Interstate 73/74

[bob7374]

Google Maps has updated their Street View coverage of US 52 South through the Future I-74/Winston-Salem Northern Beltway interchange area to last month, April. I've posted some screen shots, including this showing the almost completed new US 52 North lanes bridge crossing the future Beltway lanes:


On my I-74 in NC Segment 4 page: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg4.html#photos

Also posted Street View images of US 52 north of the Beltway from Westinghouse Road showing construction progress:
https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg3.html

[The Ghostbuster]

Once NC 74 connects with US 52, I imagine the US 52 freeway corridor will need to be upgraded to Interstate Standards to become Interstate 74 north of there, and an extension of Interstate 285 south of there. Are there any plans to make those upgrades within the next decade or so?

[bob7374]

Once NC 74 connects with US 52, I imagine the US 52 freeway corridor will need to be upgraded to Interstate Standards to become Interstate 74 north of there, and an extension of Interstate 285 south of there. Are there any plans to make those upgrades within the next decade or so?

There are no projects listed in the Draft 2024-2033 STIP to upgrade US 52 north of I-40 in Winston-Salem to interstate standards. It appears NCDOT will not be asking for exemptions to allow it sign the route as I-74 since the Beltway project sign plans have them simply placing Future I-74 signs along US 52 north of the Beltway interchange and changing exit numbers to I-74 mileposts when that project is complete.

[Strider]

This video has the updated progress on I-40 and I-74 interchange (Winston-Salem Northern Beltway) as of yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c10c-8z4Tns

[bob7374]

According to NCDOT's Construction Progress Report. Work started on the project to convert the US 74 (Future I-74) intersections with NC 72 and NC 130 West in Robeson County to an interchange on April 12. Work is to be completed in December 2026. As of May 7, work is 2.5% complete.

[bob7374]

I've posted some Google Maps Street View images from March showing progress completing the new US 74 West lanes at the future interchange with the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass (the lanes have since opened and US 74 East traffic is using some of the former westbound lanes to allow for widening and reconfiguring of the closed roadway for the Bus. 74/Bypass interchange). Here's looking east along the new US 74 West alignment when it was being paved:


The rest at: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i73seg11.html#photos

[bob7374]

Google Maps has updated their Street View coverage along the Future I-74 corridor east of Lumberton to April and May. I took some screen grabs of their views of bridge and ramp construction including a drive up and down the new ramps at Boardman which include a roundabout and new East US 74 trailblazer:


the remainder of Boardman and NC 130/NC 72 interchange related images can be found at:
https://www.malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg17.html#segment

Meanwhile, they also picked up construction at the future Lake Waccamaw interchange east of Whiteville, here's an image of the start of bridge construction at Chauncey Town Road:


The rest of those photos are at: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg18.html

[GreenLanternCorps]

Rockingham bypass now visible on satellite on Google maps:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9722896,-79.8289564,11193m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

[bob7374]

Saw this traffic notice on the Winston-Salem Beltway when perusing some of the traffic camera images in the Greensboro and Winston-Salem area for sign update progress. Isn't this a little early for a pavement repair project, especially one to take 7 weeks? Did they rush to get the road completed when it opened last year?
Incident 666645
Location
- NC-74 (NC 74), Near Baux Mountain Road
- Near Winston-Salem / Mile Marker 46 to 45 Heading West
- Forsyth County
Maintenance: Lane Closed
Left lane closed due to pavement needing repair.
1 of 2 lanes closed.

Expected impact to traffic is High.

Timeframe
Start: Thu, Jun 8, 2023, 6:49 AM
End: Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 3:30 PM

[bob7374]

Speaking of the W-S Beltway, NCDOT press release about US 52 North being moved this weekend to its new alignment at the future Beltway interchange, notice that there is no mention of a completion date for the project:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-06-15-traffic-shift-coming-us-52-forsyth-county.aspx

[carbaugh2]

There was a fiery head-on crash last month caused by someone who stole a car and drove the wrong way on 74.

https://journalnow.com/news/teens-die-in-crash-after-chase-on-winston-salems-northern-beltway-they-were-in-a/article_6c18025e-ede3-11ed-b82d-7b1614111768.html

Saw this traffic notice on the Winston-Salem Beltway when perusing some of the traffic camera images in the Greensboro and Winston-Salem area for sign update progress. Isn't this a little early for a pavement repair project, especially one to take 7 weeks? Did they rush to get the road completed when it opened last year?
Incident 666645
Location
- NC-74 (NC 74), Near Baux Mountain Road
- Near Winston-Salem / Mile Marker 46 to 45 Heading West
- Forsyth County
Maintenance: Lane Closed
Left lane closed due to pavement needing repair.
1 of 2 lanes closed.

Expected impact to traffic is High.

Timeframe
Start: Thu, Jun 8, 2023, 6:49 AM
End: Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 3:30 PM

[LM117]

Parts of 3 roads near the site of the future I-40/I-74 interchange will be permanently closed on June 20.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-06-15-beltway-project-requires-three-permanent-road-closures.aspx

[Strider]

The streamer just posted a video showing US 52 North lanes is now open on the permanent new northbound lanes on the video below at the under construction US 52 and I-74 interchange.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv-STTSmNkg

[nerdom]

52 has looked so bad and neglected for so long... This really looks great. Now if we could get it updated to Salem Parkway, Winston would have roads almost half as nice a Gboro.

[sprjus4]

52 has looked so bad and neglected for so long... This really looks great. Now if we could get it updated to Salem Parkway, Winston would have roads almost half as nice a Gboro.

And unfortunately, it still looks terrible all the way up to Pilot Mountain... the entire road needs to be reconstructed from the ground up. It's a bumpy ride, the entire way. Why has it been neglected? I see NCDOT resurfacing segments of freeway that are in much better condition than US-52, yet US-52 has seemingly never been touched in years, if not decades.

It serves a very important role, serving as a freeway connector to the I-77 corridor all the way from the Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh-Durham, and Wilmington areas, basically a significant part of the state. It's warranted to be simply reconstructed to be a smooth ride.

[fillup420]

52 has looked so bad and neglected for so long... This really looks great. Now if we could get it updated to Salem Parkway, Winston would have roads almost half as nice a Gboro.

And unfortunately, it still looks terrible all the way up to Pilot Mountain... the entire road needs to be reconstructed from the ground up. It's a bumpy ride, the entire way. Why has it been neglected? I see NCDOT resurfacing segments of freeway that are in much better condition than US-52, yet US-52 has seemingly never been touched in years, if not decades.

It serves a very important role, serving as a freeway connector to the I-77 corridor all the way from the Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh-Durham, and Wilmington areas, basically a significant part of the state. It's warranted to be simply reconstructed to be a smooth ride.

Seriously. I drove it a few months ago, and I always seem to forget just how bad the road surface is. I personally am not a fan of the whole I-74 idea, but if that will expedite the reconstruction of that section of 52 then its fine by me.

[bob7374]

52 has looked so bad and neglected for so long... This really looks great. Now if we could get it updated to Salem Parkway, Winston would have roads almost half as nice a Gboro.

And unfortunately, it still looks terrible all the way up to Pilot Mountain... the entire road needs to be reconstructed from the ground up. It's a bumpy ride, the entire way. Why has it been neglected? I see NCDOT resurfacing segments of freeway that are in much better condition than US-52, yet US-52 has seemingly never been touched in years, if not decades.

It serves a very important role, serving as a freeway connector to the I-77 corridor all the way from the Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh-Durham, and Wilmington areas, basically a significant part of the state. It's warranted to be simply reconstructed to be a smooth ride.

Seriously. I drove it a few months ago, and I always seem to forget just how bad the road surface is. I personally am not a fan of the whole I-74 idea, but if that will expedite the reconstruction of that section of 52 then its fine by me.

There are no projects in the recently approved 2024-2033 STIP to improve US 52 north of Winston-Salem. Though, as suggested there may be an incentive to do something after the Beltway interchange is complete to close the remaining I-74 gap north of there to Mt. Airy. Same thing for US 52 between I-40 and the Beltway if they want I-285 to be designated from I-40 to the Beltway sooner than later.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Somehow the pavement condition is classified as "good" and there are no highway maintenance projects shown for that stretch through 2027. It looks like the section that was previously concrete was resurfaced with asphalt sometime around 2011-2012. I-26 in Henderson County east of U.S. 64 is doing the same thing and also classified as being in "good condition." 

NCDOT Pavement Condition Map
NCDOT 2023-2027 Highway Maintenance Improvement Program Map

[Strider]

Speaking of I-73 and I-74 Rockingham Bypass, this streamer drove through the construction area a several times in his/her stream channel. If you skip the video to 49:33 and go from there, it will show the new and permanent US 74 West lanes going under the new I-73/I-74 bridges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KycuQ0JHCAE

[bob7374]

Speaking of I-73 and I-74 Rockingham Bypass, this streamer drove through the construction area a several times in his/her stream channel. If you skip the video to 49:33 and go from there, it will show the new and permanent US 74 West lanes going under the new I-73/I-74 bridges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KycuQ0JHCAE

For those who haven't seen the video, I took some screen grabs in the Rockingham Bypass construction area, including where US 74 is now directed along its future exit ramp:


I have posted several others on my I-73 Segment 11 page:
https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i73seg11.html#photos

I have also posted Street View images of signage at the completed Hallsboro Road interchange on US 74/76 east of Whiteville on: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg18.html#photos

[bob7374]

Google Maps Street View has updated their coverage of US 52 North in the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway interchange project work zone to June allowing the viewing of the new US 52 North lanes:


Other screen grabs I took from Street View in the area are available at:
https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg4.html#photos

The Winston-Salem Journal reported last week that NCDOT now doesn't expect the interchange to open until around Thanksgiving. The completion date still reported on the project webpage is July 2, 2023.

Street View coverage in June of the construction along US 52 North continues to Westinghouse Road:


Those images can be found at: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg3.html#seg3photos

[bob7374]

Google Maps has uploaded more June images to their Street View coverage of US 52 North in vicinity of the future I-74/Beltway interchange. Here's a view looking towards the current end of the Beltway at NC 66 showing progress (or lack thereof, the interchange revised completion date was July 2, that's now been publicized as to be around Thanksgiving) in building the connection between the two routes:


More new images are available at: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg4.html#photos

[bob7374]

NCDOT says that US 52 North traffic will be shifted onto new lanes this weekend between NC 65 and Westinghouse Road as part of the I-74 Beltway interchange project:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-07-19-major-project-requires-traffic-shift-us-52-forsyth-county.aspx
Looks like the new third lane seen partially paved in this Street View image from June is now completed:

[bob7374]

Another traffic shift announced this weekend at the other end of the Beltway construction area, between Ridgewood and Union Cross Roads:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-07-05-i-74-traffic-shift-required-for-major-construction-project.aspx

The new lanes referred to as seen under construction in this March Street View image:

[bob7374]

I've added new June Google Maps Street View screen shots from the Winston-Salem Beltway construction zones along US 52 South and I-74 West:


To my I-74 Segment 4 page: [url]https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg4.html#photos[/img]