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New Interstate 885 in Durham

Started by bob7374, August 19, 2014, 11:55:04 AM

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froggie

The current US 70 doesn't really zig-zag either...the only exception being the short bit along I-85 between 15/501 and Hillandale Rd, but that's less pronounced than what it would be along the EEC.


wdcrft63


wdcrft63

Durham Herald-Sun has coverage of the award this morning; construction can start in February.
http://www.heraldsun.com/news/showcase/x1476888653/DOT-picks-builder-for-East-End-Connector

bugo

Quote from: cl94 on August 20, 2014, 03:36:41 PM
Quote from: froggie on August 19, 2014, 09:03:26 PM
Odd perhaps, but not unprecedented on the Interstate system.  Plus, given that the Interstate system is considered the top tier in the highway hierarchy, one could consider that any US or state route concurrency is just secondary.

I-587 and I-790 immediately come to mind. Concurrent with NY 28 and NY 5, respectively, for their entire length. Ditto with I-99 and US 15/220. Or the I-86/NY 17 concurrency that currently exists.

I-530 and US 65
I-240 and OK 3
I-444 and US 75

There are probably dozens of examples across the country.

wdcrft63

NCDOT has issued a press release for the start of construction on the East End Connector:
https://apps.ncdot.gov/NewsReleases/details.aspx?r=10604
The release states that "Once completed, the NCDOT may ask the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to designate the combination of the Connecter and the Durham Freeway as Interstate 885." (emphasis added). So the I-885 thing isn't happening just yet.

WashuOtaku

Quote from: wdcrft63 on January 07, 2015, 09:54:49 AM
NCDOT has issued a press release for the start of construction on the East End Connector:
https://apps.ncdot.gov/NewsReleases/details.aspx?r=10604
The release states that "Once completed, the NCDOT may ask the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to designate the combination of the Connecter and the Durham Freeway as Interstate 885." (emphasis added). So the I-885 thing isn't happening just yet.

It's a proposed route, no question; I think OP got too excited when making the thread.  :cool:

NE2

Quote from: WashuOtaku on January 07, 2015, 04:11:44 PM
It's a proposed route, no question; I think OP got too excited when making the thread.  :cool:
It shows up on sign plans, so it's about as final as a proposed route can be from one standpoint (to fully exist as a signed Interstate, a route must be approved by AASHTO, approved by FHWA, and signed by the state).
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WashuOtaku

Quote from: NE2 on January 07, 2015, 04:22:10 PM
Quote from: WashuOtaku on January 07, 2015, 04:11:44 PM
It's a proposed route, no question; I think OP got too excited when making the thread.  :cool:
It shows up on sign plans, so it's about as final as a proposed route can be from one standpoint (to fully exist as a signed Interstate, a route must be approved by AASHTO, approved by FHWA, and signed by the state).

The News & Observer asked NCDOT about I-885 and they admitted its what they would like and it is noted in letting that it might change.  So it's no slam-dunk here, just a plan of action that they hope will happen when they do request AASHTO and FHWA.

bob7374

NCDOT held a ground breaking for the East End Connector project yesterday. A link to the news release: https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=11051 (It contains a link to the official NCDOT project site.)

Henry

Quote from: WashuOtaku on January 08, 2015, 12:35:15 AM
Quote from: NE2 on January 07, 2015, 04:22:10 PM
Quote from: WashuOtaku on January 07, 2015, 04:11:44 PM
It's a proposed route, no question; I think OP got too excited when making the thread.  :cool:
It shows up on sign plans, so it's about as final as a proposed route can be from one standpoint (to fully exist as a signed Interstate, a route must be approved by AASHTO, approved by FHWA, and signed by the state).

The News & Observer asked NCDOT about I-885 and they admitted its what they would like and it is noted in letting that it might change.  So it's no slam-dunk here, just a plan of action that they hope will happen when they do request AASHTO and FHWA.

Here's some interesting info from the Interstate-Guide entry:

QuoteNCDOT will submit Interstate 885 to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) at a future meeting for the planned corridor between Interstates 40 and 85. Sign schematics by NCDOT already show the route acknowledged for the East End Connector.

Right of way acquisition for the East End Connector commenced in April 2012. Construction on the $182-million project was pushed back from April 2014 to a starting date in September 2014.
So if this is true, then they're already one year behind on their construction plans.
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wdcrft63

Construction was delayed several times by delays in relocating utilities in the path of the new roads.

wdcrft63

Quote from: orulz on September 09, 2014, 10:33:23 AM
Hi! New here, long time transportation geek.
Regarding I-885. I am not usually a big fan of all these interstate spur designations, but I do like this one.
Here's my addition:

  • Designate the Durham Freeway through downtown and over the East End Connector as the primary route of US70

    • There are too many multiplexed US routes on top of I-85... Mainline US 15, 70, and 501 all share the route. This would simplify things by removing the US70 overlay except for the short stretch between exits 170-172, and any conflicts could be reduced by adding auxiliary lanes to I-85 on that short stretch.
    • This turns US 70 into a pure east-west route rather than going east-west/north-south/east-west
  • Re-sign the toll portion of NC147 as NC885 (or do away with the rule preventing toll roads from being signed as interstates, and call it I-885)
  • Retire the NC147 designation entirely. It had a good run.
Next step will be converting US70 between the East End Connector and I-540 to a freeway. Interchanges are planned at Brier Creek Pkwy, T.W. Alexander Dr, Aviation Parkway extension, Leesville/Page, Miami/Sherron, and Lynn/Pleasant. This will finally result in a true freeway grid with multiple routes through the triangle.

More likely: If I-885 is approved, US 70 will revert to its old route through Durham (presently Business 70). This would remove the I-85/US 70 overlap. NC 147 could be dropped south of its interchange with I-885 and the toll section renumbered NC 885. That way I-885 has an uncluttered shot around the east side of Durham, with no concurrences.

bugo

Quote from: wdcrft63 on April 25, 2015, 07:45:23 PM
More likely: If I-885 is approved, US 70 will revert to its old route through Durham (presently Business 70). This would remove the I-85/US 70 overlap. NC 147 could be dropped south of its interchange with I-885 and the toll section renumbered NC 885. That way I-885 has an uncluttered shot around the east side of Durham, with no concurrences.

It is against AASHTO guidelines to move a US highway onto a freeway then later moving it back to the old route. North Carolina violated this rule when they put US 117 back on its old route. Since it's North Carolina, I'm sure they'll be allowed to do it. If NCDOT wanted to make a 1 lane dirt road an interstate, AASHTO would rubber stamp it.

wdcrft63

AASHTO ought not to be too dogmatic about this. Not only in NC, but all along the I-22, I-49, I-69, and I-99 corridors we have new interstates being pieced together from bits of freeway carrying US or state numbers. When the feds finally let you put up the interstate shields, the result is new concurrences. Maybe these concurrences make sense, but maybe they don't.

cl94

Quote from: wdcrft63 on April 26, 2015, 09:17:31 AM
AASHTO ought not to be too dogmatic about this. Not only in NC, but all along the I-22, I-49, I-69, and I-99 corridors we have new interstates being pieced together from bits of freeway carrying US or state numbers. When the feds finally let you put up the interstate shields, the result is new concurrences. Maybe these concurrences make sense, but maybe they don't.

The point is to eventually decommission sections of US routes that closely parallel and/or duplicate Interstates. US 220 might be an issue with that unless it gets downgraded north of Williamsport, but US 15 is a prime example of this. Some of the old road has been county-maintained in New York for so long that it would be stupid for the state to slap the old number on it, while part of the old road in PA has been obliterated.
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wdcrft63

I understand that point, and I could see downgrading US 117 to NC 117. But putting US 70 back on Main Street in Durham seems reasonable to me.

bob7374

Quote from: wdcrft63 on April 26, 2015, 03:51:59 PM
I understand that point, and I could see downgrading US 117 to NC 117. But putting US 70 back on Main Street in Durham seems reasonable to me.
IMHO it is much more reasonable to reroute US 70 along the Durham Freeway than along its old Business 70 route through Durham, if its to be re-routed at all post-Connector. While NCDOT was able to take a US Route from an interstate freeway and place it back onto a 2-lane road with US 117 in the I-795 case, that freeway was less than a year old and NCDOT hadn't gotten around to changing most of the signs along the old route. The Business 70 designation along Main Street and elsewhere in Durham is more than 50 years old and I don't believe too many officials in Durham would want to encourage more traffic through narrow downtown streets (not to mention by Duke's East Campus area). If it makes sense to see US 70 travel through downtown at all, then using the Durham Freeway from I-85 to the Connector is a better idea.

bob7374

Signs of progress on the East End Connector, such as construction zone barriers going up along US 70:

This photo, and others taken by Adam Prince over the weekend, are available on my Future NC I-885 page:
http://gribblenation.net/ncfutints/fut885.html

InterstatesRules445

Quote from: Strider on August 19, 2014, 12:49:16 PM
I-885? that is going to be interesting. Why don't they use I-685?  (I-285, I-485 and I-785 are already taken).

I would called it I-640, because it will start at I-40.

InterstatesRules445

Quote from: Strider on August 19, 2014, 12:49:16 PM
I-885? that is going to be interesting. Why don't they use I-685?  (I-285, I-485 and I-785 are already taken).

I think it should be called I-640, because it will start at I-40.

english si

I-640 is to be the number for the Raleigh outer belt, should they finish it.

I-x85 makes sense as it is about linking from the Raleigh outer belt (OK, the interstate designation might not begin that far south) to I-85 and thus points north, rather than linking I-40 to Durham.

InterstatesRules445

Quote from: Strider on August 19, 2014, 12:49:16 PM
I-885? that is going to be interesting. Why don't they use I-685?  (I-285, I-485 and I-785 are already taken).


I think it should be called I-640, because it will start at I-40.

froggie

You've mentioned that three times now in short succession.  We get your point, but I agree with Si on this...

Zeffy

Quote from: froggie on June 22, 2015, 11:04:49 AM
You've mentioned that three times now in short succession.  We get your point, but I agree with Si on this...

Agreed. InterstatesRules445, please stop repeatedly posting the same thing over and over again. Thanks!
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Henry

Quote from: english si on June 22, 2015, 04:44:30 AM
I-640 is to be the number for the Raleigh outer belt, should they finish it.

I-x85 makes sense as it is about linking from the Raleigh outer belt (OK, the interstate designation might not begin that far south) to I-85 and thus points north, rather than linking I-40 to Durham.
Agreed on both counts. Even if they weren't going to pursue an Interstate designation south of I-40, at least the top half should've been numbered I-640 with the remainder as NC 640. Allowing I-540 to return to its parent seems just wrong.

I-885 is a good fit for this new route, as it will provide another Interstate connection from I-85 to Raleigh, as mentioned above.
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