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North Carolina

Started by FLRoads, January 20, 2009, 11:55:15 PM

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ARMOURERERIC

Drove through the interchange of US 321 and Interstate 85 today.  Lots of recent work installing new BGS' , lighting and signals for the upgraded connection.  One big disappointment  was that all the signage on 321 for 85 South has Kings Mountain  as the control city.


sprjus4

Shelby bypass project receives $25M in federal funds
QuoteAnother transportation project in the Charlotte region will receive significant federal funding.

On Monday evening, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced the United States Department of Transportation had awarded a $25 million Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant to the N.C. Department of Transportation to help fund improvements to the U.S. Highway 74 corridor.

The S.C. Department of Transportation also received a $34.6 million INFRA grant to fund the new I-77 interchange near the Carolina Panthers headquarters development in Rock Hill, state leaders announced Monday.

Among the improvements along Highway 74 that will receive the funding is the Shelby bypass project, which has been under construction since 2013. It is unclear how much of the $25 million will go toward the Shelby bypass specifically.

The nearly $300 million bypass project is scheduled to be completed in six sections. The "C" section of the bypass, the fourth of the six, has been under construction since 2017 and is pegged for completion in 2022. The final two sections, which have a total cost of around $110 million, are not scheduled to begin construction until 2024, according to the NCDOT website.

N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, who represents Cleveland County, told the Charlotte Business Journal in February he was working to expedite the timeline for the project because its funding was already secured. It is unclear if those efforts or the completion schedule for the bypass has been affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Attempts to reach a spokesperson for Moore for comment on the grant award and more information on the Shelby bypass project were unsuccessful before deadline.

Moore and other local leaders are hopeful the completion of the bypass would lead to more development in the surrounding area.

Cleveland County created Washburn Switch Business Park near the new bypass to house the $280 million Clearwater Paper plant, which opened in 2012. Clearwater Paper announced the addition of $330 million in investment in 2017, creating 180 more jobs to add to the 250-plus employees that were already there.

In May 2019, the state announced ventilation equipment manufacturer Greenheck Group would invest $58.8 million to bring a 400-job expansion to Shelby's Foothills Commerce Center near the bypass.[color]

cowboy_wilhelm

#3552
Quote from: sprjus4 on June 16, 2020, 04:29:01 PM
Shelby bypass project receives $25M in federal funds

Based on the INFRA grant application narrative, less than half is going towards the bypass itself, which is a small fraction of the total cost. It does look like the final grade separation project (R-4045) is funded. Based on my math, broadband and ITS did not receive funding. "Resiliency" includes some FIMAN flood gages and other stuff.



The two remaining sections of the bypass (D and E) were recently added back to the three-year let list with a June 2022 contract letting after construction had been delayed from 2021 to 2024. I don't know if the grant funding will speed that up or not, but I doubt it. At least accepting the federal funding should lock them into that commitment and schedule. But who knows with the decline in revenues.

Per the NCDOT Construction Progress Report, section C will not be finished until 2024. My guess is the construction contractor has received a supplemental agreement for what was previously a separate project (R-2707G) for paving section C, extending the project's overall schedule. That will also maintain the less than one mile per year status quo for this project (seven years of construction for less than five miles of new alignment).

wdcrft63

It does seem that public pressure is building to get this project moving at last.

cowboy_wilhelm

Quote from: cowboy_wilhelm on June 16, 2020, 05:21:29 PM
Per the NCDOT Construction Progress Report, section C will not be finished until 2024. My guess is the construction contractor has received a supplemental agreement for what was previously a separate project (R-2707G) for paving section C, extending the project's overall schedule. That will also maintain the less than one mile per year status quo for this project (seven years of construction for less than five miles of new alignment).

The extended schedule could also be related to building a bridge for Airport Road over the new bypass. A 300-foot stretch of Airport Road was shut down last year when construction of the bypass severed the road and traffic was diverted to NC 180.

Fixing Airport Road
Funding will reconnect Airport Road in Cleveland County

cowboy_wilhelm

Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on June 15, 2020, 11:17:14 PM
Drove through the interchange of US 321 and Interstate 85 today.  Lots of recent work installing new BGS' , lighting and signals for the upgraded connection.  One big disappointment  was that all the signage on 321 for 85 South has Kings Mountain  as the control city.

How close is the interchange to being ready? I think it was supposed to open this spring, but has been delayed like everything else due to the weather.

ARMOURERERIC

Quote from: cowboy_wilhelm on June 17, 2020, 10:30:28 AM
Quote from: cowboy_wilhelm on June 16, 2020, 05:21:29 PM
Per the NCDOT Construction Progress Report, section C will not be finished until 2024. My guess is the construction contractor has received a supplemental agreement for what was previously a separate project (R-2707G) for paving section C, extending the project's overall schedule. That will also maintain the less than one mile per year status quo for this project (seven years of construction for less than five miles of new alignment).

The extended schedule could also be related to building a bridge for Airport Road over the new bypass. A 300-foot stretch of Airport Road was shut down last year when construction of the bypass severed the road and traffic was diverted to NC 180.

Fixing Airport Road
Funding will reconnect Airport Road in Cleveland County

With the terrain there, it would be better for Airport road to go under 74, but would cost significantly more.

ARMOURERERIC

Quote from: cowboy_wilhelm on June 17, 2020, 10:32:00 AM
Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on June 15, 2020, 11:17:14 PM
Drove through the interchange of US 321 and Interstate 85 today.  Lots of recent work installing new BGS' , lighting and signals for the upgraded connection.  One big disappointment  was that all the signage on 321 for 85 South has Kings Mountain  as the control city.

The current Google map satellite image is not too far behind.

How close is the interchange to being ready? I think it was supposed to open this spring, but has been delayed like everything else due to the weather.

tolbs17

#3558
Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on June 17, 2020, 07:08:04 PM
Quote from: cowboy_wilhelm on June 17, 2020, 10:32:00 AM
Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on June 15, 2020, 11:17:14 PM
Drove through the interchange of US 321 and Interstate 85 today.  Lots of recent work installing new BGS' , lighting and signals for the upgraded connection.  One big disappointment  was that all the signage on 321 for 85 South has Kings Mountain  as the control city.

The current Google map satellite image is not too far behind.

How close is the interchange to being ready? I think it was supposed to open this spring, but has been delayed like everything else due to the weather.
?? Is the previous post that you were replying to him about?

LM117

Upcoming rolling roadblocks on I-40 between Durham and Cary due to the Airport Blvd interchange improvement project.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-06-17-i-40-airport-blvd-slow-rolls.aspx

And regarding the Business 40 project in Winston-Salem, there will be lane & exit closures on I-40 near Kernersville due to sign work...

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-06-17-i-40-lanes-exit-closure-kernersville.aspx

...and closures on the newly christened Salem Parkway due to ongoing construction of sound walls.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-06-17-salem-parkway-business-40-overnight-closures.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

sprjus4

Quote from: cowboy_wilhelm on June 16, 2020, 05:21:29 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on June 16, 2020, 04:29:01 PM
Shelby bypass project receives $25M in federal funds

Based on the INFRA grant application narrative, less than half is going towards the bypass itself, which is a small fraction of the total cost. It does look like the final grade separation project (R-4045) is funded. Based on my math, broadband and ITS did not receive funding. "Resiliency" includes some FIMAN flood gages and other stuff.

The two remaining sections of the bypass (D and E) were recently added back to the three-year let list with a June 2022 contract letting after construction had been delayed from 2021 to 2024. I don't know if the grant funding will speed that up or not, but I doubt it. At least accepting the federal funding should lock them into that commitment and schedule. But who knows with the decline in revenues.

Per the NCDOT Construction Progress Report, section C will not be finished until 2024. My guess is the construction contractor has received a supplemental agreement for what was previously a separate project (R-2707G) for paving section C, extending the project's overall schedule. That will also maintain the less than one mile per year status quo for this project (seven years of construction for less than five miles of new alignment).
From the INFRA 2020 Fact Sheet (page 12) -

QuoteUS 74 Corridor Opportunities for Rural Efficiency and Safety Improvement Project

North Carolina Department of Transportation
Cleveland, Columbus, and Robeson Counties, North Carolina

Proposed Award: $25,000,000
Estimated Future Eligible Project Costs: $237,381,000
Estimated Minimum Non-Federal Funding: $212,381,000
Urban-Rural Designation: Rural

Project Description
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will be awarded $25 million to complete a series of highway improvements on the US 74 corridor in southern North Carolina between Asheville and I-40 near Wilmington. The project includes a series of intersection-to-interchange upgrades, and the completion of a major bypass around Shelby. The project will complete the conversion of the Lattimore intersection to a grade-separated interchange in Mooresboro, creating a freeway facility between Asheville and Charlotte. The project also includes the conversion of four signalized intersections on US 74 (at NC 72/NC 130, Boardman Road, Chauncey Town Road, and Old Lake Road), between I-95 and I-140 in Robeson and Columbus counties.

Project Benefits
The project supports economic vitality by providing a faster, more efficient route for the freight and automobile traffic traveling the US 74 corridor. The project is also expected to generate safety benefits by reducing the likelihood of crashes by converting at-grade signalized intersections to grade separated interchanges and removing conflicts between intercity and local traffic. The project serves a broad geographic area, contributing to regional mobility benefits.

The State agreed to an accountability measure: for each project component, if the State does not complete and open that component to traffic by a specific date, the State will forfeit or return the lesser of $10 million or 10 percent of that component's costs.
The description mentions all of the proposed projects, but assuming the above sheet is accurate, money will only go two projects - the Lattimore interchange and the Shelby Bypass.

LM117

Quote from: LM117 on June 17, 2020, 09:04:06 PM
Upcoming rolling roadblocks on I-40 between Durham and Cary due to the Airport Blvd interchange improvement project.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-06-17-i-40-airport-blvd-slow-rolls.aspx

The exit loop from I-40 East to eastbound Airport Blvd will be closed permanently tonight.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-06-22-airport-boulevard-changes.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

cowboy_wilhelm

Quote from: sprjus4 on June 18, 2020, 04:14:38 PM

From the INFRA 2020 Fact Sheet (page 12) -

QuoteUS 74 Corridor Opportunities for Rural Efficiency and Safety Improvement Project

[...]
The State agreed to an accountability measure: for each project component, if the State does not complete and open that component to traffic by a specific date, the State will forfeit or return the lesser of $10 million or 10 percent of that component's costs.

The USDOT has clearly dealt with the NCDOT before.

It's also worth noting that none of the projects in the I-87 grant application received any funding, if that hasn't been brought up in the other thread.

sprjus4

Quote from: cowboy_wilhelm on June 22, 2020, 08:01:06 PM
It's also worth noting that none of the projects in the I-87 grant application received any funding, if that hasn't been brought up in the other thread.
Interesting, I did not realize there were any other grants applied for, let alone for I-87.

LM117

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

LM117

More overnight closures on Business 40 Salem Parkway in Winston-Salem this week.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-07-06-salem-pkwy-closures.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

LM117

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-07-09-salem-pkwy-weekend-closure.aspx

Quote​WINSTON-SALEM — Work on the Salem Parkway project will require the highway to be closed in both directions between Cloverdale Avenue and Main Street this weekend.

The closure is needed so crews can do bridge painting and remove all the supports underneath the Green Street pedestrian bridge.

The highway closure will be in place starting at 8 p.m. on Friday with all lanes reopening when the work is completed, and no later than 6 a.m. on Monday.

Signed detours will be in place. Eastbound vehicles will exit at Cloverdale Avenue and use First Street, Peters Creek Parkway, Academy Street, Old Salem Road and Main Street to get back to Salem Parkway.

Westbound drivers will have to exit at Main Street and will use First Street to get to Cloverdale Avenue and return to the Parkway.

Motorists need to pay extra attention while in the work area and along the detour route. They should anticipate traveling through the area will take a little longer than normal because of the detour.

The work is dependent on weather conditions.
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

CanesFan27

In a somewhat related search, I came across the 1973 Draft EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) for the Interstate 95 bypass of Fayetteville, NC.  Within the DEIS were details of the US 301 upgrade alternative.  Basically the alternatives called for upgrading US 301 to Interstate standards at either a 70 mph or 60 mph design.  The freeway would have been six lanes and include frontage roads.  The 70 mph design would have a 68 foot median northwards to Owen Drive/Gillepsie Street and then a 22 foot median with jersey barrier the rest of the way to approximately the current Middle Road Interchange on Business 95.  the 60 mph design would have a 22 foot bedian with barrier the entire length.  There would seven total interchanges (not counting the three in eastover already existing) and if the 70 mph design option was chosen a full sized interchange would be in place where Business I-95 current rejoins I-95 south of the city.

Within the design options were two smaller alternatives on how to build US 301 from McDuffie Street to Grove Street (NC 24).  One option was called the fill option that would build I-95 to the immediate west of the current US 301 with fill at about 20 - 25 feet above the current US 301 grade.  The second option would be to elevate I-95 over the existing US 301 over that same section and have Eastern Blvd. serve as frontage roads below the highway.

Also, there is mention of an Owen Drive Freeway interchange at Airport Road.  This most likely is an extension of the All-American Freeway to Eastern Blvd.  Also, the Cape Fear Expressway (did not know of it until this document) is mentioned.  This was to be a replacement of NC 24 that would have ran on the west side of the Cape Fear with an interchange near what is now the Middle Road Interchange.

The scanned document unfortunately did not fully scan the layout of the alternatives - as they would pull out from the document.  So, I have converted the information onto a google map (Creating my own map is not a strong suit of mine) that gives a general idea of where/what the interchanges would be, the general alignment of the "fill" alternative and where bridges would be built on the fill alternative to cross over various railroads (at-grade today on Business 95) and cross-streets.

I will be working this in to my feature on the battle to route I-95 in Fayetteville this week but wanted to share the map in case there was any additional input from you all.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1cN_LzpfMTPCHJ0pctfRSRbPx9ZkENJTx&usp=sharing


Quote from: CanesFan27 on June 22, 2019, 10:23:36 PM
I've had this on my to do list for a long time but I finally have finished a feature on the decade long battle to complete Interstate 95 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

A few things of note:
- The appeals came from local businesses along US 301 hoping to route I-95 on what is now Business 95/US 301 in Fayetteville
- The case went all the way to the Supreme Court but was not taken.
- The I-95 Committee's attempt to find  any way (often at the last possible minute) to change the routing.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/06/governor-hunt-cuts-ribbon-on-doomsday.html

LM117

The Capital Boulevard rehab and bridge replacement project in Raleigh is now complete.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-07-17-capital-blvd-completion.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

Revive 755

So where was the Martin Luther King Jr Freeway in Fayetteville intended to go after its current northern terminus?  Over to I-95, north along US 401, or somewhere else?

CanesFan27

Quote from: Revive 755 on July 17, 2020, 10:31:12 PM
So where was the Martin Luther King Jr Freeway in Fayetteville intended to go after its current northern terminus?  Over to I-95, north along US 401, or somewhere else?

Not sure - still researching.  I've heard (but never seen anything official) Business 95 and also NC 24. The Cape Fear Expressway may provide clues but I haven't solved that mystery yet.

Mapmikey

#3571
Quote from: CanesFan27 on July 18, 2020, 09:22:09 AM
Quote from: Revive 755 on July 17, 2020, 10:31:12 PM
So where was the Martin Luther King Jr Freeway in Fayetteville intended to go after its current northern terminus?  Over to I-95, north along US 401, or somewhere else?

Not sure - still researching.  I've heard (but never seen anything official) Business 95 and also NC 24. The Cape Fear Expressway may provide clues but I haven't solved that mystery yet.

1968 Cumberland County map shows the north extension to take a sharp dive southeast back to US 301.  The south end was initially planned to be further north along US 301 than the NC 87 interchange area:



The 1972 Cumberland County map - https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/ncmaps/id/8231/rec/32 - shows the southern end synching up with NC 87 and no change to northern end.

The 1980 Cumberland County map - https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/ncmaps/id/8681/rec/35 -  no longer shows a proposed extension northward.

To see a bigger context of what Fayetteville envisioned, see page 55 of the Owen Dr Freeway EIS - https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ien.35556030147805&view=1up&seq=55  - the sharp turn at the Cape Fear River on the northern extensin is really a new route for US 401

The history of the CBD Loop does not mention what happened to the northern extension in the EIS for the southern extensin - https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ien.35556031254923&view=1up&seq=20

LM117

Beginning tomorrow morning, traffic on I-26 West will be shifted to the new outside lanes near the Brevard Road interchange in Asheville.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-07-29-i-26-westbound-shift.aspx
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

LM117

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-07-30-us-70-eno-river-bridge-shift.aspx

QuoteHILLSBOROUGH — State tran​sportation contractors plan to shift U.S. 70 traffic to a temporary bridge over the Eno River on the east side of Hillsborough this weekend.

The shift will take place under lane closures beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday and is expected to be complete by the end of the day. It will be postponed to another weekend if weather interferes.

With traffic moved onto the temporary bridge, crews can demolish and replace the existing bridge, which is 79 years old and has reached the end of its useful life.

Also starting Saturday morning and lasting throughout the project, the U.S. 70 entrance to Riverside Drive closest to the river will be closed. Drivers will be directed to use the second entrance to Riverside Drive and Mountain View Court to access points on Riverside Drive closest to the river.

Drivers should slow down when approaching the work zone and be mindful of the crews at working close to the travel lanes.
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

wdcrft63

Quote from: LM117 on July 30, 2020, 06:49:05 PM
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-07-30-us-70-eno-river-bridge-shift.aspx

QuoteHILLSBOROUGH — State tran​sportation contractors plan to shift U.S. 70 traffic to a temporary bridge over the Eno River on the east side of Hillsborough this weekend.

The shift will take place under lane closures beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday and is expected to be complete by the end of the day. It will be postponed to another weekend if weather interferes.

With traffic moved onto the temporary bridge, crews can demolish and replace the existing bridge, which is 79 years old and has reached the end of its useful life.

Also starting Saturday morning and lasting throughout the project, the U.S. 70 entrance to Riverside Drive closest to the river will be closed. Drivers will be directed to use the second entrance to Riverside Drive and Mountain View Court to access points on Riverside Drive closest to the river.

Drivers should slow down when approaching the work zone and be mindful of the crews at working close to the travel lanes.
Here's the old bridge and the beginning of work a year ago. A slow-moving project.
https://goo.gl/maps/whxuRccai1dJX9Rz7



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