North Carolina

[sprjus4]

Will existing NC 148 between US 258 and NC 58 be upgraded to freeway standards in the future, since the NC 148 extension is being built to freeway standards? Also, I doubt this was ever proposed, and probably isn't likely, perhaps NC 11 from NC 148's new eastern terminus to the new NC 11 bypass of Ayden, Winterville and Greenville could be upgraded to freeway standards to provide a seamless freeway route from NC 58 (and potentially US 70/Future Interstate 42) to US 264/future Interstate 587.

While a low priority, once I-87 and I-42 are completed in Eastern North Carolina, I could see a I-x42 or I-x87 corridor along NC-11 between Kinston and Bethel be pursued in the future, providing Kinston and Greenville a direct connection to the I-87 corridor to Norfolk.

[LM117]

Will existing NC 148 between US 258 and NC 58 be upgraded to freeway standards in the future, since the NC 148 extension is being built to freeway standards? Also, I doubt this was ever proposed, and probably isn't likely, perhaps NC 11 from NC 148's new eastern terminus to the new NC 11 bypass of Ayden, Winterville and Greenville could be upgraded to freeway standards to provide a seamless freeway route from NC 58 (and potentially US 70/Future Interstate 42) to US 264/future Interstate 587.

While a low priority, once I-87 and I-42 are completed in Eastern North Carolina, I could see a I-x42 or I-x87 corridor along NC-11 between Kinston and Bethel be pursued in the future, providing Kinston and Greenville a direct connection to the I-87 corridor to Norfolk.

I think we'll see an I-x87 eventually. While there hasn't been significant talk of a future interstate there since 2016, I seriously doubt Kinston and Greenville have dropped the idea altogether. I think NCDOT had upgrading of NC-11 to interstate standards between NC-148 and the Greenville SW Bypass as a future project to be scored on the STIP at one point, though I don't know if it's still listed.

[LM117]

The C.F. Harvey Parkway (NC-148) extension near Kinston from NC-58 to NC-11 is expected to open Monday morning.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2021/2021-02-26-lenoir-county-project-opens-early.aspx

It's open.

https://www.witn.com/2021/02/26/cf-harvey-parkway-extension-to-open-6-months-ahead-of-schedule/

[tolbs17]

The C.F. Harvey Parkway (NC-148) extension near Kinston from NC-58 to NC-11 is expected to open Monday morning.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2021/2021-02-26-lenoir-county-project-opens-early.aspx

It's open.

https://www.witn.com/2021/02/26/cf-harvey-parkway-extension-to-open-6-months-ahead-of-schedule/

That's what I like to hear. Now that leaves the kinston bypass...

[tolbs17]

Looking at a map, are there plans to extend the parkway south back to NC 11?  It would appear to be a logical choice, but it looks like there is a very environmentally sensitive area to the south.

Though, I think part of alternatives 11/12 (red) could still be used to divert NC-11 traffic off going through Kinston (without the freeway going from the CF harvey parkway to west US-70).

https://xfer.services.ncdot.gov/PDEA/Web/R-2553/july-2019-alternative-maps/R-2553_A11_3.pdf

https://xfer.services.ncdot.gov/PDEA/Web/R-2553/july-2019-alternative-maps/R-2553_A1SB_3a.pdf This document, make it look like this interchange, but continue the southern extension with a folded diamond interchange.

https://xfer.services.ncdot.gov/PDEA/Web/R-2553/july-2019-alternative-maps/R-2553_A11_4.pdf

I say keep these 2 documents to give it a nice western bypass of Kinston.

I'm guessing this is what you want and I do think that these two should be considered for a western bypass.

[tolbs17]

Will existing NC 148 between US 258 and NC 58 be upgraded to freeway standards in the future, since the NC 148 extension is being built to freeway standards? Also, I doubt this was ever proposed, and probably isn't likely, perhaps NC 11 from NC 148's new eastern terminus to the new NC 11 bypass of Ayden, Winterville and Greenville could be upgraded to freeway standards to provide a seamless freeway route from NC 58 (and potentially US 70/Future Interstate 42) to US 264/future Interstate 587.

While a low priority, once I-87 and I-42 are completed in Eastern North Carolina, I could see a I-x42 or I-x87 corridor along NC-11 between Kinston and Bethel be pursued in the future, providing Kinston and Greenville a direct connection to the I-87 corridor to Norfolk.

I'm sure it will, and it wouldn't be that hard, except there's a few signals and an at-grade rail crossing and some sharp curves that would need to be fixed. But most certainly not gonna happen until NC-11 from the SW bypass and the CF harvey parkway gets upgraded to a freeway first.

[tolbs17]

https://www.witn.com/2021/03/01/pitt-county-us-264-lanes-shut-down-after-report-of-shooting/

Why can't people act normal???!!

PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Eastbound lanes of U.S. 264 just outside of Greenville are shut down after reports of a shooting.

Multiple law enforcement and rescue vehicles are blocking the busy highway across from the DSM plant.

It happened around 5:30 p.m. Deputies were putting up crime scene tape in an area just past the Coca-Cola bottling plant. It appears the shooting happened on the highway and there is a car as part of the crime scene.

[snowc]

https://abc11.com/10385293/
Our country's infrastructure gets a C-... really?

WTVD - The United States gets an overall C minus grade on infrastructure in 2021, according to The American Society of Engineers.

The society represents civil engineers around the world and has released a scorecard every four years since 1998.

The United States was evaluated on 17 categories, including aviation, roads, bridges, drinking water, energy and schools. Rail earned the highest mark with A-B and transit scored the lowest with a D minus.

The group said the C minus grade is actually an improvement for the country, saying this is the first time the nation's infrastructure has scored above the 'D' range in two decades.

Even so, the society's executive director said the score is not a grade to be proud of.

[froggie]

Generous, compared to what I'd give it.  We've drastically underinvested in infrastructure for decades.

[architect77]

Generous, compared to what I'd give it.  We've drastically underinvested in infrastructure for decades.

Well NC has done much more than most states except for Florida and Texas. NC's infrastructure is valued at $575 billion per their MOPAR reports.

As a whole though all of this country's different systems have reached the end of their 1st generation service life. How it will ever get rebuilt with the high costs of today I don't know. We need to reform this country's penchant for sueing everybody and everything all the time. That would help a lot.

[LM117]

Generous, compared to what I'd give it.  We've drastically underinvested in infrastructure for decades.

Agreed. Luckily, it seems to be the next priority in DC now that the stimulus bill is all but certainly a done deal. Hopefully, something significant will come of it, however slim the chances are in a narrow Senate...

https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/infrastructure/541607-biden-to-meet-with-bipartisan-lawmakers-on

[tolbs17]

Look at US-264 going to Washington. Unpaved and it looks shitty. Evans going to Old Tar is bad too.

[WashuOtaku]

NC 27 was recently rerouted in Charlotte, and of course NCDOT does not have the change request on its website. I had to reach out to them for the I-295 route change before, it seems they do make them but have them not viewable to normal viewers. Anyway, NC 27 is no longer taking Charlottetowne Avenue and Morehead Street, opting instead to stay on Independence Freeway onto the John Belk Freeway then exit at Freedom Drive. If the change form was available, we would know why they opted to move away from the downtown streets and onto the freeway (something they could have done years ago).

[74/171FAN]

NC 27 was recently rerouted in Charlotte, and of course NCDOT does not have the change request on its website. I had to reach out to them for the I-295 route change before, it seems they do make them but have them not viewable to normal viewers. Anyway, NC 27 is no longer taking Charlottetowne Avenue and Morehead Street, opting instead to stay on Independence Freeway onto the John Belk Freeway then exit at Freedom Drive. If the change form was available, we would know why they opted to move away from the downtown streets and onto the freeway (something they could have done years ago).

NC 27 does seem to be a route that would have been moved to follow US 74 and I-277 a long time ago. How did you find out about this change before contacting NCDOT?

[tolbs17]

https://www.wect.com/2021/03/05/ncdot-raleigh-bridge-wall-that-appears-be-leaning-is-just-an-illusion/

All I can say is that the structure is not straight. Maybe some people are afraid that it will collapse?

By CBS 17 Digital Desk | March 5, 2021 at 9:50 AM EST - Updated March 5 at 9:50 AM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A new flyover bridge in southeast Raleigh is getting some attention for all of the wrong reasons.

A concerned driver believes the wall holding up the new flyover bridge traveling from Interstate 40 east under it at Interstate 440 west is slightly leaning. CBS 17 took those concerns to the North Carolina Department of Transportation to get answers.

Marty Homan, a spokesperson for the NCDOT, said it appears to be leaning because the wall is on a curve and presents a bit of an illusion.

"The wall has been inspected several times over the last year and we have found no issues to date,"  said Homan.

Robert Bullock, resident engineer overseeing the I-40 widening project, said they did hear from three or four people over the last year about the bridge, but stressed it is safe for drivers to drive over and under.

"We continue to monitor it like we do a lot of the walls to make sure we don't have any issues,"  said Bullock.

He said between the wall being built on a slight curve, the roadway itself on a curve, and the structure being so tall that there are two or three visuals going on to make it look like it may be leaning a certain way or curving more than it should.

"The first part of the wall, sort of the wings area, the part as you are coming up, the contractor did build it a little straighter, so there is a slight turn some people notice, but other than that, that's what creates some of that illusion, a visualization as of why it may seem to lean forward,"  said engineer Robert Bullock.

He stressed that it is safe for drivers to drive over and under the new flyover bridge.

CBS 17 reached out to the NCDOT to see how often new bridges and structures are inspected and if the number of inspections the flyover bridge wall has undergone is normal.

An NCDOT official told CBS 17 that, "The bridge was continually inspected, as all bridges are, throughout the construction process,"  and that they received two or three calls or questions about the wall and went back out to "review"  the wall each time they received a question or concern.

Asked if they were satisfied with the final product despite what the NCDOT called an "illusion,"  the official said they are happy with the wall.

"NCDOT is satisfied with the final product of the flyover bridge as it meets the design criteria, meets safety criteria, is functionally sound, and successfully serves the needs of the interchange,"  the official said.

The NCDOT did say that part of the wall cap was "built a little straighter than planned"  and said it is "only a visual issue. While not perfect, it is not as much of a mistake as a challenge of curving the coping to match the precast...wall panels."

[rickmastfan67]

Please don't try to put the image from the news website here tolbs17, since it's a hotlink.  They would know that we're displaying it.  Plus with you posting the entire story (beyond just the link), could get us in trouble here with copyright issues.

So, if you want to show the image in the future with the article, upload it somewhere else first, and maybe not post the full article.

[tolbs17]

^^
I get it. I won't post images.

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/Feasibility_Study_1202A_Report_2015.pdf

Who thinks this project should still happen?

I get that it's to improve connection from the GTP and Wilmington, but why a freeway and an expressway in such a odd location?

NC 11/NC 903 is proposed to be a freeway in the vicinity of the feasibility study area from Kenansville to Pink Hill and US 258 is proposed as an expressway to be widened to multi‐lanes from Jacksonville, through Richlands, to Kinston.    As an option to upgrading NC 11/NC 903 and US 258, Duplin and Lenoir County officials recommend widening NC 241 between Beulaville and Pink Hill.    The local officials and Rural Planning Organization suggest designating NC 241 as a Strategic Highway Corridor, serving as a freeway facility rather than NC 11/NC 903 (freeway) and US 258 (expressway).

[cowboy_wilhelm]

House Bill 196 that was passed for COVID-19 relief allocates $230 million in Federal funds to the state's Highway Fund.

"$229,282,615 to the Highway Fund that thereby fund and bill State
Transportation Improvement (STI) projects and use federal cash
reimbursements to advance STI projects delayed by the Department to
prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. All funds shall be used
to advance delayed bridge replacement and interstate maintenance."

The Senate's version was tweaked a bit to include litter removal. Not sure what's passed or how anyone keeps up with this stuff.

"(1) $30,000,000 to the Department for maintenance activities within the Roadside
Environmental Unit for litter removal and other activities programmed within
the Roadside Environmental Unit. Notwithstanding G.S. 143C-6-11.1, these
funds are hereby incorporated into the Department Spend Plan to be spent by
the Department as allocated by this section.
(2) $199,282,615 to the Highway Trust Fund to advance State Transportation
Improvement Program (STI) projects delayed by the Department to prevent,
prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. Any remaining funds shall be
used to advance delayed bridge replacement and interstate maintenance."

[tolbs17]

Does anyone have an updated document of this link? This one is old and they made many modifications of this one (Like I-87 was originally supposed to use NC-11/US-13).

And the post above, they want to make NC-241/NC-24 a freeway rather than along NC-11/NC-903.

[Mapmikey]

Updated in 2015 (the map is fuzzy within for some reason) - https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/Transportation/strategic-corridors/Documents/strategic-corridors-prioritization-policy.pdf#search=%22strategic%20highway%20corridor%22

NC 241 as a freeway is lunacy unless they intend to carry it to I-40...then it might be worth talking about.  Otherwise improvements should be made to US 258...

[tolbs17]

Updated in 2015 (the map is fuzzy within for some reason) - https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/Transportation/strategic-corridors/Documents/strategic-corridors-prioritization-policy.pdf#search=%22strategic%20highway%20corridor%22

NC 241 as a freeway is lunacy unless they intend to carry it to I-40...then it might be worth talking about.  Otherwise improvements should be made to US 258...

I was thinking have the freeway go to Jacksonville.. See my plans in Fictional Highways..

Are the corridors mean that the highways will be a freeway?

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Updated in 2015 (the map is fuzzy within for some reason) - https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/Transportation/strategic-corridors/Documents/strategic-corridors-prioritization-policy.pdf#search=%22strategic%20highway%20corridor%22

Strategic Corridors Map

[architect77]

Beulaville Outer Loop, lol.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Bummed to see NC18 Shelby to Morganton  off the map

[WashuOtaku]

NC 27 does seem to be a route that would have been moved to follow US 74 and I-277 a long time ago. How did you find out about this change before contacting NCDOT?

I recently drove on it, was shocked when I realized the realignment.