Charlotte

[LM117]

It doesn't look like the project page is live yet, but there should be a public hearing coming up in February for the I-85/I-485 interchange improvements.

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/Lists/ProjectsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=181

NCDOT press release:

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-02-02-i-85-i-485-public-meeting.aspx

[CanesFan27]

McAuley Road may be the last dirt road in all of Mecklenburg County.  The 1.5-mile road in the northern part of the county has recently been named a state Byway.

Travel down this road and you'll immediately forget the ongoing growth of the Northern Mecklenburg and Western Cabarrus suburbs.  Over 700 acres of land along McAuley Road has also been preserved by the Catawba Lands Conservancy.

https://www.carolinaxroads.com/2024/02/mcauley-road.html

[LM117]

Bus lanes set to open soon on Independence Boulevard.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-03-01-us-74-bus-lanes.aspx

[wriddle082]

Bus lanes set to open soon on Independence Boulevard.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-03-01-us-74-bus-lanes.aspx

So that large gantry that they took down at the Albemarle Rd split and placed in the bus lanes will finally come back out?  I wonder why it was taken down.  One week it was up, the next it wasn't.  Independence is part of my semi-regular commute whenever I work close to Uptown and stay at my regular hotel in Matthews.

[Third Strike]

Bus lanes set to open soon on Independence Boulevard.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-03-01-us-74-bus-lanes.aspx

So that large gantry that they took down at the Albemarle Rd split and placed in the bus lanes will finally come back out?  I wonder why it was taken down.  One week it was up, the next it wasn't.  Independence is part of my semi-regular commute whenever I work close to Uptown and stay at my regular hotel in Matthews.

A fetal car accident was what took it down, a few weeks ago. It's been sitting in the bus lanes for a few weeks now. Construction has started on reopening the lanes.

[wriddle082]

Bus lanes set to open soon on Independence Boulevard.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-03-01-us-74-bus-lanes.aspx

So that large gantry that they took down at the Albemarle Rd split and placed in the bus lanes will finally come back out?  I wonder why it was taken down.  One week it was up, the next it wasn't.  Independence is part of my semi-regular commute whenever I work close to Uptown and stay at my regular hotel in Matthews.

A fetal car accident was what took it down, a few weeks ago. It's been sitting in the bus lanes for a few weeks now. Construction has started on reopening the lanes.

I was hoping that wasn't the case, but I had a feeling that it might have been, considering how crazy everybody drives through there.  Must have happened over a weekend, or maybe during one week when I happened to not be working in Charlotte.

[74/171FAN]

I think Charlotte is trying to impress Tom958 with these APLs.  (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220246205985829&set=a.10220246332869001)

[sprjus4]

^ Is the "Exit Only" signage necessary? I feel like it adds unnecessary spacing.

[ran4sh]

It is, but in the MUTCD figure the "exit only" panels are much closer to the arrows than they are on that sign.

[74/171FAN]

I didn't notice this till last night, but there is a sign now for NC 84 east on Rea Road exit on I-485 (exit 59). I checked Google Streetview and it has been there at least since June 2022. That said, there are no signage on Rea Road identifying it as NC 84 nor does any mapping on NCDOT confirms it yet. Anyone have more information on this?

Rea Rd is going to be extended to the current western terminus of NC 84 at NC 16 in Weddington.  Construction was going to start soon but I believe it's been pushed back a year or so.  Either way, the contractor performing the I-485 widening in the area jumped the gun by putting up these BGSs showing NC 84 running along Rea Rd.

Right now construction is expected to begin in 2028 according to the NCDOT Project website. 

For me, this is an example of when I found out that I did my own research.

Anyway I did photograph the I-485 Outer signage when I did my clinching loop last weekend.  (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220253089037901&set=a.10220253093958024)