Interstate 73/74

[Avalanchez71]

It is time to sign I-74 as I-73E and I-73W.

[Alps]

It is time to sign I-74 as I-73E and I-73W.

It is time to sign I-95 as I-73ESEN are we doing this again (no)

[wdcrft63]

It is time to sign I-74 as I-73E and I-73W.

It's been "time to renumber I-74"  for many years and the Forum has seen many suggestion. I-36? I-173? It's fun to imagine renumberings but I-74 is in the legislation and once a road has been open for years there's opposition to changing its number.

[sturmde]

It is time to sign I-74 as I-73E and I-73W.

It's been "time to renumber I-74"  for many years and the Forum has seen many suggestion. I-36? I-173? It's fun to imagine renumberings but I-74 is in the legislation and once a road has been open for years there's opposition to changing its number.

For simplicity, if it were to change, only changing one digit to make I-34 out of I-74 would make a lot more sense...  But again, it's the eastern I-74 and that's fine.  It continues the same "diagonal" vector..., and most of the I-x4's: 4, 24, 44, both 74s, and western 84 are rather diagonal.  Even 94 has its moments.
.
As for Virginia... the only advantage to adding I-74 to I-77 and through the I-81 multiplex is that the direction of 74, E/W makes more sense through the middle than the wrong-way multiplex of 77/81.  I'd even have I-74 lead through there...
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If we "had it to do over again", clearly 73 and 74 should have been some combination of 73 and a southern extension of 79.  If you told me 73 would stay 73, and southern 74 would become 79, I'd say... well that makes sense.  They're both mostly N/S.

[abqtraveler]

It is time to sign I-74 as I-73E and I-73W.

It's been "time to renumber I-74" for many years and the Forum has seen many suggestion. I-36? I-173? It's fun to imagine renumberings but I-74 is in the legislation and once a road has been open for years there's opposition to changing its number.

For simplicity, if it were to change, only changing one digit to make I-34 out of I-74 would make a lot more sense...  But again, it's the eastern I-74 and that's fine.  It continues the same "diagonal" vector..., and most of the I-x4's: 4, 24, 44, both 74s, and western 84 are rather diagonal.  Even 94 has its moments.
.
As for Virginia... the only advantage to adding I-74 to I-77 and through the I-81 multiplex is that the direction of 74, E/W makes more sense through the middle than the wrong-way multiplex of 77/81.  I'd even have I-74 lead through there...
.
If we "had it to do over again", clearly 73 and 74 should have been some combination of 73 and a southern extension of 79.  If you told me 73 would stay 73, and southern 74 would become 79, I'd say... well that makes sense.  They're both mostly N/S.

Changing the NC I-74 to I-79 would actually make some sense, as one could make I-79 a continuous highway from PA to NC by routing it along I-77 from Charleston, WV to where I-74 splits from I-77 at Pine Ridge, NC. At a distance of 175 miles, such a I-77/79 multiplex would still be shorter than the 278-mile long I-80/90 multiplex through Indiana and Ohio.

[Roadsguy]

It is time to sign I-74 as I-73E and I-73W.

It's been "time to renumber I-74"  for many years and the Forum has seen many suggestion. I-36? I-173? It's fun to imagine renumberings but I-74 is in the legislation and once a road has been open for years there's opposition to changing its number.

For simplicity, if it were to change, only changing one digit to make I-34 out of I-74 would make a lot more sense...  But again, it's the eastern I-74 and that's fine.  It continues the same "diagonal" vector..., and most of the I-x4's: 4, 24, 44, both 74s, and western 84 are rather diagonal.  Even 94 has its moments.
.
As for Virginia... the only advantage to adding I-74 to I-77 and through the I-81 multiplex is that the direction of 74, E/W makes more sense through the middle than the wrong-way multiplex of 77/81.  I'd even have I-74 lead through there...
.
If we "had it to do over again", clearly 73 and 74 should have been some combination of 73 and a southern extension of 79.  If you told me 73 would stay 73, and southern 74 would become 79, I'd say... well that makes sense.  They're both mostly N/S.

Changing the NC I-74 to I-79 would actually make some sense, as one could make I-79 a continuous highway from PA to NC by routing it along I-77 from Charleston, WV to where I-74 splits from I-77 at Pine Ridge, NC. At a distance of 175 miles, such a I-77/79 multiplex would still be shorter than the 278-mile long I-80/90 multiplex through Indiana and Ohio.

The problem with this is that if sanity prevails and the planned I-74 is rerouted to Wilmington, you'd have the northbound interstate going west out of the city and the westbound interstate going north.

[ARMOURERERIC]

If sanity prevailed that much, you would be well on the way to a Charlotte to Wilmington ton I-3x anyway, with 74 ending at 73.

[BlueRidge]

If sanity prevailed that much, you would be well on the way to a Charlotte to Wilmington ton I-3x anyway, with 74 ending at 73.

/thread

[Strider]

If sanity prevailed that much, you would be well on the way to a Charlotte to Wilmington ton I-3x anyway, with 74 ending at 73.

I have always prefer I-74 to end at I-73. No reason for I-74 to continue all the way southeast along I-73 and then do some weird U turn away from Wilmington and head to MB. 

[Roadsguy]

If sanity prevailed that much, you would be well on the way to a Charlotte to Wilmington ton I-3x anyway, with 74 ending at 73.

I have always prefer I-74 to end at I-73. No reason for I-74 to continue all the way southeast along I-73 and then do some weird U turn away from Wilmington and head to MB. 

I do agree that the Rockingham-Wilmington stretch of US 74 makes far more sense as part of a larger Charlotte—Wilmington (ideally Columbus—Wilmington) 2di corridor, but if I-74 must go to the coast, it simply makes no sense for it to end anywhere other than Wilmington.

[Henry]

Considering that the failed I-66 in KY is being removed from the planning map, this wouldn't be the first time that a High-Priority Corridor has its designation changed. The part of I-74 that would go to Myrtle Beach is better off as a spur, at least, or an odd-numbered north-south 2di, like I-97. While that probably won't be contiguous with the one in MD, it certainly would be something worth considering. But let's save this for Fictional Highways...

[sprjus4]

^ The part that extends south of US-74 of Bolton isn't even needed as anything more than the existing 2 lane road that's already there.

[Bobby5280]

I-73 is a bigger priority in South Carolina than I-74. And pretty much nothing is happening in regard to I-73 there. The Conway Bypass is about the only thing related to I-73 in SC that has been built in the 31 years since I-73 was first proposed. That history gives I-74 in SC virtually no chance of ever being built.

I think chances are very good the East end of I-74 will end up getting signed, by default, into Wilmington. NCDOT is going to chip away at the US-74 corridor between I-95 and Wilmington, converting more and more of it to limited access one intersection at a time. I realize I-74 is not officially supposed to go to Wilmington. But it looks certain we'll reach a point sometime in the next 10-20 years US-74 will be fully limited access, Interstate quality from Rockingham to Wilmington (if it doesn't end up 100% Interstate quality between Charlotte and Wilmington). We'll have a situation where US-74 and I-74 are co-signed on the freeway but then the I-74 designation will just mysteriously disappear before the freeway reaches Wilmington. More and more people will end up agreeing the situation is stupid and just change the plan to sign I-74 into Wilmington. I'm almost positive that is what will happen.

[abqtraveler]

I-73 is a bigger priority in South Carolina than I-74. And pretty much nothing is happening in regard to I-73 there. The Conway Bypass is about the only thing related to I-73 in SC that has been built in the 31 years since I-73 was first proposed. That history gives I-74 in SC virtually no chance of ever being built.

I think chances are very good the East end of I-74 will end up getting signed, by default, into Wilmington. NCDOT is going to chip away at the US-74 corridor between I-95 and Wilmington, converting more and more of it to limited access one intersection at a time. I realize I-74 is not officially supposed to go to Wilmington. But it looks certain we'll reach a point sometime in the next 10-20 years US-74 will be fully limited access, Interstate quality from Rockingham to Wilmington (if it doesn't end up 100% Interstate quality between Charlotte and Wilmington). We'll have a situation where US-74 and I-74 are co-signed on the freeway but then the I-74 designation will just mysteriously disappear before the freeway reaches Wilmington. More and more people will end up agreeing the situation is stupid and just change the plan to sign I-74 into Wilmington. I'm almost positive that is what will happen.

Given that the prospects of I-74 ever being completed between the NC/VA border and Cincinnati are about nil, I could reasonably see NC's I-74 being re-designated as I-34 at some point in the future.

[bob7374]

The next segment of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74) is to open November 7:
https://journalnow.com/news/local/you-can-drive-more-of-the-northern-beltway-starting-nov-7-when-major-segment-of/article_370e8d84-546a-11ed-b485-df7e9b8d3607.html

[The Ghostbuster]

I assume it will also be signed as NC 74 initially, a designation that will likely remain until 74 is completed between US 52/future Interstate 74/future Interstate 285 and Interstate 74/future NC 192 in 2026.

[wdcrft63]

The next segment of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74) is to open November 7:
https://journalnow.com/news/local/you-can-drive-more-of-the-northern-beltway-starting-nov-7-when-major-segment-of/article_370e8d84-546a-11ed-b485-df7e9b8d3607.html

US 311 to NC 66, just short of US 52.

[bob7374]

I assume it will also be signed as NC 74 initially, a designation that will likely remain until 74 is completed between US 52/future Interstate 74/future Interstate 285 and Interstate 74/future NC 192 in 2026.

Yes, as this uncovered trailblazer approaching the NC 8 roundabout at the future eastbound on-ramp shows:

[bob7374]

I've posted photos I recently took along the opened and under construction parts of the Future I-74/Winston-Salem Northern Beltway, such as of recently installed overhead signage:


both on my I-74 Segment 4 page: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg4.html#photos
and I-74 Segment 3 page: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i74seg3.html

New photos taken along I-74 from I-40 to I-85 coming soon.

[ARMOURERERIC]

The next segment of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74) is to open November 7:
https://journalnow.com/news/local/you-can-drive-more-of-the-northern-beltway-starting-nov-7-when-major-segment-of/article_370e8d84-546a-11ed-b485-df7e9b8d3607.html

Anyone here going to this?

[LM117]

The next segment of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74) is to open November 7:
https://journalnow.com/news/local/you-can-drive-more-of-the-northern-beltway-starting-nov-7-when-major-segment-of/article_370e8d84-546a-11ed-b485-df7e9b8d3607.html

It's open.

https://journalnow.com/a-new-section-of-the-winston-salem-northern-beltway-has-opened/article_379bbb44-5ebc-11ed-b185-b7c4f2bbdf7d.html

[I-55]

The next segment of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74) is to open November 7:
https://journalnow.com/news/local/you-can-drive-more-of-the-northern-beltway-starting-nov-7-when-major-segment-of/article_370e8d84-546a-11ed-b485-df7e9b8d3607.html

It's open.

https://journalnow.com/a-new-section-of-the-winston-salem-northern-beltway-has-opened/article_379bbb44-5ebc-11ed-b185-b7c4f2bbdf7d.html

And in typical Google fashion it is shown as open all the way to US 52.

[bob7374]

The next segment of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74) is to open November 7:
https://journalnow.com/news/local/you-can-drive-more-of-the-northern-beltway-starting-nov-7-when-major-segment-of/article_370e8d84-546a-11ed-b485-df7e9b8d3607.html

It's open.

https://journalnow.com/a-new-section-of-the-winston-salem-northern-beltway-has-opened/article_379bbb44-5ebc-11ed-b185-b7c4f2bbdf7d.html

And in typical Google fashion it is shown as open all the way to US 52.

News story on the opening:
https://www.wxii12.com/article/i-74-northern-beltway-open-to-public/41890655

[sprjus4]

The next segment of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (Future I-74) is to open November 7:
https://journalnow.com/news/local/you-can-drive-more-of-the-northern-beltway-starting-nov-7-when-major-segment-of/article_370e8d84-546a-11ed-b485-df7e9b8d3607.html

It's open.

https://journalnow.com/a-new-section-of-the-winston-salem-northern-beltway-has-opened/article_379bbb44-5ebc-11ed-b185-b7c4f2bbdf7d.html

And in typical Google fashion it is shown as open all the way to US 52.

It finally shows correctly now.

Once that last segment opens though, it will certainly shave off the time going between US-52 and I-40 east, and allow travelers to avoid Winston-Salem entirely. A particular benefit to long distance traffic coming from the I-77 corridor towards Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham, etc.

US-421 / former Business 40 is going to eventually need to be widened to 6 lanes at least between I-40 and NC-74, if not the whole way into Winston-Salem as traffic volumes increase in the coming years. The same can be said about the I-40 "bypass"  to the south. Realistically, I-40 should be 8 lanes along the entire "bypass"  portion. But that's for another thread.

At least they're constructing NC-74 future proof with a six-lane design throughout.

Curious if there will be any issues with large trucks and traffic in general using local streets to try to make the connection between US-52 and NC-74 until the direct freeway link opens next year.

[Dirt Roads]

Curious if there will be any issues with large trucks and traffic in general using local streets to try to make the connection between US-52 and NC-74 until the direct freeway link opens next year.

I'm sure that is why NCDOT is discouraging through traffic (by posting the route as NC-74 temporarily).  If through traffic turns south on University Drive (NC-66) to get to US-52 northbound (either at Haines Mill Road or University Drive), that will add to the congestion but shouldn't cause gridlock since the through traffic will turn right onto the ramps.   My concern was that traffic would get GPS routed over to Exit 118 / NC-65 (Forum Parkway), which is almost straight inline with the current end of the Northern Beltway.  There's no roads that cross Grassy Creek anywhere in that area, and any attempt to go north on NC-66 will require you to go all the way to Tobaccoville and wind around to get to Exit 120 / Westinghouse Road.  That will be slow and no fun, but I can't imagine much traffic going that way.

One thing to be concerned about.  Local traffic is certainly going to use the new section of the Northern Bypass to access local businesses along University Drive during rush hour.  But if local traffic starts taking the Northern Beltway to access the shopping district and other businesses such as the many medical offices, this change could be a problem all day long.  And that traffic problem may continue even after the Northern Beltway is completed to connect with US-52.