North Carolina

[RoadPelican]

US-17 New Bern Bypass is now open again, finally. All southbound traffic is being shunted to the new exit ramp down to the existing stoplight at US-17 Business at the Craven/Jones County line, but you can definitely see the progress being made on the bypass heading down into Jones County both carriage ways are paved at that point down as far as I can see from the new overpass.

Planning to head down that way hopefully this weekend to see the progress.

Hopefully the new bypass is opened by the end of the year.

I've heard the completion date will be sometime in November or December this year.

[LM117]

Due to the ongoing I-40 widening project in Wake & Johnston counties, the East Garner Road bridge over I-40 will close for a year, beginning May 29.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-08-year-long-closure-east-garner-road.aspx

[orulz]

The design build contractor for the I-440 widening in Raleigh has come up with a creative and economical design for the I-440/Wade interchange that unfortunately has a hideous weave. How can this be acceptable? Did the NCDOT not put stringent enough requirements in the contract, and now the contractor has proposed something awful that meets the letter of the law, in order to go fishing for extra money from change orders?

If they would separate the movements and remove the weave, I would be happy with this design. I don't think Wade-440 needs 55mph ramps.



PS: Missed that y'all talked about this already on the previous page, but I didn't see anybody mention the awful weave. It's not a cloverleaf but it's still a weave - a left-exit weave at that - so is it really even any better?

[Roadsguy]

The left merge onto WB Wade Avenue from 440 looks to be signalized, as both the ramp and Wade are two lanes and Wade is still two lanes after the merge, not four.

[sprjus4]

The left merge onto WB Wade Avenue from 440 looks to be signalized, as both the ramp and Wade are two lanes and Wade is still two lanes after the merge, not four.

That's correct I believe. It's essentially one side of a diverging diamond.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

I don't like the curve for the ramp from inbound Wade to 440 east. That's the choke point now, and the new ramp has the tightest radius of all the proposed ramps. The design speed for that is probably something like 40 mph, so it's still going to bog down every afternoon, even with two lanes. I liked the flyover better, but of course that's more expensive and has more impact.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Also, no one has mentioned the upcoming meeting for the expressway/superstreet conversion and widening of US 64 in Apex west of US 1. I believe they've refined the design a bit after receiving some negative feedback on earlier proposals/alternatives.

Map 1
Map 2

[JoeP]

It's all bogus, that's simply it

what ignorance.

Wow.

[sprjus4]

Also, no one has mentioned the upcoming meeting for the expressway/superstreet conversion and widening of US 64 in Apex west of US 1. I believe they've refined the design a bit after receiving some negative feedback on earlier proposals/alternatives.

Map 1
Map 2

Thank god they didn't select those other interchange designs. Traditional is the way to go. It appears half of the corridor will become a freeway, while the other part will be a high-speed superstreet. It'd be nice if the whole thing could be converted to freeway, but it will function fine how it is proposed.

[orulz]

Also, no one has mentioned the upcoming meeting for the expressway/superstreet conversion and widening of US 64 in Apex west of US 1. I believe they've refined the design a bit after receiving some negative feedback on earlier proposals/alternatives.

Map 1
Map 2

Thank god they didn't select those other interchange designs. Traditional is the way to go. It appears half of the corridor will become a freeway, while the other part will be a high-speed superstreet. It'd be nice if the whole thing could be converted to freeway, but it will function fine how it is proposed.

They are *so* close to a full freeway (literally one additional grade separation could make it work) that I am pretty disappointed they didn't go for it. The superstreet may be fine for today's traffic, but with all the development in Chatham Park, I bet it won't be 5 years before it starts backing up badly.

[D-Dey65]

A public meeting is being held in Lumberton on August 28 to discuss rebuilding the I-95/Carthage Road interchange (Exit 19).

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2018/2018-08-20-lumberton-i-95-exit-19-open-house.aspx

I saw nothing on this, so what was decided? Personally, I'm not a fan, especially with the roundabout at the northbound off and on ramps. But I do like the idea of realigning Lackey Street on the other side of all those motels and restaurants. I think this would've been a good idea for the frontage road on the northwest corner of I-75 and FL 50, had FDOT decided to build a loop ramp at the interchange.


For the record, when I went through Lumberton back in April there was a giant traffic jam, because everybody was being detoured off of I-95 at Exit 17 (NC 72) to get around the inspection of the bridge over that railroad line north of the interchange.

[Avalanchez71]

A public meeting is being held in Lumberton on August 28 to discuss rebuilding the I-95/Carthage Road interchange (Exit 19).

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2018/2018-08-20-lumberton-i-95-exit-19-open-house.aspx

I saw nothing on this, so what was decided? Personally, I'm not a fan, especially with the roundabout at the northbound off and on ramps. But I do like the idea of realigning Lackey Street on the other side of all those motels and restaurants. I think this would've been a good idea for the frontage road on the northwest corner of I-75 and FL 50, had FDOT decided to build a loop ramp at the interchange.


For the record, when I went through Lumberton back in April there was a giant traffic jam, because everybody was being detoured off of I-95 at Exit 17 (NC 72) to get around the inspection of the bridge over that railroad line north of the interchange.

CB radios used to be good for getting information like that ahead of the jam.  Nowadays everyone just pulls an app and follows GPS save a few folks.

[LM117]

A public meeting is being held in Lumberton on August 28 to discuss rebuilding the I-95/Carthage Road interchange (Exit 19).

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2018/2018-08-20-lumberton-i-95-exit-19-open-house.aspx

I saw nothing on this, so what was decided? Personally, I'm not a fan, especially with the roundabout at the northbound off and on ramps. But I do like the idea of realigning Lackey Street on the other side of all those motels and restaurants. I think this would've been a good idea for the frontage road on the northwest corner of I-75 and FL 50, had FDOT decided to build a loop ramp at the interchange.


For the record, when I went through Lumberton back in April there was a giant traffic jam, because everybody was being detoured off of I-95 at Exit 17 (NC 72) to get around the inspection of the bridge over that railroad line north of the interchange.

There's been no mention of it since...or at least none that I'm aware of.

[LM117]

Progress update on the Business 40 project in Winston-Salem.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-10-marshall-street-bridge-closure-winston-salem.aspx

[The Ghostbuster]

I may have already asked this question (I can't remember, there are so many pages), if I have and its been answered already, I apologize. My question being: once Business 40 in Winston-Salem is decommissioned, will the existing exit numbers on Business remain the same or will they be renumbered to correspond to US 421's mileage? I'll try hard in the future not to ask the same question more than once.

[bob7374]

I may have already asked this question (I can't remember, there are so many pages), if I have and its been answered already, I apologize. My question being: once Business 40 in Winston-Salem is decommissioned, will the existing exit numbers on Business remain the same or will they be renumbered to correspond to US 421's mileage? I'll try hard in the future not to ask the same question more than once.

I asked this question as a comment on the NCDOT Business 40 improvements Facebook page a couple months ago when they put up a post to answer a frequent a question they get about what's going to happen to all the removed Business 40 signs (it's up to the contractor). Never got an answer. However, another NCDOT employee who posts there often said he believes the numbers will be changed to those based on US 421 mileage.

[LM117]

Two public meetings to mention.

The first meeting is tomorrow in Apex to discuss improvements to US-64 between US-1 in Cary and Laura Duncan Road in Apex.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-13-us-64-apex-public-meeting.aspx

The second is on May 16 in Supply in Brunswick County to discuss converting the US-17/NC-211 intersection into an interchange.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-13-brunswick-county-interchange-public-meeting.aspx

[sparker]

Two public meetings to mention.

The first meeting is tomorrow in Apex to discuss improvements to US-64 between US-1 in Cary and Laura Duncan Road in Apex.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-13-us-64-apex-public-meeting.aspx

The second is on May 16 in Supply in Brunswick County to discuss converting the US-17/NC-211 intersection into an interchange.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-13-brunswick-county-interchange-public-meeting.aspx

Unfortunately, the design alternatives for the interchange aren't available for preview.  It'll be interesting to see if a free-flow connection from NB US 17 to NB NC 211 (and vice-versa) is among the options -- which may be an indicator as to NCDOT's plans per the original I-74 corridor concept -- whether that will be honored in the observance or the breach! 

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Unfortunately, the design alternatives for the interchange aren't available for preview.  It'll be interesting to see if a free-flow connection from NB US 17 to NB NC 211 (and vice-versa) is among the options -- which may be an indicator as to NCDOT's plans per the original I-74 corridor concept -- whether that will be honored in the observance or the breach!

One alternative, a sort-of diamond interchange plus one loop on-ramp to SB US 17. I'm not sure how the locals are going to react to losing Bojangles', Hardee's AND McDonald's.

[froggie]

^ Probably cheaper to buy those properties out than to build the retaining walls and drainage basins necessary for a tight diamond.  And even if they did go with a tight diamond to reduce right-of-way needs, McD's and Bojangles would need some sort of backage road for access.

Traffic volumes on 17 are very much in the range of warranting limited access and interchanges.  While I can sympathize with the businesses in the way, they should not stand in the way of warranted roadway improvements.  There also appears to be nearby locations that those restaurants could be relocated to.

[Mr. ENC]

Two public meetings to mention.

The first meeting is tomorrow in Apex to discuss improvements to US-64 between US-1 in Cary and Laura Duncan Road in Apex.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-13-us-64-apex-public-meeting.aspx

The second is on May 16 in Supply in Brunswick County to discuss converting the US-17/NC-211 intersection into an interchange.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-05-13-brunswick-county-interchange-public-meeting.aspx

What's the point of doing the Apex project if the entire thing isn't gonna be limited access? Sure Luara Duncan on west will be limited access but going back east towards Hwy 1 seems to just be some roadway improvement and new stoplights. They should look at how NCDOT is gonna do James City and do that for that end of the project.

[Avalanchez71]

^ Probably cheaper to buy those properties out than to build the retaining walls and drainage basins necessary for a tight diamond.  And even if they did go with a tight diamond to reduce right-of-way needs, McD's and Bojangles would need some sort of backage road for access.

Traffic volumes on 17 are very much in the range of warranting limited access and interchanges.  While I can sympathize with the businesses in the way, they should not stand in the way of warranted roadway improvements.  There also appears to be nearby locations that those restaurants could be relocated to.

Sounds like NCDOT needs to find another route or just leave it alone in this case.

[orulz]

What's the point of doing the Apex project if the entire thing isn't gonna be limited access? Sure Luara Duncan on west will be limited access but going back east towards Hwy 1 seems to just be some roadway improvement and new stoplights. They should look at how NCDOT is gonna do James City and do that for that end of the project.

While I agree that this needs to be a full freeway, copying James City would be a nonstarter here.

They actually proposed almost exactly that back in 2008. Frontage roads, the whole nine yards. The costs were insane and the impacts were immense. Whereas James City already has existing frontage roads and is fronted almost entirely by commercial developement, 64 in Apex has lots of really expensive homes that back up to the highway and no existing frontage roads. Basically they got booed off the stage. By going 'too big' early in the study process, they ran into huge backlash.

There was a big counter movement called "Save 64" to have US 64 declared a "business route", have the speed limit dropped to 45, add sidewalks, and reroute through traffic onto NC540 an US1.

Thankfully, at the time, NCDOT just backed off for a decade and the protest died down.

This proposal gets closer to the right solution than they ever were before. The bridge at Edinburgh Dr is great. They need to put another bridge like it at Chalon and add a couple square loops ramps, then the whole superstreet thing can be dropped. Compared to Lake Pine and Laura Duncan, Edinburgh and especially Chalon are not very busy at all, so square loop configurations would be just fine.

The only remaining traffic light after that is the one where eastbound US 64 traffic has to stop for westbound Tryon Road traffic turning left onto US1 south. There's no room to put in a cloverleaf, so the only way to solve it is probably a big flyover that also has to cross the sensitive Swift Creek floodplain. They probably don't have the budget to do that, so that light had to stay. And once you have one stoplight, adding a few more in a superstreet configuration synchronized with that one doesn't reduce capacity by that much.

[sprjus4]

^ Probably cheaper to buy those properties out than to build the retaining walls and drainage basins necessary for a tight diamond.  And even if they did go with a tight diamond to reduce right-of-way needs, McD's and Bojangles would need some sort of backage road for access.

Traffic volumes on 17 are very much in the range of warranting limited access and interchanges.  While I can sympathize with the businesses in the way, they should not stand in the way of warranted roadway improvements.  There also appears to be nearby locations that those restaurants could be relocated to.

Sounds like NCDOT needs to find another route or just leave it alone in this case.

I don't see why an interchange is needed on the current route. That stretch needs a full relocation, similar to the proposed Carolina Bays Pkwy south of this location, all the way to Wilmington. Any interchange should be on that new freeway, not the existing route. Until any freeway gets built, interim solutions should be constructed instead.

[wdcrft63]

^ Probably cheaper to buy those properties out than to build the retaining walls and drainage basins necessary for a tight diamond.  And even if they did go with a tight diamond to reduce right-of-way needs, McD's and Bojangles would need some sort of backage road for access.

Traffic volumes on 17 are very much in the range of warranting limited access and interchanges.  While I can sympathize with the businesses in the way, they should not stand in the way of warranted roadway improvements.  There also appears to be nearby locations that those restaurants could be relocated to.

Sounds like NCDOT needs to find another route or just leave it alone in this case.

I don't see why an interchange is needed on the current route. That stretch needs a full relocation, similar to the proposed Carolina Bays Pkwy south of this location, all the way to Wilmington. Any interchange should be on that new freeway, not the existing route. Until any freeway gets built, interim solutions should be constructed instead.

I agree. Building this interchange is proof that NCDOT is not thinking of converting all of US 17 to a freeway.