North Carolina

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Per The News & Observer, only the first section to Durant Rd. is slated for construction any time soon, starting in late 2025. The remaining sections have been delayed until at least 2029. The total cost has grown from $465 million in 2018 to $750 million today. Right-of-way costs for the first section alone are estimated at $94.3 million, with an additional $184.7 for construction. That's for 1.5 miles of freeway.

The City of Raleigh has developed a plan for the section between the beltlines. Not sure what will come of it, but based on the title, think pedestrian friendly, bike lanes, Bus Rapid Transit, etc. and not a freeway. Will be a boulevard/freeway with interchanges.

The Capital North Corridor Plan: A Future of Choice

[froggie]

Per The News & Observer, only the first section to Durant Rd. is slated for construction any time soon, starting in late 2025. The remaining sections have been delayed until at least 2029. The total cost has grown from $465 million in 2018 to $750 million today. Right-of-way costs for the first section alone are estimated at $94.3 million, with an additional $184.7 for construction. That's for 1.5 miles of freeway.

The City of Raleigh has developed a plan for the section between the beltlines. Not sure what will come of it, but based on the title, think pedestrian friendly, bike lanes, Bus Rapid Transit, etc. and not a freeway.

The Capital North Corridor Plan: A Future of Choice

Guessing you didn't actually read the report.  My read on it is, yes, it will include bike/ped improvements and BRT.  But they're also intending to convert it into a multiway boulevard (think Roosevelt Blvd in north Philly), but a boulevard where the inner lanes will be controlled-access.  7 interchanges are proposed between 440 and 540...a SPUI at Buffaloe/New Hope Church, and tight diamonds at the remaining locations.

Long-story short, yes it will technically include a freeway.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Guessing you didn't actually read the report.

Nope.

[NJRoadfan]

So long term the plan is to do something similar to what was built along US-19 in Pinellas County Florida. Service roads and SPUIs.

[froggie]

Sort of...mostly tight diamonds instead of SPUIs...but more landscape-friendly than 19.

[architect77]

Per The News & Observer, only the first section to Durant Rd. is slated for construction any time soon, starting in late 2025. The remaining sections have been delayed until at least 2029. The total cost has grown from $465 million in 2018 to $750 million today. Right-of-way costs for the first section alone are estimated at $94.3 million, with an additional $184.7 for construction. That's for 1.5 miles of freeway.

The City of Raleigh has developed a plan for the section between the beltlines. Not sure what will come of it, but based on the title, think pedestrian friendly, bike lanes, Bus Rapid Transit, etc. and not a freeway. Will be a boulevard/freeway with interchanges.

The Capital North Corridor Plan: A Future of Choice

The cover page of the Capital North Plan has the photo reversed. How the Hell did that get overlooked and why hasn't the electronic version been corrected? lol.

The photo is the US1//US401 split.

[bob7374]

NCDOT announces federal grant awards for several city and town projects:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-06-30-federal-grants-benefit-communities.aspx

[rickmastfan67]

Richard Petty is a confirmed Roadgeek. 

https://twitter.com/therichardpetty/status/1675562935312175108

[The Ghostbuster]

Why wasn't he in Chicago for the big race? I guess he had more important things to do on his birthday.

[LM117]

Work to replace the northbound US-13 bridge over the Tar River in Greenville will begin on July 10. The new bridge is expected to be opened in fall 2025.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-07-05-pitt-county-bridge-replacement.aspx

[The Ghostbuster]

Will the new bridge have emergency shoulders on both sides?

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Will the new bridge have emergency shoulders on both sides?

Four feet on the inside and ten feet on the outside.

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

Why wasn't he in Chicago for the big race? I guess he had more important things to do on his birthday.

Had no reason to be. Between Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson, they pretty much ousted him

[CanesFan27]

Why wasn't he in Chicago for the big race? I guess he had more important things to do on his birthday.

I do not believe Goody's was sponsoring the race.

[architect77]

Why wasn't he in Chicago for the big race? I guess he had more important things to do on his birthday.

I do not believe Goody's was sponsoring the race.

Facebook recently showed me a story on what Aunt Bea's final years were like after settling in Siler City, NC. She had no connection to NC at all other than the Andy Griffith SHow, and previously I had read that locals were afraid to engage with her resulting in a solitary existence.

The story was from a Raleigh man who fortunately rebuked that isolation. He said that Frances Bavier frequently attended live theater performances in Raleigh with him, and she also seemed to enjoy being bombarded by fans while attending these shows.

She is quoted as saying that she chose to relocate to NC because of all the "pretty roads and trees."

[CanesFan27]

With North Carolina rumored to have its first Buc-ee's opening up in the next few years, Adam figured he'd stop at one of the remaining original travel centers - the Stuckey's off of Interstate 40 in Old Fort.

Stuckey's began as a pecan stand in rural Georgia in 1937.  By the mid-1970s, it expanded to over 350 locations in 30 states.  However, ownership changes led to the rapid decline of the company into the 1990s.

In 2019, the granddaughter of Stuckey's founder WS Stuckey, Stephanie Stuckey - purchased the company and became CEO.  Under her leadership, Stuckey's has had a slow and steady revival - the company now produces and packages its own private-label candies - including its famous pralines and pecan logs.  Stuckey's now has over 65 franchise locations - including 13 original locations  - and over 200 store-within-a-store concepts.

North Carolina is home to two of the remaining original Stuckey's - Old Fort off of I-40 and Whitakers off of I-95.

The full feature at our sister site Carolina Crossroads:

https://www.carolinaxroads.com/2023/07/stuckeys-old-fort-nc.html

[ARMOURERERIC]

I stopped there about 3-4 weeks ago, had a dipped cone from DQ.  With you having been there...was the new Parker Pagett bridge open?

[CanesFan27]

I stopped there about 3-4 weeks ago, had a dipped cone from DQ.  With you having been there...was the new Parker Pagett bridge open?

No.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I am a regular follower of the NCDot contract letting page.  Usually within 24-72 hours after a bid opening date the site is updated to reflect the bid batch for the next month and a 12 projection.  That has not occurred since the June bid opening date.  Have they changed sites?  Are they holding off for passage of the 2024 stop?  Any thoughts.

[bob7374]

The next letting is on July 18, I suspect the new 12 month list and the August advertisement will be out then. The letting will include the design-build contract for constructing the rest of Toll NC 540 to the Knightdale Bypass/I-87.

Meanwhile, to keep everyone busy, the new 2023-2024 State Transportation Map has been released:
https://www.ncdot.gov/travel-maps/maps/Pages/state-transportation-map.aspx

A quick look shows the typical mix of new, wrong and out of date information. Examples: Both I-885 and I-587 are shown on the state map and appropriate inset maps, but both contain old exit numbers along those routes, or, for the Durham Freeway whose numbers were changed due to I-885. I-74 shields appear on both the US 74 Rockingham Bypass and Maxton Bypass. A 'Toll I-885' shield appears at the northerly end of Toll NC 885 at I-40 on the Raleigh inset map. The Greensboro inset has the NC 74 Winston-Salem Bypass ending at NC 66 (though, due to its dimensions, it looks complete to US 52 on the state map). US 70 is shown on its new route through Greensboro and Business 85 shields have been removed from both US 29 between I-85 and I-40 and along its original route between Lexington and Greensboro. The NC 540 roadway between Bypass NC 55 and I-87 is shown under construction on the state map as is the Hampstead Bypass but other projects such as the Rockingham Bypass for I-73/I-74, I-295 to connect to I-95 and the Havelock Bypass are not.

[ARMOURERERIC]

July 18 was also the have the rest of the Shelby bypass.

[Strider]

If you guys are driving to Greensboro on I-40 East tomorrow, be warned that NCDOT will close I-40 East from Exit 212 (I-73/I-840) to Exit 227 (I-85/I-785/I-840) tomorrow at 9pm. I didn't catch how long it will be (a day or for a weekend?). US 29 North will also close from US 220 South to I-40. The purpose of the closure is for resurfacing the road and the removal of Business 85 and US 70 signs.

The detour route is of course, take the Urban Loop (either I-73 South/I-85 North Southern Loop or I-840 East /I-785 South Northern Loop).

I saw the information from VMS overhead when driving back to Greensboro on I-85 and US 29. For some reason I cannot find the news release on NCDOT page (includes Twitter) with the exception of I-40 West closure which was last month.

On the other news, I can confirm that US 70 relocation and Business I-85 removal is now under way. Noticed I-85 Business and US 70 shields are gone, leaving only US 29 in some places when I drove through there.

[Dirt Roads]

NCDOT press release about upcoming nightly closures of I-85 South at the NC 86 exit starting next week to allow for bridge repairs:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-06-14-nc-86-bridge-repairs-overnight-closures.aspx

^^^
That is quite fortunate.  This detour is now beginning to adversely impact the volume of customers at both the Walmart and Home Depot at Hampton Pointe.  On the other hand, I'm getting spoiled not having to wait in line at either of those stores.

And from the Bridges Closed in Only One Direction thread:

well, the entire bridge has since been closed until further notice. In my opinion, they should tear it down and rebuild that entire interchange.

Indeed.  The bridge was closed to all traffic in anticipation of the nightly closures on I-85 [westbound] starting June 17.  That bridge work was expected to continue for several weeks.  Unfortunately (as I'm sure you witnessed), it rained all of that first week and it has rained off-and-on since.  I have seen evidence of construction activity, but it doesn't look like NCDOT had made much progress (as of Wednesday, June 28).  I previously reported that traffic volumes at the Walmart and Home Depot in Hampton Pointe was much lower then.  The same was true last week, but today Walmart crowds were back to normal and the parking lot at Home Depot was jam-packed.

Worse, is now NCDOT has posted VMS signage at Hampton Pointe indicating major road closures on NC-86 (presumably due to the development of the relocated Chrysler dealership and the new Aldi beside the Sheetz).  Most traffic leaving both Hampton Pointe and Sheetz use Old Number 10 to get back to Hillsborough rather than the posted detour via I-85 to use the double U-turn at Exit 170.

Yesterday (Thursday, July 13) was Day Zero for the "detours in both directions" at Hampton Pointe.  Turns out, the "major road closures" on NC-86 south of the Hampton Pointe development were for the installation of fiber optics along the right-of-way.  That contractor stayed out of the way as best as possible.  One northbound lane and one southbound lane were maintained between Hampton Pointe and Old Number 10.  Traffic was reduced to single lane just south of the North Carolina Rail Road underpass.  One northbound lane and one southbound lane were maintained south of the new Byrdsville Road down to the Piedmont Electric Co-op complex.  Everything seemed to work well, and traffic to/from Walmart and Home Depot seemed undeterred.

A big traffic issue may still occur.  The right lane from Hampton Pointe Boulevard onto NC-86 southbound was signed as Closed/Detour.  I'm sure that the intention is for right turn traffic to stay left of the porkchop and still turn right (from the through lane/rightmost left turn lane) at the traffic signal.  But if one should accidentally turn left and follow the "other" detour signs, you'll end up on I-85 [eastbound] destined for the U-turn at Exit 170.  To be honest, this is how most of the traffic is supposed to go (but I don't see anybody actually doing this).

[bob7374]

If you guys are driving to Greensboro on I-40 East tomorrow, be warned that NCDOT will close I-40 East from Exit 212 (I-73/I-840) to Exit 227 (I-85/I-785/I-840) tomorrow at 9pm. I didn't catch how long it will be (a day or for a weekend?). US 29 North will also close from US 220 South to I-40. The purpose of the closure is for resurfacing the road and the removal of Business 85 and US 70 signs.

The detour route is of course, take the Urban Loop (either I-73 South/I-85 North Southern Loop or I-840 East /I-785 South Northern Loop).

I saw the information from VMS overhead when driving back to Greensboro on I-85 and US 29. For some reason I cannot find the news release on NCDOT page (includes Twitter) with the exception of I-40 West closure which was last month.

On the other news, I can confirm that US 70 relocation and Business I-85 removal is now under way. Noticed I-85 Business and US 70 shields are gone, leaving only US 29 in some places when I drove through there.

Here is a photo Strider took along I-73 South showing the removed shields.  While they were up there how hard would it have been to move the I-85 shield and South to the right?


His other photos can be found at: https://malmeroads.net/i7374nc/i73seg5.html#photos

[74/171FAN]

I really want to see what happens to the signage along Wendover Ave more than anything else.   (My photos from February begin here:  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10218355643722954&set=a.10218355707644552)