News:

The AARoads Wiki is live! Come check it out!

Main Menu

Interstate 73/74

Started by Voyager, January 18, 2009, 08:09:48 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

bob7374

#1350
I've posted some new photos from David Johnson taken along the rest of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway still under construction, such as this looking east from the new US 311 bridge:


The rest are on the I-74 Segment 4 page below the newly opened section photos: http://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg4.html#photos

I've also posted a link on the page to a video taken driving the newly open section in both directions, direct link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igh5oFk7ius

There are also new photos of construction of the future Beltway/US 52 interchange at:
http://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg3.html


architect77

Quote from: sprjus4 on September 10, 2020, 05:01:18 PM
Quote from: sturmde on September 10, 2020, 04:19:31 PM
Probably best to leave NC-74 at 65 mph while it's still unconnected segments.  Maybe when it's complete from US-52 Future I-74 to US-421 Former I-40B would it make sense to raise that connecting to freeways at both ends to 70 mph.  Kind of an argument for 2023 though.
Once the Beltway is complete, the entire length of I-74 / Future I-74 from I-77 near Mt. Airy to I-73 near Asheboro should be posted at 70 mph.

And as I mentioned before, with the exception of through Greensboro, all of I-40 between Winston-Salem and Raleigh, all of I-73 between Asheboro and NC-68, again except through Greensboro, and US-421 southeast of Greensboro, should all be raised to 70 mph.

There's numerous segments of interstates and freeways around the state that still retain 65 mph and could adequately be increased to 70 mph. A system-wide study is warranted though NCDOT continues to raise them at a snail's pace one bite at a time.

I-85 around and south of Greensboro, I-40 west of Winston-Salem, I-73 / I-74 south of Asheboro, and US-29 / Future I-785 north of Greensboro are all currently posted at 70 mph.

Given that up to 10 mph over the posted speed limit is acceptable, do you include that as part of your push for 70 mph postings? Are you only concerned about tickets traveling a little over the limit? For me, I don't have to worry about cops on road trips now because I'm fine doing 8 or 9 mph over the speed limit. I don't want to go faster. Thank goodness Georgia raised the posted speeds for Atlanta freeways, which used to be some of the fastest done by traffic as a whole. They could issue you a super speeder violation for 25 mph over the limit even though you were only going 5-10 faster than every one else. Now they are posted at 65mph at least.

sprjus4

#1352
Quote from: architect77 on September 21, 2020, 01:52:46 PM
Given that up to 10 mph over the posted speed limit is acceptable, do you include that as part of your push for 70 mph postings? Are you only concerned about tickets traveling a little over the limit? For me, I don't have to worry about cops on road trips now because I'm fine doing 8 or 9 mph over the speed limit. I don't want to go faster.
The segments of interstate / freeway I've mentioned have design speeds of 70 mph. Additionally, factoring +10 mph, it's not uncommon to already see people drive around 80 mph on the 65 mph segments I've mentioned, and nearby 70 mph interstates see roughly the same thing, around 80 mph. On I-85 approaching the I-85 / I-40 overlap, the speed limit drops from 70 mph to 65 mph but nobody actually reduces their speed. They just go 15 mph over instead of 10 mph over, keeping with the flow or greater. Having driven on both 65 mph and 70 mph segments in the Triad in fact, quite recently in fact, I don't think increasing the speed limit would make much of an impact, it would simply bring the speed limit closer to reality (75 - 80 mph) and lower the differential between those following the speed limit and those driving reasonable speeds.

There's segments of 65 mph interstates in the Triad I would -not- recommend for 70 mph, given geometry and design overall that keep people generally at or under 75 mph.

After driving the new Winston-Salem beltway segment recently, I concur that it could easily be 70 mph. No sharp curative, relatively straight and wide roadway, easy to hit 80 mph. US-421 Salem Pkwy should also be increased from 60 mph to 65 mph (debatable if I'd go to 70 mph) between east of Downtown and I-40 near Greensboro. Driving that recently, most people were already driving around 75 mph, some even faster.

LM117

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-09-25-i-74-eastchester-ramp-closures.aspx

QuoteHIGH POINT — Work on the project to improve the Interstate 74 interchange with Eastchester Drive/N.C. 68 will require rerouting traffic overnight next week.

To remove portions of the N.C. 68 bridge, contract crews will have to close I-74 East at the interchange and the new loop from southbound N.C. 68 onto I-74 East.

The closures are scheduled to begin each night Sunday through Thursday with a single lane closure on I-74 East at 9 p.m. followed by full closures of the interstate and loop from 11 p.m. until 6 the following mornings.

Eastbound I-74 traffic will be directed up and over the N.C. 68 exit while the closure is in place, while traffic from N.C. 68 will be detoured up I-74 West to the Johnson Street exit to access I-74 East.

Drivers should be mindful of crews working near the flow of traffic in this area and factor the detour into their commute.
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

I-55

Quote from: architect77 on September 21, 2020, 01:52:46 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on September 10, 2020, 05:01:18 PM
Quote from: sturmde on September 10, 2020, 04:19:31 PM
Probably best to leave NC-74 at 65 mph while it's still unconnected segments.  Maybe when it's complete from US-52 Future I-74 to US-421 Former I-40B would it make sense to raise that connecting to freeways at both ends to 70 mph.  Kind of an argument for 2023 though.
Once the Beltway is complete, the entire length of I-74 / Future I-74 from I-77 near Mt. Airy to I-73 near Asheboro should be posted at 70 mph.

And as I mentioned before, with the exception of through Greensboro, all of I-40 between Winston-Salem and Raleigh, all of I-73 between Asheboro and NC-68, again except through Greensboro, and US-421 southeast of Greensboro, should all be raised to 70 mph.

There's numerous segments of interstates and freeways around the state that still retain 65 mph and could adequately be increased to 70 mph. A system-wide study is warranted though NCDOT continues to raise them at a snail's pace one bite at a time.

I-85 around and south of Greensboro, I-40 west of Winston-Salem, I-73 / I-74 south of Asheboro, and US-29 / Future I-785 north of Greensboro are all currently posted at 70 mph.

Given that up to 10 mph over the posted speed limit is acceptable, do you include that as part of your push for 70 mph postings? Are you only concerned about tickets traveling a little over the limit? For me, I don't have to worry about cops on road trips now because I'm fine doing 8 or 9 mph over the speed limit. I don't want to go faster. Thank goodness Georgia raised the posted speeds for Atlanta freeways, which used to be some of the fastest done by traffic as a whole. They could issue you a super speeder violation for 25 mph over the limit even though you were only going 5-10 faster than every one else. Now they are posted at 65mph at least.

The reason for speed limit increases is often to reflect the 85th percentile speed of traffic. This is usually to provoke the letter of the law drivers to drive closer to the average traffic speed. For people who don't care about the speed limit, or people who like to travel at particular speeds or to traffic conditions, this does nothing except reduce the difference between their speed and slower drivers by 5-10 mph.
Let's Go Purdue Basketball Whoosh

sprjus4

^

From my experience, people will drive around 75 - 80 mph along I-40 / I-85 east of Greensboro which is a 65 mph zone just as much as they would drive 75 - 80 mph along I-85 south of Greensboro which is a 70 mph zone. When they increased the speed limit on the southeastern portion of the Beltway years back, speeds didn't change much. Same with I-485 around Charlotte and I-540 around Raleigh which are now both 70 mph.

I find it amusing I-485 around Charlotte is 70 mph, but I-85 north of Charlotte, which was recently reconstructed from 4 to 8 lanes, is still 65 mph.

bob7374

Closures on I-74 in High Point related to NC 66 interchange improvements (this is also the AASHTO approved new route for US 70, but is not signed yet) next week:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-09-25-i-74-eastchester-ramp-closures.aspx

architect77

Quote from: sprjus4 on September 25, 2020, 09:34:58 PM
^

From my experience, people will drive around 75 - 80 mph along I-40 / I-85 east of Greensboro which is a 65 mph zone just as much as they would drive 75 - 80 mph along I-85 south of Greensboro which is a 70 mph zone. When they increased the speed limit on the southeastern portion of the Beltway years back, speeds didn't change much. Same with I-485 around Charlotte and I-540 around Raleigh which are now both 70 mph.

I find it amusing I-485 around Charlotte is 70 mph, but I-85 north of Charlotte, which was recently reconstructed from 4 to 8 lanes, is still 65 mph.

I guess you should calculate the traffic volume every day per lane to see if that's behind the lower limit or perhaps all the freight in truck traffic on I-85 which is one of the nation's big industrial corridors.

I-485 on the East side of Charlotte isn't busy and quite tranquil comparatively.

sprjus4

Quote from: architect77 on September 26, 2020, 03:50:19 PM
I guess you should calculate the traffic volume every day per lane to see if that's behind the lower limit or perhaps all the freight in truck traffic on I-85 which is one of the nation's big industrial corridors.
I-85 seems to operate just fine at 70 mph between Greensboro and Kannapolis, and between Durham and the Virginia state line (the segment north of Henderson recently raised from 65 mph to 70 mph).

In Virginia, virtually all of I-81 is posted at 70 mph, having only 4 lanes and high truck volumes, same with I-95 between Richmond and Fredericksburg having over 100,000 AADT and only 6 lanes. All of I-85 in Virginia is posted at 70 mph except the northern few miles in the Petersburg area where it's 60 mph. I-85 was the first interstate highway approved for a 70 mph posted speed limit in the state back in 2006, nothing else got increased until 2010.

Quote from: architect77 on September 26, 2020, 03:50:19 PM
I-485 on the East side of Charlotte isn't busy and quite tranquil comparatively.
How about I-485 on the north and west side? The entire I-485 loop is posted at 70 mph. The entire I-540 loop around Raleigh is also posted at 70 mph, a very busy roadway in areas.




North Carolina has been slowly increasing speed limits here and there from 65 mph to 70 mph, and I think there's some definite candidates in the central part of the state.

architect77

Quote from: sprjus4 on September 26, 2020, 04:04:29 PM
Quote from: architect77 on September 26, 2020, 03:50:19 PM
I guess you should calculate the traffic volume every day per lane to see if that's behind the lower limit or perhaps all the freight in truck traffic on I-85 which is one of the nation's big industrial corridors.
I-85 seems to operate just fine at 70 mph between Greensboro and Kannapolis, and between Durham and the Virginia state line (the segment north of Henderson recently raised from 65 mph to 70 mph).

In Virginia, virtually all of I-81 is posted at 70 mph, having only 4 lanes and high truck volumes, same with I-95 between Richmond and Fredericksburg having over 100,000 AADT and only 6 lanes. All of I-85 in Virginia is posted at 70 mph except the northern few miles in the Petersburg area where it's 60 mph. I-85 was the first interstate highway approved for a 70 mph posted speed limit in the state back in 2006, nothing else got increased until 2010.

Quote from: architect77 on September 26, 2020, 03:50:19 PM
I-485 on the East side of Charlotte isn't busy and quite tranquil comparatively.
How about I-485 on the north and west side? The entire I-485 loop is posted at 70 mph. The entire I-540 loop around Raleigh is also posted at 70 mph, a very busy roadway in areas.




North Carolina has been slowly increasing speed limits here and there from 65 mph to 70 mph, and I think there's some definite candidates in the central part of the state.
It could be an oversight that won't be corrected soon if money is tight. I don't know. Y'all seem to be focused on the posted speeds, but I don't even pay attention anymore. It's a small inconvenience to slow down a tad to avoid a ticket. Now if it was a speed trap being exploited by cops then I'd start getting mad.

Virginia is more concentrated cities and more rural inbetween than NC, also not as industrial. Any posted speed from Durham to the VA line is trivial since you don't really get into populated NC until Durham. I grew up not far from there in Louisburg. Creedmoor is where i exit to go home.

LM117

The next section of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway between US-158 and US-311 near Walkertown will open tomorrow evening.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-12-22-winston-salem-beltway-section-opens.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

bob7374

For those looking for something to do during New Year's Eve 2020, I've posted my annual I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review on the Gribblenation.org Blog:
http://www.gribblenation.org/2020/12/i-73i-74-and-nc-future-interstates-year.html

bob7374

Upcoming closures on US 52 due to Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74) interchange construction:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2021/2021-01-13-us-52-nc-65-beltway-detours.aspx

RoadPelican

The speed limit on I-73 has just been raised from 55 to 65 MPH in the area of Piedmont Triad International Airport within the last couple of days.  Now I-73 is at least 65 MPH throughout it's whole length in NC.

Also, the expressway that goes east to southeast from the I-840/I-73 Junction into Greensboro (Bryan Blvd) has also just had it's speed limit raised from 55 to 65.

sprjus4

#1364
Quote from: RoadPelican on March 10, 2021, 08:52:54 PM
The speed limit on I-73 has just been raised from 55 to 65 MPH in the area of Piedmont Triad International Airport within the last couple of days.  Now I-73 is at least 65 MPH throughout it's whole length in NC.

Also, the expressway that goes east to southeast from the I-840/I-73 Junction into Greensboro (Bryan Blvd) has also just had it's speed limit raised from 55 to 65.
A very nice change indeed, not expected, especially on Bryan Blvd if it's now 65 mph all the way into Greensboro. Ironically, this stretch will now be faster than 60 mph on parts of I-40 that have a straighter alignment inside the beltway.

Now, can they raise the northern I-73 / US-220 overlap from 60 mph to 65 mph, NC-68 from 55 mph to 65 mph between I-40 and I-73, US-421 southeast of Greensboro from 60 mph to 65 mph, and US-421 Salem Pkwy between I-40 and Downtown Winston-Salem from 60 mph to 65 mph?

At least US-421 southeast of Greensboro and northern I-73 make more sense than even these official increases they just did (not saying I'm against those, just make less sense from a system wide perspective)

sprjus4

Quote from: RoadPelican on March 10, 2021, 08:52:54 PM
Now I-73 is at least 65 MPH throughout it's whole length in NC.
For the most part, it is still 60 mph on its northern portion that was upgraded along existing US-220, unless that has finally been raised in the past year, plus a small 55 mph segment just south of I-85.

74/171FAN

QuoteNC-68 from 55 mph to 65 mph between I-40 and I-73

I could only see this if the lights at I-40 and the intersection just north of this were ever removed.
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.

sprjus4

Quote from: 74/171FAN on March 11, 2021, 11:00:34 AM
QuoteNC-68 from 55 mph to 65 mph between I-40 and I-73

I could only see this if the lights at I-40 and the intersection just north of this were ever removed.
The 3 mile segment between Triad Center Dr (the intersection just north of I-40) and Pleasant Ridge Rd (where I-73 crosses NC-68) should be raised to at least 60 mph.

A similar roadway with the same design, Aviation Pkwy, in the Raleigh-Durham metro serves as a 2 mile long connector between Briar Creek Pkwy and I-540 to RDU Airport and is posted at 60 mph.

Both roadways are limited access highways and can legally be posted up to 70 mph per state law.

tolbs17

On the built and unopened alignments, it looks like you can walk or ride your bike on these bridges. (I've done it before, it was on the 10th st connector)


fillup420

Quote from: tolbs17 on March 31, 2021, 09:39:48 PM
On the built and unopened alignments, it looks like you can walk or ride your bike on these bridges. (I've done it before, it was on the 10th st connector)



where exactly is this picture of?

tolbs17

Quote from: fillup420 on April 01, 2021, 06:17:43 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on March 31, 2021, 09:39:48 PM
On the built and unopened alignments, it looks like you can walk or ride your bike on these bridges. (I've done it before, it was on the 10th st connector)



where exactly is this picture of?
I-40, eastern leg of the beltway. I was saying on the unopened alignment, you can walk or ride your bike on it.

rickmastfan67

Quote from: tolbs17 on April 01, 2021, 06:29:23 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on April 01, 2021, 06:17:43 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on March 31, 2021, 09:39:48 PM
On the built and unopened alignments, it looks like you can walk or ride your bike on these bridges. (I've done it before, it was on the 10th st connector)



where exactly is this picture of?
I-40, eastern leg of the beltway. I was saying on the unopened alignment, you can walk or ride your bike on it.

Hope you enjoy the State Police putting a smackdown on ya for attempting it. lol. :spin:

fillup420

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on April 01, 2021, 08:03:47 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on April 01, 2021, 06:29:23 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on April 01, 2021, 06:17:43 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on March 31, 2021, 09:39:48 PM
On the built and unopened alignments, it looks like you can walk or ride your bike on these bridges. (I've done it before, it was on the 10th st connector)


where exactly is this picture of?
I-40, eastern leg of the beltway. I was saying on the unopened alignment, you can walk or ride your bike on it.

Hope you enjoy the State Police putting a smackdown on ya for attempting it. lol. :spin:

They won't notice or care. I have ridden on the unfinished east end connector in durham more than once and no one seemed to care. I want to go ride this one too

tolbs17

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on April 01, 2021, 08:03:47 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on April 01, 2021, 06:29:23 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on April 01, 2021, 06:17:43 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on March 31, 2021, 09:39:48 PM
On the built and unopened alignments, it looks like you can walk or ride your bike on these bridges. (I've done it before, it was on the 10th st connector)



where exactly is this picture of?
I-40, eastern leg of the beltway. I was saying on the unopened alignment, you can walk or ride your bike on it.

Hope you enjoy the State Police putting a smackdown on ya for attempting it. lol. :spin:
I've done it on the 10th St connector and it was not open, and I didn't get in any trouble.


rickmastfan67

Quote from: fillup420 on April 01, 2021, 08:18:13 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on April 01, 2021, 08:03:47 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on April 01, 2021, 06:29:23 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on April 01, 2021, 06:17:43 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on March 31, 2021, 09:39:48 PM
On the built and unopened alignments, it looks like you can walk or ride your bike on these bridges. (I've done it before, it was on the 10th st connector)


where exactly is this picture of?
I-40, eastern leg of the beltway. I was saying on the unopened alignment, you can walk or ride your bike on it.

Hope you enjoy the State Police putting a smackdown on ya for attempting it. lol. :spin:

They won't notice or care. I have ridden on the unfinished east end connector in durham more than once and no one seemed to care. I want to go ride this one too

A few people here got in trouble with the PA State Police when they did some stuff on PA Turnpike 576 before it was opened (and before the open house event).  And this was the original segment, not the part that was part of the Pittsburgh roadmeet in 2019.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.