New Interstate 885 in Durham

[goobnav]

What's the point of I-885? Is it to connect I-85 and I-40 together?

It really would make sense for NC 147 to be truncated at the intersection with I-885 when it opens, and see NC redesignate the southern end as TOLL NC 885.  In a sense, it becomes the best route from the RTP area northward to Virginia and DC to go up 885 to 85...

Widen I-85 to the VA state line to six lanes then! Maybe this could be the alternative to Greensboro when using US 70 and I-540 or the aviation parkway (If it ever gets upgraded which i think it's doubtful), traffic on I-40 wouldn't be as high. That doesn't mean I-40 shouldn't get widened or not have express lanes though.

Ah, no, 85 north of Durham is a rural freeway and at the VA State line it stays rural to the Petersburg suburbs, demand isn't there, yet.

[orulz]

What's the point of I-885? Is it to connect I-85 and I-40 together?

It really would make sense for NC 147 to be truncated at the intersection with I-885 when it opens, and see NC redesignate the southern end as TOLL NC 885.  In a sense, it becomes the best route from the RTP area northward to Virginia and DC to go up 885 to 85...

Get rid of the 147 designation entirely.

Sign 885 on the north-south segment from I-85 to 540, and sign US70 on the Durham Freeway segment through downtown.

This cuts back the US70/I-85 multiplex to less than 2 miles, from exit 170 to 172.

And yes, this does provide an excellent route from RTP and the  suburbs of western Wake County towards the northeast. It will also take a lot of traffic off streets through Central Durham such as Alston, Mangum, Roxboro, Duke, and Gregson.

Though there is no good reason this was delayed for so long, the need was so obvious that this was first planned sometime back in the 1950s. This is going to be a very useful road from the day it opens (unlike "Complete 540" - which will be a ghost town for years, decades perhaps, before there will be enough induced demand from new sprawl to fill it.)

[tolbs17]

What's the point of I-885? Is it to connect I-85 and I-40 together?

It really would make sense for NC 147 to be truncated at the intersection with I-885 when it opens, and see NC redesignate the southern end as TOLL NC 885.  In a sense, it becomes the best route from the RTP area northward to Virginia and DC to go up 885 to 85...

Get rid of the 147 designation entirely.

Sign 885 on the north-south segment from I-85 to 540, and sign US70 on the Durham Freeway segment through downtown.

This cuts back the US70/I-85 multiplex to less than 2 miles, from exit 170 to 172.

And yes, this does provide an excellent route from RTP and the  suburbs of western Wake County towards the northeast. It will also take a lot of traffic off streets through Central Durham such as Alston, Mangum, Roxboro, Duke, and Gregson.

Though there is no good reason this was delayed for so long, the need was so obvious that this was first planned sometime back in the 1950s. This is going to be a very useful road from the day it opens (unlike "Complete 540" - which will be a ghost town for years, decades perhaps, before there will be enough induced demand from new sprawl to fill it.)

If the part near 540 is going to be a freeway, then it will work for sure. But the expressway option is still up, so it's not for sure.

That part has tolls, so an interstate designation there is not possible. Maybe NC 885.

Thought you were talking about near the Avation parkway. but you are talking about the Triangle Expressway! haha

[The Ghostbuster]

I say leave US 70 as-is. Truncate NC 147 to the future East End connector, and renumber exits 10 through 16 based on the new mileage of NC 147.

[LM117]

Upcoming traffic shift on US-70 East.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-10-03-us-70-east-traffic-shift.aspx

[wdcrft63]

Upcoming traffic shift on US-70 East.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-10-03-us-70-east-traffic-shift.aspx

"The new highway, expected to be designated I-885." Does anyone know if that request has gone in to AASHTO?

[froggie]

Better question:  has the request gone in to FHWA, who has final approval?

[LM117]

Upcoming traffic shift on US-70 East.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-10-03-us-70-east-traffic-shift.aspx

"The new highway, expected to be designated I-885." Does anyone know if that request has gone in to AASHTO?

As of AASHTO's last meeting, no. AASHTO's fall meeting begins this Saturday and the deadline for applications was September 16, so NCDOT may have finally decided to send it in.

https://route.transportation.org

[LM117]

Better question:  has the request gone in to FHWA, who has final approval?

True, but FHWA may want AASHTO to approve the number first. The most notable example of that is I-795.

[Strider]

Better question:  has the request gone in to FHWA, who has final approval?

I don't know. This feels like NCDOT has already went and requested the I-885 designation in the past somehow, otherwise they wouldn't have talked about it every time, or post up I-885 signs on the covered overhead signage.

[Roadsguy]

Better question:  has the request gone in to FHWA, who has final approval?

I don't know. This feels like NCDOT has already went and requested the I-885 designation in the past somehow, otherwise they wouldn't have talked about it every time, or post up I-885 signs on the covered overhead signage.

I would hope so, but this is the same NCDOT that thought substandard bridge shoulders over the Cape Fear River and an incomplete freeway-to-freeway interchange at I-95 wouldn't matter for getting I-295 approved...

[LM117]

Better question:  has the request gone in to FHWA, who has final approval?

I don't know. This feels like NCDOT has already went and requested the I-885 designation in the past somehow, otherwise they wouldn't have talked about it every time, or post up I-885 signs on the covered overhead signage.

I would hope so, but this is the same NCDOT that thought substandard bridge shoulders over the Cape Fear River and an incomplete freeway-to-freeway interchange at I-95 wouldn't matter for getting I-295 approved...

I think FHWA was more concerned about the interchange than the bridges, since FHWA added I-295 to the interstate system nearly a year ago.

The contract that NCDOT recently awarded to widen I-95 also calls for fixing that interchange, so that may be why FHWA went ahead and approved I-295.

[The Ghostbuster]

I'm sure the Interstate 885 will be confirmed sooner or later. After all, it took a little under 20 years from first conception, for the Interstate 274 portion of the Winston-Salem Beltway to get approved as Interstate 274.

[sprjus4]

substandard bridge shoulders over the Cape Fear River

Interstate highway standards permit bridges "long bridges", those over 200 ft long, to have a reduced 4 ft right shoulder. It's not "substandard" by interstate standards. The state has similar to plans to incorporate the existing US-17 bridges into the Interstate 87 project, at least the one near Edenton. It was only built in 1999, and is modern with the exception of that shoulder, that could reasonably also be widened to include it. The bridge near Williamston may also be retained or potentially bypassed. The bridge near Hertford definitely needs to be replaced, it's significantly older, narrow and doesn't even have 4 ft shoulders. The current feasibility study did not identify replacing it, though it will likely happen later on as US-17 upgrades get underway, whenever funding is acquired.

[froggie]

Interstate highway standards permit bridges "long bridges", those over 200 ft long, to have a reduced 4 ft right shoulder. It's not "substandard" by interstate standards.

More appropriately called "minimum standards" in this case.  "Full" standard would have been a full 10ft right shoulder.

[sprjus4]

Interstate highway standards permit bridges "long bridges", those over 200 ft long, to have a reduced 4 ft right shoulder. It's not "substandard" by interstate standards.

More appropriately called "minimum standards" in this case.  "Full" standard would have been a full 10ft right shoulder.

Point is - it's not required - and isn't likely a reason to prevent an interstate designation for the rest of the highway which does meet "full" standards.

They could reasonably widen the twin-bridges however, they're only 700 ft long, and relatively new (past 15-20 years).

Also, there's another set of bridges just beyond that that also has a 4 ft right shoulder, those are 800 ft long, and also relatively new (past 15-20 years). Again, could reasonably be widened.

I'm not advocating for substandard bridges or "minimum standards", but it shouldn't be the reason to not designate the rest of the highway which indeed does meet "full" interstate standards. There should at least be a provision that the state will eventually, when funding allows, get around to widening the bridge structure to include the full shoulder. But as far as I've seen, there doesn't appear to be one.

[bob7374]

If you haven't seen the Fall 2019 AASHTO meeting thread, there was no application made for I-885 at the meeting in St. Louis (or for any other interstate route). Guess they plan to do it (hopefully) last minute in the spring of 2020. Only applications were for US 17 related to the new bypass south of New Bern and an interesting one rerouting US 70 through Greensboro.

[LM117]

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-11-21-holloway-st-nightly-closure.aspx

​DURHAM – N.C. Department of Transportation contractors are set to close the section of Holloway Street that passes under U.S. 70 for four nights beginning tonight.

The nightly closures are scheduled from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

A signed detour will direct eastbound drivers onto Miami Boulevard, Geer Street, Cheek Road and Hoover Road to get back to Holloway Street on the east side of U.S. 70. Westbound motorists will follow the same detour in reverse.

This closure will allow crews to drive piles as part of the construction of the new U.S. 70 bridge over Holloway Street.

The closures are weather dependent and subject to change.

Drivers should pay extra attention and allow extra time to navigate the detour.

​This work is associated with the East End Connector project which is estimated to be completed November 2020.

[bob7374]

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-11-21-holloway-st-nightly-closure.aspx

​DURHAM – N.C. Department of Transportation contractors are set to close the section of Holloway Street that passes under U.S. 70 for four nights beginning tonight.

The nightly closures are scheduled from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

A signed detour will direct eastbound drivers onto Miami Boulevard, Geer Street, Cheek Road and Hoover Road to get back to Holloway Street on the east side of U.S. 70. Westbound motorists will follow the same detour in reverse.

This closure will allow crews to drive piles as part of the construction of the new U.S. 70 bridge over Holloway Street.

The closures are weather dependent and subject to change.

Drivers should pay extra attention and allow extra time to navigate the detour.

​This work is associated with the East End Connector project which is estimated to be completed November 2020.

The opening date keeps getting later and later. Originally they thought it could be open by late this year. Then May 2020, then June, and now November. If the opening is advanced back to summer again, they'll probably announce that the project was opened months early.

[LM117]

Southbound NC-147 traffic will be shifted to it's final traffic pattern this Sunday.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-12-13-nc-147-southbound-traffic-shift.aspx

[fillup420]

I drove through there the other day, and I saw one of the signs for south 885 was uncovered, was cool to see

also thank goodness they are separating the directions of travel for good. Driving through there on a bumpy twisty 4 lane undivided 55 mph road was quite nerve-wracking.

[LM117]

Some news regarding the I-885 designation and what will become of NC-147:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/raleigh-durham-chapel-hill-cary/1703414-durham-east-end-connector-7.html#post56883566

[orulz]

I've said this many times before in this thread and elsewhere. It is time for NCDOT to retire the NC147 designation entirely and sign US 70 over the EEC and the Durham Freeway through downtown. Eliminate US70 multiplexes in Durham except for 2 miles with I-85 (exit 170-172) and 1/2 mile with I-885 on the EEC itself.

Somehow people here haven't seemed to like this idea but to me it's just so obvious.

[nerdom]

cant seem to find any problem with that. the logic is pretty sound. I like it.

[LM117]

cant seem to find any problem with that. the logic is pretty sound. I like it.

Same.