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Was there an I-95 Business Loop in NC?

Started by ixnay, December 01, 2015, 07:55:14 PM

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ixnay

I seem to remember seeing on maps from the '80s(?) and/or '90s showing Business Loop (I-)95 that ran concurrent with U.S. 301 through Rocky Mount and Wilson.  That loop no longer appears in recent Rand McNally atlases.

Wasn't there a website called nchighways.com or ncroads.com that told the history of Tarheel State roads with plenty of old maps?  The domains are up for grabs now, so those sites may have gone dark.

Help!

ixnay
The Washington/Baltimore/Arlington CSA has two Key Bridges, a Minnesota Avenue, and a Mannasota Avenue.


froggie

http://www.vahighways.com/ncannex/route-log/index.html

Current home for what used to be on ncroads.com (which actually went defunct years ago), and updated by Mapmikey considerably since then.

You are correct in that there used to be a Business Loop 95 through Wilson and Rocky Mount.  It ran from Kenly, along US 301, to today's NC 4 and back to I-95.  It existed from 1978 to 1986.

wriddle082

Quote from: froggie on December 01, 2015, 08:21:29 PM
http://www.vahighways.com/ncannex/route-log/index.html

Current home for what used to be on ncroads.com (which actually went defunct years ago), and updated by Mapmikey considerably since then.

You are correct in that there used to be a Business Loop 95 through Wilson and Rocky Mount.  It ran from Kenly, along US 301, to today's NC 4 and back to I-95.  It existed from 1978 to 1986.

Did I-95 north of Kenly open up around 1978 or not long before?  The Business Loop route could have been put in place to help out the cities that the new 95 bypassed, since they likely relied on US 301 commerce.

froggie

That I-95 section is shown as open in the 1979 map, so it presumably opened in 1978.

roadman65

I do remember the green shields were up prior to the opening.  My family used to travel to Florida every Summer in the 70's and I do remember seeing them along US 301, before the freeway from Kenly to Gold Rock opened.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

ixnay

Thanks, Froggie.

Banter about green-sign interstate loops on pages 83 and 84 of http://506sports.com/forum/index.php?topic=3523.2050 (registration required to see *all* the boards on that site, not just a couple of boards like this site) inspired my question.  Yes, I use my aaroads.com handle on there.

ixnay
The Washington/Baltimore/Arlington CSA has two Key Bridges, a Minnesota Avenue, and a Mannasota Avenue.

Alex



An excerpt from the NC Official Highway Map showing the defunct Business Loop.

There was a label scar from when BL I-95 was posted on the guide sign for US 301 Bypass on the US 64 freeway eastbound through Rocky Mount.

Mapmikey

There is also a label scar on I-95 NB at US 301 Kenly - https://goo.gl/maps/BbGmcBw6Cz22 (this was still there in Nov 2015).


Mike

CanesFan27

Quote from: froggie on December 01, 2015, 10:17:06 PM
That I-95 section is shown as open in the 1979 map, so it presumably opened in 1978.

November 21, 1978 to be exact.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=100.msg2046523#msg2046523

The signs on 64 in Rocky Mount have been replaced.  A direct shot Alex took in 2001 can be found here.

http://www.gribblenation.com/ncpics/subs/bypass-301.jpg

ixnay

I like that term... "label scar".  Thanks for the help, folks.

ixnay

The Washington/Baltimore/Arlington CSA has two Key Bridges, a Minnesota Avenue, and a Mannasota Avenue.

roadman65

I like how this map shows US 70 going through Smithfield on what is now US 70 Business.  Just as I remember this as a child seeing US 70 Alternate go through Selma on what is now US 70 mainline.

Anyway, yes I saw that label scar myself on GSV and passing there several years ago along US 64.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

cpzilliacus

Quote from: wriddle082 on December 01, 2015, 10:09:05 PM
Quote from: froggie on December 01, 2015, 08:21:29 PM
http://www.vahighways.com/ncannex/route-log/index.html

Current home for what used to be on ncroads.com (which actually went defunct years ago), and updated by Mapmikey considerably since then.

You are correct in that there used to be a Business Loop 95 through Wilson and Rocky Mount.  It ran from Kenly, along US 301, to today's NC 4 and back to I-95.  It existed from 1978 to 1986.

Did I-95 north of Kenly open up around 1978 or not long before?  The Business Loop route could have been put in place to help out the cities that the new 95 bypassed, since they likely relied on US 301 commerce.

I recall the Business 95 signs being there when I drove it for the first time in 1985.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

The Ghostbuster

Was the Business 95 designation even necessary? Couldn't the route have remained solely US 301?

cpzilliacus

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on January 29, 2016, 04:56:41 PM
Was the Business 95 designation even necessary? Couldn't the route have remained solely US 301?

U.S. 301 carried all or nearly all of that traffic prior to completion of I-95 around Wilson, and presumably the Business 95 signage was to encourage some of that traffic to use U.S. 301 to stop and spend some money.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

OracleUsr

I remember the Wilson/Weldon signs on what is now Alt 64 in Rocky Mount for Bus I-95/US 301 at the KMart.  Hard to miss that.
Anti-center-tabbing, anti-sequential-numbering, anti-Clearview BGS FAN

Avalanchez71

What was the rationale used to decommission the route?

bugo

I'm assuming that BL 95 followed the Rocky Mount bypass instead of the old route through town.

Mapmikey

Quote from: bugo on April 23, 2019, 05:05:00 AM
I'm assuming that BL 95 followed the Rocky Mount bypass instead of the old route through town.

This is correct.

The NCDOT route change document didn't go into why the designation was dropped.

It could be that Wilson wanted less traffic using 301. A different thought is that once you get on 301 at Kenly you have to pretty much go all the way to at least Wilson to get back to 95 which makes its utility as a business route questionable.

roadman65

#18
The fact is that the overhead northbound at Kenly is left over from when there was indeed a business loop.  It was placed at both ends to give a driver the illusion that the road split into business and bypass.
https://goo.gl/maps/jr3u64E6ryQomKkW9  you can see the large panel that is for Exit 107 that once sported three control cities and more shields.

Rocky Mount was used as a third control city in addition to what is there now which is Kenly and Wilson.  Even at Gold Rock the SB exit guide for Exit 145 used Rocky Mount, Wilson, and Kenly just to let motorists know that the loop serves all three.  Though Kenly I think was a waste as to use the long loop to go there over the more fast route by using the freeway to the other end of the loop was ridiculous.

In essence if the Kenly interchange were opened for the first time today the overhead would not be an option for I-95 N Bound.  The Gold Rock SB I imagine would as well.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

roadman65

I also remember that when I-95 opened to traffic in 1978, the interchanges were not yet developed so motorists services from Gold Rock to Kenly were limited and if you did exit the interstate like at US 264 or US 64 you would have to trek over to US 301 anyhow for services.

Now with many gas, food, and lodging built on I-95 the need for directing motorists to use the business loop was no longer needed so it might be why NCDOT removed the designation.

I do remember also that a blue sign at both ends of the loop denoting how many fuel stations, restaurants, and motels were on the route between end points.  I remember how there was mentioned 39 motels between Gold Rock and Kenly as that shocked my parents whenever we drove to Florida.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Mapmikey

Quote from: roadman65 on April 23, 2019, 11:48:27 PM

Now with many gas, food, and lodging built on I-95 the need for directing motorists to use the business loop was no longer needed so it might be why NCDOT removed the designation.


Per the 1993 historic Aerials view, there were essentially zero services on I-95 between Exit 107 and Exit 145, several years after the 95 Business designation was dropped. 

Even today the only exit with truly plentiful services is Exit 121 (US 264 ALT) which started to have businesses between 1994-98.  NC 42 and NC 43 exits have a couple gas stations but the rest of the exits still have nothing at them.

Kenly is still mentioned on NC 4 leaving I-95 - https://goo.gl/maps/8gujMYi31AWkE3bQ9

D-Dey65

Quote from: Mapmikey on April 24, 2019, 06:41:32 AM
Kenly is still mentioned on NC 4 leaving I-95 - https://goo.gl/maps/8gujMYi31AWkE3bQ9
Holy Crap! I walk from that hotel across the street to the Denny's along the frontage road every time I'm there, and I've never even noticed this!

Avalanchez71

I could not convince my parents to take green 95 back in the day.

tolbs17

And once you get off I-95, You can still see all 3 control cities on this sign.

Takumi

Quote from: D-Dey65 on September 29, 2019, 12:37:15 PM
Quote from: Mapmikey on April 24, 2019, 06:41:32 AM
Kenly is still mentioned on NC 4 leaving I-95 - https://goo.gl/maps/8gujMYi31AWkE3bQ9
Holy Crap! I walk from that hotel across the street to the Denny's along the frontage road every time I'm there, and I've never even noticed this!
I passed by there stopping for gas returning from Greenville earlier this year. Never even registered with me.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
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Don't @ me. Seriously.



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