National Boards > General Highway Talk
Rural Freeways That Need Six Lanes
1995hoo:
In South Carolina, I-95 between I-26 and the Georgia state line is well-known to need widening. I'm not motivated enough to look up the traffic counts. While the other four-lane portions need widening too, the heavy traffic and resulting congestion seem noticeably worse south of I-26.
kphoger:
--- Quote from: webny99 on January 01, 2019, 12:58:05 PM ---Please include traffic volume counts (AADT) with your submissions if possible
--- End quote ---
It was worth a shot. It really was.
webny99:
--- Quote from: 1995hoo on January 01, 2019, 02:46:56 PM ---In South Carolina, I-95 between I-26 and the Georgia state line is well-known to need widening. I'm not motivated enough to look up the traffic counts. While the other four-lane portions need widening too, the heavy traffic and resulting congestion seem noticeably worse south of I-26.
--- End quote ---
South Carolina's TDV is actually quite user-friendly. Volumes are 43,400 immediately south of I-26, and sustained above 40K all the way to the Georgia line. The bridge into Georgia actually carries 55,300.
North of I-26, volumes are lower, generally in the mid-30K's, but still six-lane territory by my standards. Of course, there's another spike north of I-20 - up to 54,100 - but that's already six-laned. Wouldn't hurt to continue the six-laning to the NC border, either.
webny99:
--- Quote from: kphoger on January 01, 2019, 04:19:22 PM ---
--- Quote from: webny99 on January 01, 2019, 12:58:05 PM ---Please include traffic volume counts (AADT) with your submissions if possible
--- End quote ---
It was worth a shot. It really was.
--- End quote ---
:pan:
Well, I guess I'll find the counts myself (the ones I care about, anyways!)
froggie:
--- Quote from: 1995hoo on January 01, 2019, 02:46:56 PM ---In South Carolina, I-95 between I-26 and the Georgia state line is well-known to need widening. I'm not motivated enough to look up the traffic counts. While the other four-lane portions need widening too, the heavy traffic and resulting congestion seem noticeably worse south of I-26.
--- End quote ---
You may or may not recall that I did an analysis of I-95 in the Carolinas and south of Petersburg a couple years ago. Widening is very warranted from the Georgia line up to US 17/Exit 33 and again near I-26, but from Yemassee to north of Walterboro less so.
And a note on what "needs widening". FHWA generally considers LOS D the threshold at which improvements (including widening) become warranted, though freeways will still flow even at LOS D. For most rural freeway sections, that roughly translates into a daily vehicle volume around or north of 40K. Lower vehicle thresholds will exist for segments with more trucks, more of a directional split, or more recreational traffic as opposed to commuter traffic. For I-95 through the Carolinas and southern Virginia, that threshold was in the neighborhood of 48K.
But even going with 40K as a base threshold, most of the segments already mentioned would meet that.
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