North Carolina

[CanesFan27]

Quick Question.
When I-87 is designated, will I-495 be decommissioned or become an unsigned designation?

Decommissioned

[Interstate 69 Fan]

Quick Question.
When I-87 is designated, will I-495 be decommissioned or become an unsigned designation?

Decommissioned

Thanks.

[froggie]

Did you look in other threads for the answer?

Guessing no...

[NJRoadfan]

NC-540 is getting a new interchange at Old Holly Springs-Apex Rd. Maybe they should have thought of it when they built the highway 4 years ago .

[orulz]

It is also getting an interchange at Morrisville Parkway, which was part of the plan from the beginning. In an unusual case of foresight, they even incorporated a bridge for Morrisville Parkway in the initial construction even though the road itself isn't even connected through there yet. But for some reason they saw fit to build only a two lane bridge... Sigh.

[CanesFan27]

One of the more unique features of North Carolina are the three remaining cable pulled river ferries.  The ferry crossings at each of these three locations are each over 100 years old and have a unique history and connection to the communities that surround them. On the old All Things NC! website I was able to feature the Elwell Ferry in the Southeastern part of the state.  I never got around to doing features on the other two (Sans Souci and Parker's) until now.  I have them up on my Carolina Crossroads blog:

Elwell Ferry:
http://carolinaxroads.blogspot.com/2016/07/elwell-ferry.html

Sans Souci Ferry - located in Bertie County:
http://carolinaxroads.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-second-cable-ferry-in-north.html

Parker's Ferry - located in Hertford County:
http://carolinaxroads.blogspot.com/2017/01/parkers-ferry.html

All three ferries are free and if you live in NC or Southeastern Virginia - they are worth the day trip to check out.

[LM117]

The toll rate on NC-540 increased as of yesterday.

http://www.wral.com/new-laws-bring-residents-to-nc-increase-tolls/16391263/

Drivers traveling on the Triangle Expressway will be paying more beginning Sunday, as the toll rate increased 3.5 percent.

A person traveling the entire distance of the toll road, about 17 miles, will pay $3.13, up 9 cents from the previous total. Customers paying through bill-by-mail will pay $4.81, an increase of 16 cents.

Money from tolling is used to pay bonds sold to fund the highway as well as maintenance.

[LM117]

The I-40 Fortify project through Raleigh is supposed to be finished by the summer.

http://www.wral.com/i-40-construction-through-raleigh-should-finish-by-summer/16397042/

After about three-and-a-half years of work, the Fortify project, repairing and rebuilding travel lanes across 11.5 miles of major highway just south of downtown Raleigh, is nearing an end.

Since the summer of 2013, commuters have dealt with narrowed and shifting lanes, limited space on the shoulder and the risk that a minor fender bender could prompt a major backup.

"It is horrible," said Shabrittany Dowtin. "I almost get into a car accident every morning."

Dowtin says her Interstate 40 commute is a tight, twisted squeeze.

"I cannot merge over, and I am tired of this construction," she said.

She'll welcome the end of the road work that Steve Abbott, spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said is in sight.

Through the rest of the winter months, crews will be working in the outside lanes of Interstate 40 through Raleigh. Drivers can expect intermittent ramp closures, Abbott said.

After that, it won't take long.

"We think you'll be back on the full road in the late spring or early summer," Abbott said.

After all lanes are open, crews will go back and add a final layer of fresh pavement. They'll do that work overnight, when fewer drivers are on the road.

Dowtin is counting down the months to a smoother ride.

After the Fortify project is complete, the DOT will turn to other big projects. In 2018, work could begin on widening I-40 through Garner and also on widening Interstate 440 in west Raleigh.

That western section of I-440 needs to be next. It needs widening in the worst way and it doesn't even meet current interstate standards.

[orulz]

Both the I-440 beltline in West Raleigh and I-40 in Garner are big bottlenecks. No updates to the NCDOT website for the 440 project since the alternatives were posted in late 2014 over 2 years ago. There were some things in the plan that I liked (Converting the 440/Wade interchange to have high speed flyovers,  braided ramps in multiple places), and others that I did not like (DDI at Western Blvd - with the new BRT plan for Raleigh, the K-Mart will be one of the best redevelopment sites in the city, and DDIs are far too pedestrian-hostile.)

They were also considering daylighting Walnut Creek near Lake Johnson, depending on the results of a hydrological study. Not sure what came of it, but it if so it would be great for greenway connectivity between Raleigh and Cary. I also made a comment that they should include a greenway along the east side of it connecting from Lake Johnson at least as far as Western Blvd and possibly as far as the Reed Creek greenway on the campus of Meredith College. Such a greenway is in the City of Raleigh's master plan. I would expect the City to pay at least some extra for this betterment, but building it at the same time as the highway would certainly make it less expensive and allow for a better design.

[NJRoadfan]

That section of I-440 reminds me of a NYC Parkway every time I drive it. Whats amusing is that various signs for Exit 2 have been missing for years and nobody seems to get around to replacing them. I'm actually surprised there are crosswalks in the Western Blvd. interchange, seems dangerous given the lack of sight lines for exiting traffic off of I-440.

[broadhurst04]

The I-40 Fortify project through Raleigh is supposed to be finished by the summer.

http://www.wral.com/i-40-construction-through-raleigh-should-finish-by-summer/16397042/

After about three-and-a-half years of work, the Fortify project, repairing and rebuilding travel lanes across 11.5 miles of major highway just south of downtown Raleigh, is nearing an end.

Since the summer of 2013, commuters have dealt with narrowed and shifting lanes, limited space on the shoulder and the risk that a minor fender bender could prompt a major backup.

"It is horrible," said Shabrittany Dowtin. "I almost get into a car accident every morning."

Dowtin says her Interstate 40 commute is a tight, twisted squeeze.

"I cannot merge over, and I am tired of this construction," she said.

She'll welcome the end of the road work that Steve Abbott, spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said is in sight.

Through the rest of the winter months, crews will be working in the outside lanes of Interstate 40 through Raleigh. Drivers can expect intermittent ramp closures, Abbott said.

After that, it won't take long.

"We think you'll be back on the full road in the late spring or early summer," Abbott said.

After all lanes are open, crews will go back and add a final layer of fresh pavement. They'll do that work overnight, when fewer drivers are on the road.

Dowtin is counting down the months to a smoother ride.

After the Fortify project is complete, the DOT will turn to other big projects. In 2018, work could begin on widening I-40 through Garner and also on widening Interstate 440 in west Raleigh.

That western section of I-440 needs to be next. It needs widening in the worst way and it doesn't even meet current interstate standards.

That part of 440 was never designed as an Interstate to begin with. It was originally built as a US 1 bypass of Raleigh in the early 1960s. Good thing NCDOT applied for the Interstate designation years ago. If they tried it now, it would have to be labeled "Future" until upgrades were completed.

[LM117]

Gov. Roy Cooper has named Jim Trogdon as the new NCDOT secretary.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/gov-roy-cooper-names-ncdot-environmental-secretaries/480886848

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has announced two more cabinet appointments as he builds his team to lead the state over the next four years.

He named Jim Trogdon as North Carolina Department of Transportation secretary, a high-profile role because of the controversy surrounding the I-77 toll lanes between Mooresville and Charlotte.

Trogdon served as the chief operating officer for the DOT before his retirement in 2013 and as director of strategic transportation planning for the North Carolina General Assembly.

He helped to drive several major initiatives during his time at the state DOT, which included reshaping the department's funding formula to a more data-driven approach to create more jobs and make better use of existing funds during the 2013 legislative session.

"Jim Trogdon knows North Carolina's transportation successes and challenges better than anyone, and he will bring technical know-how and smart solutions to the job,"  Cooper said. "Our state's growing population and business climate need good roads and smart mass transit, and he will lead the way."

Trogdon's most recent role was serving as national transportation director for SAS.

Ties to tolls

After stepping down from NCDOT in 2013, Trogdon joined Atkins as vice president of regional business development and sales for the U. S. mid-Atlantic region.

Atkins is an engineering firm that works with P3 projects- public and private partnerships to build things like toll lanes.

Atkins has close ties with Cintra, the group has worked on the Port Mann Bridge/Highway in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Texas State Highway 130 (SH 130) in Austin, Texas.

SH 130 Concession Company, a subsidiary of Cintra, recently declared bankruptcy on its toll lane project, a project similar to the I-77 Express Lanes in Lake Norman.

While serving with Atkins, Trogdon penned an article called "To Toll or Not To Toll."

"Tolling appears superior to all other options," Trogdon argues. "Degraded trip reliability, congestion and lost productivity appear more costly than tolls. In short, tolling proved beneficial to those who value their time."

Trogdon formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Alliance of Toll Interoperability. The North Carolina Toll Authority is a member of ATI.

Trogden has spoken at conferences held by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association. The IBTTA calls itself an "alliance of toll operators and associated industries." He also previously served on the IBTTA's board of directors.

Widen I-77 responds

Trogdon has a history with anti-toll group Widen I-77.

In 2013 when the toll battle was beginning, Trogdon and Widen I-77 leader Kurt Naas exchanged a series of emails.

Naas emailed Trogdon about comments Trogdon made at a public information session in Huntersville. In an email back to Naas, Trogdon discussed his support of toll lanes on all NC interstates.

"My perspective on why express lanes should be, how we add future capacity to all our interstates is founded on a strategic view of population growth and the reality of declining revenue over the next two to three decades with the status quo approach," he wrote.

Naas told Channel 9 he is disappointed with Cooper's selection but hopes Trogdon's opinion on the I-77 project has evolved since 2013.

"We hope that he's had a chance to look at this contract, see how it doesn't work for the residents of this area and reconsider his position," Naas said.

Naas said he looks forward to working with Trogdon. He's encouraging toll opponents to continue to put pressure on Governor Cooper to cancel the contract.

Cooper's team responds

In response to questions from Eyewitness News Reporter Joe Bruno, a spokesperson for Cooper said Trogdon will serve at the pleasure of the governor.

The spokesperson said as Attorney General, Cooper repeatedly said he would not have signed the contract.

When asked if Cooper's position on I-77 tolls has changed, the spokesperson responded, "No."

[bob7374]

NCDOT has released its Draft 2017-2027 State TIP:
https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=13426

One interesting thing I found is that two projects announced last year that they would get funding and proceed in 2022, the upgrade of US 74 to interstate standards between Rockingham and Laurinburg and the start of construction of the rest of the I-73/74 Rockingham Bypass, are not listed as such. The first is only listed as a feasibility study and the other is listed as unfunded after 2027.

[mvak36]

NCDOT has released its Draft 2017-2027 State TIP:
https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=13426

One interesting thing I found is that two projects announced last year that they would get funding and proceed in 2022, the upgrade of US 74 to interstate standards between Rockingham and Laurinburg and the start of construction of the rest of the I-73/74 Rockingham Bypass, are not listed as such. The first is only listed as a feasibility study and the other is listed as unfunded after 2027.

According to this, On Page 11 for the Rockingham Bypass it says "BASED ON RESULTS OF P4.0, RIGHT OF WAY AND CONSTRUCTION FOR SEGMENT "A" DELAYED FROM FY 22 TO UNFUNDED"

[Mapmikey]

NCDOT has released its Draft 2017-2027 State TIP:
https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=13426

One interesting thing I found is that two projects announced last year that they would get funding and proceed in 2022, the upgrade of US 74 to interstate standards between Rockingham and Laurinburg and the start of construction of the rest of the I-73/74 Rockingham Bypass, are not listed as such. The first is only listed as a feasibility study and the other is listed as unfunded after 2027.

Other items of note:

Added was widening of US 17 between NC 171 and where the 4-lane ends south of Williamston, construction starts in 2022
Widening of US 158 between NC 34 and NC 168, construction starts 2025
New route from the I-95/NC 46 interchange east and incorporating into a US 158 BYpass of Jackson, construction starts in 2020
Convert two at-grades to interchanges on US 17 in Perquimans Co; construction starts 2025
US 70 new freeway from La Grange to Dover, Segment C; construction starts 2025
US 70 convert to Freeway from SR 1124 Grantham Rd to Havelock Bypass location; construction starts 2027
US 70 convert to interchange: JIM SUTTON ROAD/WILLIE MEASLEY ROAD in Lenoir Co; construction starts 2025
NC 11 upgrade to interstate standard from SW Greenville Bypass to proposed NC 148 location; ROW in 2027
US 17 Hampstead Bypass Segment B; construction starts 2021
US 17 at NC 211 interchange; construction starts 2026
US 17 at north end of Jacksonville bypass, partial interchange with 17 Bus; construction starts 2026
I-95 at US 70 Bus upgrade interchange; construction starts 2019
I-95 at US 701/NC 96 interchange rebuild; ROW in 2026
NC 540 from US 401 to I-40 construction moved up to 2020
NC 540 from I-40 to US 64/264; construction starts 2027
US 117 new route and interchange LEE'S COUNTRY CLUB ROAD TO OLD SMITH CHAPEL ROAD; construction starts 2026
US 70 upgrade to freeway from US 70 Byp Goldsboro to SR 1229; construction starts 2026
I-40 6-laning from I-85 to NC 147 Segment A delayed past 2027; segment AC construction starts 2023
I-40 managed lanes from US 15/501 to Wade Ave Segment A delayed to construction starts 2026; segment B ROW delayed past 2027
I-40/US 1-64 interchange rebuild construction starts 2022
NC 540 from NC 55 to US 401 delayed to 2020
Widen NC 87 from Elizabethtown to US 74-76; construction starts 2027
New interchanges for US 74 in Columbus Co: BOardman Rd; Old Lake Rd; Chauncy Town Rd; construction starts 2025
Spring Lake Bypass moved up to 2023
I-85 new interchange with SR 1113 High Point delayed past 2027
Death valley Improvements in Greensboro; construction starts 2024
I-40 new interchange with Macy Grove Rd in Guilford Co; construction starts 2026
widen US 64 from I-85 to Asheboro, segments CA and DA; construction starts 2027
widen NC 24-27 from NC 73 to Troy; construction starts 2022
widen US 15-501 from Laurinburg to US 1; construction starts 2027
Superstreeting US 1-15-501 in Sanford area; construction starts 2026
widen US 15-401 from Laurinburg to SC; construction starts 2027
rerouting US 1 in Rockingham; construction starts 2024
NC 452 segment EA starts 2024; segments B, CA, CB, D starts 2027
I-77 managed lanes from I-485 to I-277 segments A, B, E moved up to 2027
US 74 managed lanes from Outer Loop to Idlewild moved up to 2020
Wilkesboro/N Wilkesboro Bypass (new route) from NC 18 to US 421; construction starts 2025
I-85 8-laning from US 321 to NC 273 moved up to 2021
I-77 new interchange at Cornelius Rd; construction starts 2024
US 74 new Shelby Bypass, segments D and E construction starts 2021
I-26 Connector - segments moved up to 2020
US 74 Corridor K delayed to past 2027
widen US 64 from NC 141 to Hayesville; ROW in 2025

[mvak36]

NCDOT has released its Draft 2017-2027 State TIP:
https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=13426

One interesting thing I found is that two projects announced last year that they would get funding and proceed in 2022, the upgrade of US 74 to interstate standards between Rockingham and Laurinburg and the start of construction of the rest of the I-73/74 Rockingham Bypass, are not listed as such. The first is only listed as a feasibility study and the other is listed as unfunded after 2027.

Other items of note:

Added was widening of US 17 between NC 171 and where the 4-lane ends south of Williamston, construction starts in 2022
Widening of US 158 between NC 34 and NC 168, construction starts 2025
New route from the I-95/NC 46 interchange east and incorporating into a US 158 BYpass of Jackson, construction starts in 2020
Convert two at-grades to interchanges on US 17 in Perquimans Co; construction starts 2025
US 70 new freeway from La Grange to Dover, Segment C; construction starts 2025
US 70 convert to Freeway from SR 1124 Grantham Rd to Havelock Bypass location; construction starts 2027
US 70 convert to interchange: JIM SUTTON ROAD/WILLIE MEASLEY ROAD in Lenoir Co; construction starts 2025
NC 11 upgrade to interstate standard from SW Greenville Bypass to proposed NC 148 location; ROW in 2027
US 17 Hampstead Bypass Segment B; construction starts 2021
US 17 at NC 211 interchange; construction starts 2026
US 17 at north end of Jacksonville bypass, partial interchange with 17 Bus; construction starts 2026
I-95 at US 70 Bus upgrade interchange; construction starts 2019
I-95 at US 701/NC 96 interchange rebuild; ROW in 2026
NC 540 from US 401 to I-40 construction moved up to 2020
NC 540 from I-40 to US 64/264; construction starts 2027
US 117 new route and interchange LEE'S COUNTRY CLUB ROAD TO OLD SMITH CHAPEL ROAD; construction starts 2026
US 70 upgrade to freeway from US 70 Byp Goldsboro to SR 1229; construction starts 2026
I-40 6-laning from I-85 to NC 147 Segment A delayed past 2027; segment AC construction starts 2023
I-40 managed lanes from US 15/501 to Wade Ave Segment A delayed to construction starts 2026; segment B ROW delayed past 2027
I-40/US 1-64 interchange rebuild construction starts 2022
NC 540 from NC 55 to US 401 delayed to 2020
Widen NC 87 from Elizabethtown to US 74-76; construction starts 2027
New interchanges for US 74 in Columbus Co: BOardman Rd; Old Lake Rd; Chauncy Town Rd; construction starts 2025
Spring Lake Bypass moved up to 2023
I-85 new interchange with SR 1113 High Point delayed past 2027
Death valley Improvements in Greensboro; construction starts 2024
I-40 new interchange with Macy Grove Rd in Guilford Co; construction starts 2026
widen US 64 from I-85 to Asheboro, segments CA and DA; construction starts 2027
widen NC 24-27 from NC 73 to Troy; construction starts 2022
widen US 15-501 from Laurinburg to US 1; construction starts 2027
Superstreeting US 1-15-501 in Sanford area; construction starts 2026
widen US 15-401 from Laurinburg to SC; construction starts 2027
rerouting US 1 in Rockingham; construction starts 2024
NC 452 segment EA starts 2024; segments B, CA, CB, D starts 2027
I-77 managed lanes from I-485 to I-277 segments A, B, E moved up to 2027
US 74 managed lanes from Outer Loop to Idlewild moved up to 2020
Wilkesboro/N Wilkesboro Bypass (new route) from NC 18 to US 421; construction starts 2025
I-85 8-laning from US 321 to NC 273 moved up to 2021
I-77 new interchange at Cornelius Rd; construction starts 2024
US 74 new Shelby Bypass, segments D and E construction starts 2021
I-26 Connector - segments moved up to 2020
US 74 Corridor K delayed to past 2027
widen US 64 from NC 141 to Hayesville; ROW in 2025

In addition to your list, another interesting project to me is the second phase of the Statesville Interchange project.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I'll be a broken record:  as a daily traveler of I-40, I am disappointed to see the lack of upgrades especially between Exit 116 and around MP 135, rush hour there is a mess.

[LM117]

NCDOT has awarded a design-build contract for the new NC-12 Rodanthe Bridge.

http://wnct.com/2017/01/12/ncdot-awards-contract-to-design-build-new-rodanthe-bridge/

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to design and build a new bridge for N.C. 12.

The 2.4 mile-long "jug handle"  bridge will extend from the southern end of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge over the Pamlico Sound into Rodanthe.

Transportation officials say the new bridge is a long-term solution to keep vulnerable N.C. 12 open amidst looming threats of storm damage.

"This critical highway connection is another major milestone for the Outer Banks,"  acting transportation secretary Mike Holder said. "This new bridge will eliminate travel disruptions caused by beach erosion and storm breaches that have resulted in access issues at one of the most vulnerable sections of N.C. 12 for years."

The Federal Highway Administration issued the last environmental document for the project in December, which gives final approval for construction to move forward.

The winning design-build team is Flatiron Constructors, Inc., of Broomfield, Colo., who submitted a bid of $145,336,271.

"We are excited that this long-awaited project will finally begin,"  said division engineer Jerry Jennings. "It's great news for the people who live, work and visit the Outer Banks via N.C.12.  It's been a long-time coming and we are anxious to get started."

Design and permitting is expected to take about a year to complete. Construction will begin afterwards, and could start as early as January 2018.

Based on Flatiron's schedule, the bridge is expected to open to traffic by early summer 2020, about a year earlier than the NCDOT's previously anticipated completion date.

[wdcrft63]

NCDOT has awarded a design-build contract for the new NC-12 Rodanthe Bridge.

http://wnct.com/2017/01/12/ncdot-awards-contract-to-design-build-new-rodanthe-bridge/

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to design and build a new bridge for N.C. 12.

The 2.4 mile-long "jug handle"  bridge will extend from the southern end of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge over the Pamlico Sound into Rodanthe.

Transportation officials say the new bridge is a long-term solution to keep vulnerable N.C. 12 open amidst looming threats of storm damage.

"This critical highway connection is another major milestone for the Outer Banks,"  acting transportation secretary Mike Holder said. "This new bridge will eliminate travel disruptions caused by beach erosion and storm breaches that have resulted in access issues at one of the most vulnerable sections of N.C. 12 for years."

The Federal Highway Administration issued the last environmental document for the project in December, which gives final approval for construction to move forward.

The winning design-build team is Flatiron Constructors, Inc., of Broomfield, Colo., who submitted a bid of $145,336,271.

"We are excited that this long-awaited project will finally begin,"  said division engineer Jerry Jennings. "It's great news for the people who live, work and visit the Outer Banks via N.C.12.  It's been a long-time coming and we are anxious to get started."

Design and permitting is expected to take about a year to complete. Construction will begin afterwards, and could start as early as January 2018.

Based on Flatiron's schedule, the bridge is expected to open to traffic by early summer 2020, about a year earlier than the NCDOT's previously anticipated completion date.

If anyone out there is unsure about Climate Change, or at least about Sea Level Rise, here is evidence for you. The sea is washing the Outer Banks out from under NC 12, and NCDOT is forced to surrender.

[hbelkins]

If anyone out there is unsure about Climate Change, or at least about Sea Level Rise, here is evidence for you. The sea is washing the Outer Banks out from under NC 12, and NCDOT is forced to surrender.

This has to do with storm surges, not anything permanent and incremental.

And this has been going on for decades, even back in the 1970s when there was as much paranoia and hype about a new ice age coming as there is now about global warming. We vacationed at the Outer Banks several times in the 60s and 70s, and I remember abandoned and relocated stretches of NC 12 even back then.

[Mapmikey]

Most barrier islands in the southeast are slowly moving westward which is a function of erosion and not climate change.  This is why Hatteras Lighthouse had to be moved inland.

Evidence of sea level rise can be found in Norfolk Va where tidal flooding is much worse than it used to be.

NC 12 and the road before it have been regularly washed out by storms back many, many decades.

[CtrlAltDel]

And this has been going on for decades, even back in the 1970s when there was as much paranoia and hype about a new ice age coming as there is now about global warming.

I know this is off-topic, but this is one of those things that bothers me. While there was some concern in the '70s about global cooling, even then, the bulk of scientific work on climate was related to warming.

Past that, though, I agree that the NC-12 issue is not primarily related to this, but to other things.

[wdcrft63]

Most barrier islands in the southeast are slowly moving westward which is a function of erosion and not climate change.  This is why Hatteras Lighthouse had to be moved inland.

Evidence of sea level rise can be found in Norfolk Va where tidal flooding is much worse than it used to be.

NC 12 and the road before it have been regularly washed out by storms back many, many decades.

It is true that the Outer Banks have been moving steadily westward for many centuries as the sea level rises relative to the beach level. This is because the North Carolina coast (and most of the southeastern coast) is subsiding as a result of long-term geological forces. However, the rate of sea level rise has accelerated markedly since 1900, it is continuing to increase, and this is due to climate change. The state has a chart illustrating the increase:
https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/coastal-management/coastal-management-hot-topics/sea-level-rise#4

[HazMatt]

Signs for 785 are now up on 40 through Greensboro.

[LM117]

Signs for 785 are now up on 40 through Greensboro.

Meanwhile, the "Future I-785" signs on US-29 around Danville seem to have disappeared.