the Triangle.

Until I got closer to Raleigh itself and saw the Beltline, I-440, and I-40 South of downtown, was under the impression Raleigh was a city in middle of nothing but rural country for miles. 

With the growth of the Triangle the road system grew with it, decent pace for a while due to the steady income and management of that said income revenue.  By about 2005, the road projects seem to start slowing down, after I-540 reached Knightdale and the US 64 bypass, I-87.  The growth kept happening but, the project money went elsewhere.  This is also despite a Gas Tax increase that had to be capped from getting out of control and being the highest in the South.  Needs based construction was not done and still has not since then so, no more future tolls for the Triangle, except NC 540 and, start reevaluating is going to be needed to get the funding from projects that don't have a true needs base for completion.

The one good thing Gov. McCrory did was to totally revamp how NCDOT allocated funding for road project.

No longer is 30% of highway funding equally given to every division. That took precious revenue from urgent needs and was spent in counties that had no need for it. One such project was the beginning of a loop for Henderson though it's only a couple of miles long.

Now every road project is evaluated and scored based on how much it will help a region's mobility in general along with other criteria.

The top scoring projects get the funding. In my home county of Franklin bordering Wake, the long promised (40 years) 4-laning of US401 finally got some funding in the 2000s, but once they switched to the needs-based scoring, it barely missed the threshold and was tabled. Needless to say everyone was upet. Only after their revenue exceeded projections in the late 2000s was the project active again. Thank goodness.

But I too am frustrated with the slow progress of all road projects in the state. How is it cheaper or better to take so long to complete these projects? Is the same construction company alternating working on several other projects simultaneously? We ain't got all day, I'm getting old, lol.

NC is one of the few states whose DOT manages all roads including county roads. The gas tax has historically been higher because of this, and counties would be taxing residents in other ways if they had to maintain their roads.

I like that NCDOT does it all, because there is consistency that's noticeable across the state.

The state has a highway trust fund that many states do not keep that makes money itself, though it has often been raided for other uses in times of budget shortfalls. I don't believe it is raided all the time, but during bad times it's a necessary evil.

I remember when US1 switched back and forth between 2 and 4 lanes North of Raleigh.  But in the early 90's the Triangle just had 900,000-1,000,000 people, only 700,000 in 1988 when I was at NC State. More than 2,000,000 live there now.

Believe me, NC is about the most prolific builder of new highways in the entire country except for Texas. NCDOT also maintains the 2nd largest network of over 80,000 miles of roads, Texas is number 1.

NCDOT also produces a lot with about $6 billion a year. Gas prices are higher in Atlanta so after paying more per gallon we get zero new roads over the last 25 years. Florida spends $13 billion a year on its roads and they are stellar.


NC spends about 2 million on maintenance of those 80,000 miles and uses $3 billion a year for new highways and improvements.
Where that same amount of revenue goes here in Georgia is beyond me so be grateful.

At the dawn of the automobile NC built good roads as it's way of keeping up with the Northeastern states, at one point having the most miles of paved roads in the country and earning the nickname "the Good Roads State".

Those roads are now aged and reaching the end of their service life much like in Pennsylavania.

NC puts out a report of the condition of the state's infrastructure every two years. The infrastructure is estimated to have a worth of $575 billion.

I've lived in GA, CA, NY, MA, and NJ  and I have more respect for NC's high standards now than ever. Very few other states hold themselves to the high standard that NC does for all state functions and agencies.

Georgia is utterly primitive in every aspect of the functions performed by the state. The DOT here erects signs on the side of the highway that last about 3 weeks before falling down.

While the I-85/I-40 duplex from Greensboro to Durham looks immaculate as it approaches 25 years of age. They do it right the first time and don't have to spend money on maintenance for a long time.

Even road enthusiasts on here that live in other states consider NCDOT among their favorites.

The gas tax in NC got a cap several years ago but that was to help it pass into law, and it mandated that from now on the tax would be pegged to rise with inflation so that its spending power wouldn't diminish too much.

My only gripe with NC is their reluctance to upgrade span-wire traffic signals with nicer mast-arm poles like every other state has been doing.

Raleigh is the span-wire capital and it looks sloppy.



Totally agree with the span wire, especially when we get hurricanes and those lights start dropping, what a mess.

401 is finally getting 4 laned to Louisburg which is now a ridiculous need being that people moved out of Wake county to Franklin when they blued the county government and increased the tax load.  Yeah, they are trying again in Franklin and running into the local friction of "not a chance in hell" from the farmers and rural residents.  Have family near Bunn so definitely on that pulse.

We'll see come November if the projects change but, hoping for the best.

Franklin County is poor and it has long wanted US401 to be 4-laned to lure industry to the county. Plus 60% of workers who live in Franklin work in another county, mainly Wake and Durham, so locals have endured a 2-lane heavily traveled highway for decades. There have been many killed on that highway also.

You may be right about cities in Wake with high taxes, but I think Franklin County's tax rate is higher than Wake, just because only 70,000 people must pay to fund everything where as Wake has over a million people.

Franklin County folks have faith that a 4-lane US401 will bring prosperity. Because of all Triangle areas, Franklin is the least Ralegh-fied and hasn't become sophisticated yet. It's a different world, think drab clothing and lots of willie nelson gray ponytail types of people.

architect77

Quote from: goobnav on September 23, 2020, 03:06:59 PM
Quote from: architect77 on September 22, 2020, 09:17:18 PM
Quote from: goobnav on September 22, 2020, 11:16:57 AM
Quote from: architect77 on September 21, 2020, 02:42:32 PM
Quote from: goobnav on September 03, 2020, 10:23:27 AM
Quote from: orulz on September 03, 2020, 06:47:05 AM
I think all the freeways in the Triangle should become managed facilities. Low/no tolls when uncongested; modest tolls to reduce congestion.


Ah, no, as a Triangle resident for 25+ years.  The tolls for "rush" hour will cause more traffic on the side roads and just shift the congestion.  The tolls now are ridiculous and truly unwarranted. 

Bad money management from the current and previous State Administrations have caused essential projects to be placed on the "back burner" for "pet" projects and electoral advantageous projects.  Example, Charlotte's loop completed with no tolls, electoral advantageous, Greensboro's loop no tolls, "pet" project.  The Triangle has the traffic loads equal if not greater than the Triad, if any tolls, I-840 should be tolled either with FHWA exception or downgrade it to a NC Highway so it can be tolled.  540 should not be tolled at all but, the State got it's way and now a revenue stream it will not let go of until it is forced to relinquish.

Refer to my explanation of what's free versus tolled above ^.

If they tolled US1 or other existing highways in the Triangle, then people would demand all their gas taxes paid over the last 25 years to be refunded, because that's what paid for the roads to be built.

US 1 has been the Gateway to Raleigh for every state in the Northeast for a long time, even before interstates existed.

It is the first impression of Raleigh for millions of people seeing it for the first time from the populous Northeast corridor.

I experienced what they see on an overnight bus ride home from NYC on New Years Eve 2003. At night it was a sea of lights not obscured by trees' summertime leaves that grew in density for quite a long duration. It was impressive, In the daytime it wouldn't have been because you'd see the rural appearance of US1 in Franklin and Northern Wake counties.

I don't want them to make this highway any less attractive than it already is, and converting it to more of a freeway doesn't sound pretty and it hurts businesses along the way too.

Tolls have always been scheduled to rise periodically to pay off the construction bonds, and they successfully refinanced the debt 2 or 3 times saving tens of millions in interest. Excellent money management is what you meant to say.

There are plenty of checks and balances to make what you're accusing them of doing almost impossible.

Missed the 25+ years as a Triangle resident, originally from PA, moved here in December of '93, my first impression with US 1 was a 2 lane road south of Henderson all the way to Wake Forest when it went back to 4 lanes.  So, that impression was scary for a true Metro area.  US 64 and I-95 was the alternate until US 1 was 4 laned and still pretty much the alternate for most Northeast travelers if they are going to the eastern areas of the Triangle.

Until I got closer to Raleigh itself and saw the Beltline, I-440, and I-40 South of downtown, was under the impression Raleigh was a city in middle of nothing but rural country for miles. 

With the growth of the Triangle the road system grew with it, decent pace for a while due to the steady income and management of that said income revenue.  By about 2005, the road projects seem to start slowing down, after I-540 reached Knightdale and the US 64 bypass, I-87.  The growth kept happening but, the project money went elsewhere.  This is also despite a Gas Tax increase that had to be capped from getting out of control and being the highest in the South.  Needs based construction was not done and still has not since then so, no more future tolls for the Triangle, except NC 540 and, start reevaluating is going to be needed to get the funding from projects that don't have a true needs base for completion.

The one good thing Gov. McCrory did was to totally revamp how NCDOT allocated funding for road project.

No longer is 30% of highway funding equally given to every division. That took precious revenue from urgent needs and was spent in counties that had no need for it. One such project was the beginning of a loop for Henderson though it's only a couple of miles long.

Now every road project is evaluated and scored based on how much it will help a region's mobility in general along with other criteria.

The top scoring projects get the funding. In my home county of Franklin bordering Wake, the long promised (40 years) 4-laning of US401 finally got some funding in the 2000s, but once they switched to the needs-based scoring, it barely missed the threshold and was tabled. Needless to say everyone was upet. Only after their revenue exceeded projections in the late 2000s was the project active again. Thank goodness.

But I too am frustrated with the slow progress of all road projects in the state. How is it cheaper or better to take so long to complete these projects? Is the same construction company alternating working on several other projects simultaneously? We ain't got all day, I'm getting old, lol.

NC is one of the few states whose DOT manages all roads including county roads. The gas tax has historically been higher because of this, and counties would be taxing residents in other ways if they had to maintain their roads.

I like that NCDOT does it all, because there is consistency that's noticeable across the state.

The state has a highway trust fund that many states do not keep that makes money itself, though it has often been raided for other uses in times of budget shortfalls. I don't believe it is raided all the time, but during bad times it's a necessary evil.

I remember when US1 switched back and forth between 2 and 4 lanes North of Raleigh.  But in the early 90's the Triangle just had 900,000-1,000,000 people, only 700,000 in 1988 when I was at NC State. More than 2,000,000 live there now.

Believe me, NC is about the most prolific builder of new highways in the entire country except for Texas. NCDOT also maintains the 2nd largest network of over 80,000 miles of roads, Texas is number 1.

NCDOT also produces a lot with about $6 billion a year. Gas prices are higher in Atlanta so after paying more per gallon we get zero new roads over the last 25 years. Florida spends $13 billion a year on its roads and they are stellar.


NC spends about 2 million on maintenance of those 80,000 miles and uses $3 billion a year for new highways and improvements.
Where that same amount of revenue goes here in Georgia is beyond me so be grateful.

At the dawn of the automobile NC built good roads as it's way of keeping up with the Northeastern states, at one point having the most miles of paved roads in the country and earning the nickname "the Good Roads State".

Those roads are now aged and reaching the end of their service life much like in Pennsylavania.

NC puts out a report of the condition of the state's infrastructure every two years. The infrastructure is estimated to have a worth of $575 billion.

I've lived in GA, CA, NY, MA, and NJ  and I have more respect for NC's high standards now than ever. Very few other states hold themselves to the high standard that NC does for all state functions and agencies.

Georgia is utterly primitive in every aspect of the functions performed by the state. The DOT here erects signs on the side of the highway that last about 3 weeks before falling down.

While the I-85/I-40 duplex from Greensboro to Durham looks immaculate as it approaches 25 years of age. They do it right the first time and don't have to spend money on maintenance for a long time.

Even road enthusiasts on here that live in other states consider NCDOT among their favorites.

The gas tax in NC got a cap several years ago but that was to help it pass into law, and it mandated that from now on the tax would be pegged to rise with inflation so that its spending power wouldn't diminish too much.

My only gripe with NC is their reluctance to upgrade span-wire traffic signals with nicer mast-arm poles like every other state has been doing.

Raleigh is the span-wire capital and it looks sloppy.



Totally agree with the span wire, especially when we get hurricanes and those lights start dropping, what a mess.

401 is finally getting 4 laned to Louisburg which is now a ridiculous need being that people moved out of Wake county to Franklin when they blued the county government and increased the tax load.  Yeah, they are trying again in Franklin and running into the local friction of "not a chance in hell" from the farmers and rural residents.  Have family near Bunn so definitely on that pulse.

We'll see come November if the projects change but, hoping for the best.
I have emailed the Raleigh City Council members and NCDOT begging for upgrades to the sagging clothes line signals. NCDOT doesnt prioritize them and it's not necessary to them.

I believe that Raleigh almost maintains the street clutter as a personality trait of the Capital City. It's a trademark of the city.

Well, you can't have everything, at least the freeways are beautiful lined with trees and no billboards. That's the first impression everyone flying into the Triangle are presented and it's awesome because the rest of America's cities are visually chaotic but I-40 is serene and the inclines and grading are superb between the airport and Raleigh.

STLmapboy

Quote from: architect77 on September 22, 2020, 09:17:18 PM\
{shitload of stuff cut}

My only gripe with NC is their reluctance to upgrade span-wire traffic signals with nicer mast-arm poles like every other state has been doing.

Raleigh is the span-wire capital and it looks sloppy.
To be fair the wires are pretty clean box spans with consistent signalization and lots of FYAs, but I agree. There are some good masts around Raleigh if you know where to look, though, like this.
Teenage STL area roadgeek.
Missouri>>>>>Illinois

architect77

Quote from: STLmapboy on September 24, 2020, 12:06:08 PM
Quote from: architect77 on September 22, 2020, 09:17:18 PM\
{shitload of stuff cut}

My only gripe with NC is their reluctance to upgrade span-wire traffic signals with nicer mast-arm poles like every other state has been doing.

Raleigh is the span-wire capital and it looks sloppy.
To be fair the wires are pretty clean box spans with consistent signalization and lots of FYAs, but I agree. There are some good masts around Raleigh if you know where to look, though, like this.

Yeah, and with Cary's pristine signals next door, that should make Raleighites want better signals just from the comparison.

Everyone who would like to see more mast-arms should email NCDOT and Raleigh leaders and tell them.

STLmapboy

#3656
Here's a list of license plate customizations banned by the North Carolina DMV, taken from this article. Although just barely road related, you should take a gander; it's amusing.
Teenage STL area roadgeek.
Missouri>>>>>Illinois

sprjus4

Construction to Close Section of Lenoir County Highway
Quote​KINSTON — A section of N.C. 148 in Lenoir County is scheduled to be closed next week as construction to extend C.F. Harvey Parkway continues.

N.C. 148 (C.F. Harvey Parkway) just east of Aerosystems Boulevard to the N.C. 58 intersection will be closed in both directions between 7 a.m. Sept. 28 and 7 a.m. Oct. 5. The closure will allow contractors to construct the new alignment tie-ins.

Drivers needing to access the other side of construction will use Airport Road, Academy Heights Road and N.C. 58. Motorists should anticipate needing more time for their commute and use caution when near the work zone.

Extending C.F. Harvey Parkway by almost six miles will improve access in northern Kinston between U.S. 70, N.C. 58 and N.C. 11. The $73.5 million project is expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2020.
The C.F. Harvey Pkwy extension to NC-11 will likely be opening in the next couple of months.

DeaconG

Quote from: STLmapboy on September 25, 2020, 09:13:57 PM
Here's a list of license plate customizations banned by the North Carolina DMV, taken from this article. Although just barely road related, you should take a gander; it's amusing.

I'm getting a 404 error on the link.
Dawnstar: "You're an ape! And you can talk!"
King Solovar: "And you're a human with wings! Reality holds surprises for everyone!"
-Crisis On Infinite Earths #2

STLmapboy

Quote from: DeaconG on September 26, 2020, 01:36:55 PM
Quote from: STLmapboy on September 25, 2020, 09:13:57 PM
Here's a list of license plate customizations banned by the North Carolina DMV, taken from this article. Although just barely road related, you should take a gander; it's amusing.

I'm getting a 404 error on the link.
Crap. Well, the link is in the article.
Teenage STL area roadgeek.
Missouri>>>>>Illinois

Mr. Matté

Quote from: STLmapboy on September 26, 2020, 09:54:43 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on September 26, 2020, 01:36:55 PM
Quote from: STLmapboy on September 25, 2020, 09:13:57 PM
Here's a list of license plate customizations banned by the North Carolina DMV, taken from this article. Although just barely road related, you should take a gander; it's amusing.

I'm getting a 404 error on the link.
Crap. Well, the link is in the article.

Extra slash in the PDF link, I took it out in the link above so it should work.

LM117

NCDOT closed both directions of the NC-24 bridge over Six Runs Creek between Turkey and Clinton due to a failing bridge beam. Work is expected to last 2 weeks.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-09-28-sampson-county-bridge-repairs.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

architect77

Quote from: Mr. Matté on September 28, 2020, 04:45:04 PM
Quote from: STLmapboy on September 26, 2020, 09:54:43 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on September 26, 2020, 01:36:55 PM
Quote from: STLmapboy on September 25, 2020, 09:13:57 PM
Here's a list of license plate customizations banned by the North Carolina DMV, taken from this article. Although just barely road related, you should take a gander; it's amusing.

I'm getting a 404 error on the link.
Crap. Well, the link is in the article.

Extra slash in the PDF link, I took it out in the link above so it should work.

Be thankful that NC still stamps the digits and although boring, the standard plates aren't chock full of sloppy errors and low quality like Georgia's standard plates that look like nobody cares and 10 minutes of effort is all that went into them.

architect77

Quote from: STLmapboy on September 24, 2020, 12:06:08 PM
Quote from: architect77 on September 22, 2020, 09:17:18 PM\
{shitload of stuff cut}

My only gripe with NC is their reluctance to upgrade span-wire traffic signals with nicer mast-arm poles like every other state has been doing.

Raleigh is the span-wire capital and it looks sloppy.
To be fair the wires are pretty clean box spans with consistent signalization and lots of FYAs, but I agree. There are some good masts around Raleigh if you know where to look, though, like this.
They are very elegant like this one throughout Cary, and RTP. Other municipalities almost certainly take credit for these throughout Western Wake.

Raleigh has installed some in the core area, but I still say there is a perhaps subliminal affection for streetside clutter which lots of signs, and dangling signals in Raleigh.

If you cite the timing of the lights, that means they succeeded in a decade long effort for synchronize intersections on major thoroughfares which is awesome, since Raleigh is one of the few cities without sensors that will skip phases for lanes without anyone waiting to turn. Southern California has always had eyes up on the signals that control them. Atlanta has a lot of the ones cut into the pavement that detect the metal in cars to control the light.

Raleigh has always been a 3-minute wait at 4am going through all the phases without any traffic. That timing that's appropriate for daytime traffic seemed painfully long in the middle of the night

LM117

Quote from: LM117 on March 23, 2020, 04:17:21 PM
NCDOT has awarded a contract to widen US-117 in Goldsboro between US-70 and US-70 Bypass. Completion is set for fall 2023.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-03-23-us-117-widening-wayne-county.aspx

As someone that used to live there, I certainly have no complaints.

Construction began yesterday.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-06-wayne-county-widening.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

bob7374

Relocated NC 150/Macy Grove Road extension project in Forsyth County to open earlier than scheduled:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-08-macy-grove-extension-road-opens.aspx

LM117

A traffic shift is planned for Market Street in Wilmington, which is expected to last until mid-December. This is part of an improvement project that is set for completion in early 2023.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-07-traffic-shift-market-street-wilmington.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

wdcrft63

The Parker's Cable Ferry, one of three historic cable ferries in NC, is back in service after a two-year overhaul of the vessel. The ferry crosses the Meherrin River in Hertford County.
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-20-parkers-ferry-returns.aspx

wdcrft63

NCDOT has completed the four-laning of US 19E between Micaville and Spruce Pine in the Yancey and Mitchell County mountains north of Asheville.
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-16-us-19e-yancey-mitchell-complete.aspx

LM117

Quote from: wdcrft63 on October 22, 2020, 06:13:44 PM
The Parker's Cable Ferry, one of three historic cable ferries in NC, is back in service after a two-year overhaul of the vessel. The ferry crosses the Meherrin River in Hertford County.
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-20-parkers-ferry-returns.aspx

Speaking of ferries, the federal Maritime Administration has designated the NC Ferry System as a Marine Highway Project.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-22-marine-highway-project.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

wdcrft63

Quote from: LM117 on October 23, 2020, 12:27:36 PM
Quote from: wdcrft63 on October 22, 2020, 06:13:44 PM
The Parker's Cable Ferry, one of three historic cable ferries in NC, is back in service after a two-year overhaul of the vessel. The ferry crosses the Meherrin River in Hertford County.
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-20-parkers-ferry-returns.aspx

Speaking of ferries, the federal Maritime Administration has designated the NC Ferry System as a Marine Highway Project.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-22-marine-highway-project.aspx
Here's a link for the program, which was entirely new to me. Turns out that the Marine Highways are numbered like nearby Interstate highways; for example, the water route from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico via the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers is numbered M-55.
https://www.maritime.dot.gov/grants/marine-highways/marine-highway

LM117

#3671
NCDOT awarded a contract for milling & resurfacing, as well as shoulder work, on US-29 in Greensboro between I-40 and 16th Street. Work can start in April 2021 and is scheduled to be complete by June 2022.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-10-27-us-29-paving-greensboro.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

tolbs17

Quote from: Roadsguy on September 22, 2020, 10:21:35 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on September 22, 2020, 07:42:00 PM
Quote from: tjcreasy on September 13, 2020, 09:48:30 PM
RE: US 70 Freeway conversion in Durham: I wonder why Aviation Parkway will not be controlled access between Glebe Road and US 70? It appears from the conceptual plans that NCDOT plans to extend Aviation Parkway in the future. I assume this extension will not connect with I-85 as a portion of the Northern Durham Parkway anymore.
where that diverging diamond cuts off, I'm sure it will still be extended. It's included in the CTP.

Is the half-DDI now the selected alternative? I remember seeing another alternative that was a simple trumpet interchange.

Also, is the Aviation Parkway extension from I-540 to US 70 still being planned as a freeway? I saw an old study that indicated plans to complete the Aviation Parkway to US 70 as a freeway and then extend it as a surface road up around the east side of Durham to I-85. The "extension" included in the US 70 project is just a connector down to that other local road and doesn't connect to the existing freeway near I-540.

1st line - seems so. It says recommended.

2nd line - don't know. It's unfunded and there's no drawings that I can find.

wdcrft63

New ramps at the US 321/I-85 interchange in Gastonia are expected to open by mid November. These ramps (SB 85 to NB 321 and SB 321 to NB 85) are being added to an old-fashioned half cloverleaf.
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-11-05-gaston-county-interchange.aspx
https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/i-85-widening-gaston-county/Documents/us-321-interchange.pdf

LM117

“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette



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