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The "Future" I-26 is arriving finally

Started by edwaleni, December 06, 2020, 09:49:16 PM

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codyg1985

Quote from: silverback1065 on December 13, 2020, 09:48:06 PM
is it supposed to go further north than tennessee?

There are no plans that I am aware of to extend I-26 north or west past its current western terminus. The US 23 divided highway north of there works pretty well.
Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States


hbelkins

Quote from: codyg1985 on December 14, 2020, 01:17:48 PM
Quote from: silverback1065 on December 13, 2020, 09:48:06 PM
is it supposed to go further north than tennessee?

There are no plans that I am aware of to extend I-26 north or west past its current western terminus. The US 23 divided highway north of there works pretty well.

Seems like I've heard scuttlebutt in the past of a plan to bypass the Weber City area of US 23 immediately north of the state line. That section, Wise, Pikeville, and the Harold/Betsy Layne area of southern Floyd County are really the only slowdowns along the route between the Tennessee/Virginia state line and I-64. The problem is getting the road across the mountain where the current US 23 runs through a gap just north of the US 58/421 intersection and the business route at Gate City.

As for an alternative north-south number for I-26, it would be out of the grid, but I-73 would fit that corridor a lot better than what's currently being built as I-73 in North Carolina.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

wdcrft63

Quote from: hbelkins on December 14, 2020, 05:00:10 PM
Quote from: codyg1985 on December 14, 2020, 01:17:48 PM
Quote from: silverback1065 on December 13, 2020, 09:48:06 PM
is it supposed to go further north than tennessee?

There are no plans that I am aware of to extend I-26 north or west past its current western terminus. The US 23 divided highway north of there works pretty well.

Seems like I've heard scuttlebutt in the past of a plan to bypass the Weber City area of US 23 immediately north of the state line. That section, Wise, Pikeville, and the Harold/Betsy Layne area of southern Floyd County are really the only slowdowns along the route between the Tennessee/Virginia state line and I-64. The problem is getting the road across the mountain where the current US 23 runs through a gap just north of the US 58/421 intersection and the business route at Gate City.

As for an alternative north-south number for I-26, it would be out of the grid, but I-73 would fit that corridor a lot better than what's currently being built as I-73 in North Carolina.
I'm afraid there's not much interest in the grid outside of this Forum and other places road geeks might gather. Drivers don't care about the number choices: what they care about is proper and non-confusing signage.

The Ghostbuster

I know this is a Fictional Highways question, but where would you extend Interstate 26 silverback1065? My ludicrous answer would be all the way to Interstate 75 in Flint, Michigan.

silverback1065

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on December 14, 2020, 06:44:34 PM
I know this is a Fictional Highways question, but where would you extend Interstate 26 silverback1065? My ludicrous answer would be all the way to Interstate 75 in Flint, Michigan.

If money were no object, i-270 in Columbus, ohio

Dirt Roads


Quote from: The Ghostbuster on December 14, 2020, 06:44:34 PM
I know this is a Fictional Highways question, but where would you extend Interstate 26 silverback1065? My ludicrous answer would be all the way to Interstate 75 in Flint, Michigan.

Quote from: silverback1065 on December 14, 2020, 07:17:54 PM
If money were no object, i-270 in Columbus, ohio

Yes, but this would still end at fictional I-73 in either Ashland or Chillicothe, depending on which way the wind blows.

wriddle082

Quote from: hbelkins on December 14, 2020, 05:00:10 PM
Quote from: codyg1985 on December 14, 2020, 01:17:48 PM
Quote from: silverback1065 on December 13, 2020, 09:48:06 PM
is it supposed to go further north than tennessee?

There are no plans that I am aware of to extend I-26 north or west past its current western terminus. The US 23 divided highway north of there works pretty well.

Seems like I've heard scuttlebutt in the past of a plan to bypass the Weber City area of US 23 immediately north of the state line. That section, Wise, Pikeville, and the Harold/Betsy Layne area of southern Floyd County are really the only slowdowns along the route between the Tennessee/Virginia state line and I-64. The problem is getting the road across the mountain where the current US 23 runs through a gap just north of the US 58/421 intersection and the business route at Gate City.

As for an alternative north-south number for I-26, it would be out of the grid, but I-73 would fit that corridor a lot better than what's currently being built as I-73 in North Carolina.

I had always envisioned I-26 eventually following the Mountain Pkwy and ending at I-64 in Winchester.  Would give it a little more of a legit E-W section at one end at least.  Plus I think the current US 23 from Prestonsburg north will still suffice for the years to come.  But if anything were built north of Prestonsburg, it would definitely have to connect to I-64 at the current KY 67 interchange which was built for bigger and better things, and would have to cross the river to hit I-73/74 in OH.


cowboy_wilhelm

Here's the latest project breakdown map for the now unfunded project A-0010, which will upgrade the stretch of "Future" I-26 to Interstate standards north of Asheville. Note this also proposes widening, hence the $250 million price tag for right-of-way and construction for the three sections. NCDOT's project page still shows the project being let in 2020.  :rolleyes:

silverback1065


hbelkins

Quote from: wriddle082 on December 14, 2020, 08:51:26 PM
I had always envisioned I-26 eventually following the Mountain Pkwy and ending at I-64 in Winchester.  Would give it a little more of a legit E-W section at one end at least.  Plus I think the current US 23 from Prestonsburg north will still suffice for the years to come.  But if anything were built north of Prestonsburg, it would definitely have to connect to I-64 at the current KY 67 interchange which was built for bigger and better things, and would have to cross the river to hit I-73/74 in OH.

There's actually a proposal on the books to extend KY 67 from I-64 to US 23 at the KY 645 intersection between Paintsville and Louisa. It would obviously have to be built in stages.

https://transportation.ky.gov/Planning/Pages/Project-Details.aspx?Project=Ky%20-%20645%20Regional%20Corridor%20Study


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Roadgeekteen

God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

sprjus4

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 01, 2021, 01:15:10 PM
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8336756,-89.6657447,5z
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.6705412,-82.5871167,12z

Google Maps has completed it for NCDOT  :-D
It's been marked forever now... it's signed on the ground as "Future I-26" using typical interstate shields.

It's not "officially" I-26, but for continuity sakes, it is.


tolbs17


sprjus4


SkyPesos

Quote from: tolbs17 on July 01, 2021, 02:36:30 PM
Same thing with I-73?
Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.

Henry

Quote from: SkyPesos on July 01, 2021, 05:37:55 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on July 01, 2021, 02:36:30 PM
Same thing with I-73?
Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.
Ditto for I-74, except only OH and WV would've been involved in this case.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

Strider

Quote from: SkyPesos on July 01, 2021, 05:37:55 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on July 01, 2021, 02:36:30 PM
Same thing with I-73?
Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.


MI and OH, yes. They don't have I-73 in their plans.

As of WV, you're wrong. They're trying to revive I-73 project.

SkyPesos

Quote from: Strider on July 02, 2021, 03:03:28 PM
Quote from: SkyPesos on July 01, 2021, 05:37:55 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on July 01, 2021, 02:36:30 PM
Same thing with I-73?
Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.


MI and OH, yes. They don't have I-73 in their plans.

As of WV, you're wrong. They're trying to revive I-73 project.
Someone tell WV to stop trying then. :sombrero: Them finishing their last 4 lane section of US 35 would help Midwest-Carolinas traffic more than I-73 could dream of.

sprjus4

They want to build the I-73 / I-74 corridor in West Virginia as a typical four lane 65 mph divided highway, per West Virginia's standard, not to interstate standards.

hbelkins

Quote from: Strider on July 02, 2021, 03:03:28 PM
Quote from: SkyPesos on July 01, 2021, 05:37:55 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on July 01, 2021, 02:36:30 PM
Same thing with I-73?
Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.


MI and OH, yes. They don't have I-73 in their plans.

As of WV, you're wrong. They're trying to revive I-73 project.

Quote from: sprjus4 on July 02, 2021, 03:18:31 PM
They want to build the I-73 / I-74 corridor in West Virginia as a typical four lane 65 mph divided highway, per West Virginia's standard, not to interstate standards.

Thank you for clearing this up. And even what they propose -- four-laning the entirety of US 52 -- is simply not going to happen.

They have the grade done for a bypass of Crum, and there hasn't even been any effort to try to make that the mainline of US 52. From what I understand, the extension of the King Coal Highway from US 460 to WV 123 is as far as the project is going to go for the foreseeable future.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

cowboy_wilhelm

The I-26 connector is finally starting this year. The first sections (B and D) are scheduled to be let next month (2/20/2024) as a design-build project. This means there will be several months of ongoing engineering work and right-of-way acquisition before any construction starts. Section B will construct the new bridges for I-26 and I-240 across the French Broad River.

Additional improvements are scheduled to be let in April (section AB) for a new ramp from I-40 westbound to U.S. 19/23 northbound (Smokey Park Hwy.) and widening the I-40 EB to I-26 EB ramp to two lanes.

The widening of I-240 (section AC) between I-26/I-40 and section B at Patton Ave. is not scheduled to be let until November.

Final improvements at the I-26/I-40/I-240 interchange are currently not scheduled for construction before 2029.

Upgrading "future" I-26 to interstate standards north of Asheville has been delayed to 2031 and beyond.

The Ghostbuster

Interstate 240 should have been upgraded to Interstate Standards when it was designated in 1980. They also should have eliminated the left-hand exits. This current upgrade is definitely an improvement, but it would have been nice if it had come sooner.

Great Lakes Roads

Quote from: cowboy_wilhelm on January 24, 2024, 10:50:42 AM
The I-26 connector is finally starting this year. The first sections (B and D) are scheduled to be let next month (2/20/2024) as a design-build project. This means there will be several months of ongoing engineering work and right-of-way acquisition before any construction starts. Section B will construct the new bridges for I-26 and I-240 across the French Broad River.

Additional improvements are scheduled to be let in April (section AB) for a new ramp from I-40 westbound to U.S. 19/23 northbound (Smokey Park Hwy.) and widening the I-40 EB to I-26 EB ramp to two lanes.

The widening of I-240 (section AC) between I-26/I-40 and section B at Patton Ave. is not scheduled to be let until November.

Final improvements at the I-26/I-40/I-240 interchange are currently not scheduled for construction before 2029.

Upgrading "future" I-26 to interstate standards north of Asheville has been delayed to 2031 and beyond.

IT'S :clap: ABOUT :clap: TIME! :clap:

lordsutch

Quote from: fillup420 on December 13, 2020, 01:26:08 PM
I think the reason 85 and 26 are numbered as such has to do with the coastline. It is common to think of the east coast as running north-south, despite that not always being the case. So the highways are numbered according to how they run relative to the coast. I-85 roughly parallels the east coast from I-95 to Atlanta, and I-26 runs perpendicular to it, especially in SC. I may be talking out my ass but it helps the numbers make more sense to me.

Probably also that they more-or-less replaced U.S. routes with the same cardinal directions. I-85 is mostly parallel to US 29 (and then US 1), while I-26 mostly parallels US 176. There aren't that many cases where a N-S interstate "replaced" an E-W U.S. route or vice versa for a substantial share of its length.

cowboy_wilhelm

Here's a video from the NCDOT explaining and visualizing the $1 billion+ project.



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