News:

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on what errors you encountered from the forum database changes made in Fall 2023. Let us know if you discover anymore.

Main Menu

US 17 relocation in Wilmington

Started by Mapmikey, April 24, 2015, 02:12:03 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Mapmikey

It appears NCDOT is intending to put US 17 back through Wilmington using US 76 and the old US 17 Truck route along Military Cutoff Rd.  US 17 Business would continue to exist wherever US 17 isn't reclaiming its route.

Can't say I understand the logic of that, unless they are going to sign NC/I-140 as BYPASS US 17 as North Carolina has done for US 70 in Smithfield or US 17 in Elizabeth City.

Preliminary drawing from 2014 can be found here: https://connect.ncdot.gov/resources/safety/Route%20Changes/US%2017,%20US%2017%20Business%20Maps.pdf

Mapmikey


NE2

pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

WashuOtaku

That would make sense, there is no need for US 17 bypassing Wilmington anymore since that route will now be I-140/NC 140.  I believe NCDOT plans that with other prospective routes that are converting to Interstates like eventually I-495 (when upgraded).

OracleUsr

For years US 17 went along US 74 or 76 between the 421 junction and the causeway to Wrightsville Beach.  Why they rerouted it I have no idea (unless they thought US 117 was getting a rap as a mysterious route)
Anti-center-tabbing, anti-sequential-numbering, anti-Clearview BGS FAN

WashuOtaku

Quote from: OracleUsr on April 26, 2015, 12:06:32 AM
For years US 17 went along US 74 or 76 between the 421 junction and the causeway to Wrightsville Beach.  Why they rerouted it I have no idea (unless they thought US 117 was getting a rap as a mysterious route)

They rerouted it to overlap the new freeway.  Now that it has an official designation, it's overlap is no longer needed.

Mapmikey

It seems to me that since US 17 is the only national route that doesn't actually end in the Wilmington metro and is a major north-south through route to boot, the US 17 designation in some form should remain on the 140 freeway.

Just as NCDOT did with US 1 and US 64 through Raleigh...US 70 and US 401 are not major through routes on both sides of Raleigh.

I am also not the biggest fan of the three versions of the same route the way US 17 in Elizabeth City is.  Virginia does better by making the innermost route a state route if primary status is still desired when a second bypass is built.

Mapmikey

bob7374

Quote from: Mapmikey on April 26, 2015, 06:26:50 PM
It seems to me that since US 17 is the only national route that doesn't actually end in the Wilmington metro and is a major north-south through route to boot, the US 17 designation in some form should remain on the 140 freeway.

Just as NCDOT did with US 1 and US 64 through Raleigh...US 70 and US 401 are not major through routes on both sides of Raleigh.

I am also not the biggest fan of the three versions of the same route the way US 17 in Elizabeth City is.  Virginia does better by making the innermost route a state route if primary status is still desired when a second bypass is built.

Mapmikey
I also don't understand the reasoning for this move. Is NCDOT getting any pressure from business or tourist groups in Wilmington to restore the original US 17 route? Were there fears once the entire bypass was built that too much traffic would bypass the downtown area? Will be interesting to see what AASHTO's response might be (and if NCDOT pays attention to it, if the restored old route gets rejected). They could have avoided this move in the first place if they had simply signed the Bypass on both sides of I-40 just as I-140 (or NC 140 on the east side) from the beginning and left US 17 where it was.

WashuOtaku

Quote from: bob7374 on April 26, 2015, 10:09:57 PM
I also don't understand the reasoning for this move. Is NCDOT getting any pressure from business or tourist groups in Wilmington to restore the original US 17 route? Were there fears once the entire bypass was built that too much traffic would bypass the downtown area? Will be interesting to see what AASHTO's response might be (and if NCDOT pays attention to it, if the restored old route gets rejected). They could have avoided this move in the first place if they had simply signed the Bypass on both sides of I-40 just as I-140 (or NC 140 on the east side) from the beginning and left US 17 where it was.

I think it's redundancy and they want to make it clean.  Honestly, I wish North Carolina would take a page from other states and remove most of the concurrences with other routes on Interstate highways.

wdcrft63

Quote from: WashuOtaku on April 27, 2015, 06:58:18 PM
Quote from: bob7374 on April 26, 2015, 10:09:57 PM
I also don't understand the reasoning for this move. Is NCDOT getting any pressure from business or tourist groups in Wilmington to restore the original US 17 route? Were there fears once the entire bypass was built that too much traffic would bypass the downtown area? Will be interesting to see what AASHTO's response might be (and if NCDOT pays attention to it, if the restored old route gets rejected). They could have avoided this move in the first place if they had simply signed the Bypass on both sides of I-40 just as I-140 (or NC 140 on the east side) from the beginning and left US 17 where it was.

I think it's redundancy and they want to make it clean.  Honestly, I wish North Carolina would take a page from other states and remove most of the concurrences with other routes on Interstate highways.

It was much worse in the past. Back in the 1980s there were no US or NC highways signed inside the I-440 inner loop at Raleigh. They all spun around the city on I-440. There was a section southeast of downtown that carried I-440 plus US 64, US 70, US 401, and NC 50.

NJRoadfan

NCDOT seems to LOVE multiplexes on highways to the point that its ridiculous.

bob7374

Quote from: wdcrft63 on April 29, 2015, 10:49:00 PM
Quote from: WashuOtaku on April 27, 2015, 06:58:18 PM
Quote from: bob7374 on April 26, 2015, 10:09:57 PM
I also don't understand the reasoning for this move. Is NCDOT getting any pressure from business or tourist groups in Wilmington to restore the original US 17 route? Were there fears once the entire bypass was built that too much traffic would bypass the downtown area? Will be interesting to see what AASHTO's response might be (and if NCDOT pays attention to it, if the restored old route gets rejected). They could have avoided this move in the first place if they had simply signed the Bypass on both sides of I-40 just as I-140 (or NC 140 on the east side) from the beginning and left US 17 where it was.

I think it's redundancy and they want to make it clean.  Honestly, I wish North Carolina would take a page from other states and remove most of the concurrences with other routes on Interstate highways.

It was much worse in the past. Back in the 1980s there were no US or NC highways signed inside the I-440 inner loop at Raleigh. They all spun around the city on I-440. There was a section southeast of downtown that carried I-440 plus US 64, US 70, US 401, and NC 50.
Actually the SE section had all those routes prior to I-440. One of the reasons I-440 was created in the first place in 1991 to give the Beltline one consistent designation along the non I-40 section. The original plan was to then move all the other routes (with the exception of US 1) back on their original alignments through the city. They backed off this decision for US 64 later on.

Mapmikey

The action to add I-440 was concurrent with the removal of US 64-70-401 and NC 50 from all parts of the Beltline:
https://connect.ncdot.gov/resources/safety/Route%20Changes/1991_07_16.pdf

US 64 was restored to I-40 and I-440 in Nov 1994:
https://connect.ncdot.gov/resources/safety/Route%20Changes/1994_11_02.pdf

Mapmikey

Avalanchez71

Looks like AASHTO approved US 17 relocations.

Roadsguy

Might as well bump the existing thread...

With it officially rerouted last year, has any signage actually been changed? Have any projects even been known to include signage for the reroute other than the Military Cutoff Road extension? Everyone at Google, OSM, and Wikipedia jumped the gun, but no signs have been changed as of this past June.
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.

bob7374

#14
Quote from: Roadsguy on December 15, 2018, 10:21:15 PM
Might as well bump the existing thread...

With it officially rerouted last year, has any signage actually been changed? Have any projects even been known to include signage for the reroute other than the Military Cutoff Road extension? Everyone at Google, OSM, and Wikipedia jumped the gun, but no signs have been changed as of this past June.
The only change I have seen is from looking at a traffic camera image from the I-40/I-140 interchange a few months ago. It showed that the US 17 shield had been removed from the pull through sign at the ramp from the start of I-140 West to I-40 East. Here's a grab from the traffic camera taken in September:


Signage put up for the new section of I-140 do not refer to US 17, such as this at US 74/76:

msquared980

They've now put up US 17 trailblazers along Oleander and Military Cutoff to show the 17/76 concurrency, the signs approaching the Cape Fear bridge from the Leland side have been corrected to not show 17 following 421 to I-140 as they used to, and the overheads along Oleander at College have been patched over. The north- and east-bound sign there looks........rough, and that's putting it pretty kindly. I'll try and get pictures of the other stuff later today if I can.

Before:


Now:

MNHighwayMan

That thing is a monstrosity that shouldn't be allowed to exist.

Roadsguy

Eek. From what I've seen of it, NCDOT's signage is usually great when it's new, but their overlay work leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully they find an excuse to totally replace the worst of these someday. :P
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.

LM117

“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

sprjus4

Hey, at least you know you're on U.S. 17  :-D

roadman65

NC is like PA with alignment changes.  I wish Florida would realign some of their routes to wear they need to be. SR 54 should be on I-75 from SR 56 to CR 54 in Wesley Chapel.  US 1 & 90 need to be on I-95 in Jacksonville.

US 17 & 92 should be on John Young Parkway as 441 should be solo as many already think that and refer to Orange Blossom Trail as simply four forty-one.

At least NC is not afraid of AASHTO like I think Florida is.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

kevinb1994

Quote from: roadman65 on January 17, 2019, 10:41:23 AM
NC is like PA with alignment changes.  I wish Florida would realign some of their routes to wear they need to be. SR 54 should be on I-75 from SR 56 to CR 54 in Wesley Chapel.  US 1 & 90 need to be on I-95 in Jacksonville.

US 17 & 92 should be on John Young Parkway as 441 should be solo as many already think that and refer to Orange Blossom Trail as simply four forty-one.

At least NC is not afraid of AASHTO like I think Florida is.

Which state(s) would you compare Florida to/with?

roadman65

Any state that does not change alignments that often as those two.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe



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.