NC is considering adding HOT Lanes(however in the current HOV Lanes similar to I-95 in Miami) to I-77 in uptown Charlotte up to I-485. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/672858.html (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/672858.html) EDIT: Here's the updated link
I clicked the link and got a 404
There is already an HOV lane in each direction for part of that stretch. So will that be incorporated into the tolled lanes?
Suburban sprawl pleasing NCDOT, possible I-77 widening paid for by the planned shopping center via a new interchange at Westmoreland Rd(like we need more sprawl on I-77 north of Charlotte) http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/702120.html (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/702120.html)
I was amazed to see how much traffic Interstate 77 gained between 2001 and 2009 through the Huntersville area. The sprawl is truely monumental on that corridor, and traffic for us was thick all the way to Statesville.
Approving more sprawl...well look at what Orange County, FL is doing with the Alafaya Trail extension to the Beachline. That will open up the Deseret Ranch area for a potential 10,000 new homes.
Doing some research on Missouri 364 the other day too and noted sprawl reaching further and further west, well beyond its planned end at Interstate 64 & U.S. 40-61. So Charlotte, North Carolina unfortunately is just keeping pace with other hotbeds of sprawl in the country.
Heading up Interstate 85, the recent article on Business Loop I-40's signs coming down in Greensboro and "noise complaints reducing on Painter Boulevard" is quite laughable. They built Painter Boulevard with eight lanes, but now since most are glued to Interstate 40 because of it again doesn't change routes, no one will use Interstate 73? So its an eight-lane freeway through suburban sprawl that will generate less noise? When will it need Interstate 840 on it to draw away traffic from I-40? :-D
Well, just want to give you guys the heads up, I just found out that the new I-77 Exit #31 in NC will be opening on 8/1/09 @ Langtree Road. If you have been following this interchange, maybe reports have said it would be Exit #32, but this new article says it will be Exit #31 instead.
http://www2.mooresvilletribune.com/content/2009/jul/22/new-i-77-interchange-could-open-aug-1/ (http://www2.mooresvilletribune.com/content/2009/jul/22/new-i-77-interchange-could-open-aug-1/)
Quote from: AARoads on May 14, 2009, 03:33:34 AM
Doing some research on Missouri 364 the other day too and noted sprawl reaching further and further west, well beyond its planned end at Interstate 64 & U.S. 40-61. So Charlotte, North Carolina unfortunately is just keeping pace with other hotbeds of sprawl in the country.
During the first round of I-70 studies there was consideration of extending MO 364 west to meet I-70 around Warrenton, but I think one of the arguments against it was that it would destroy the character of the area.
It will be interesting to see which area reaches another city first: St. Louis reaching Columbia, MO, or Bowling Green; or Charlotte reaching Statesville, Spartanburg, or Winston-Salem.
Give enough time and Columbia and Charlotte will meld together one day---most of that area around Rockhill and Rockmill are more or less parts of greater Charlotte---look at how metro Atlanta grew since the early 1970s!! One day--metro Atlanta will stretch from Macon to Chattanoga!!!
Same can be said for many cities. San Antonio and Austin are pretty much "one" nowadays and as you head north out of Austin, there are plenty of towns that link Austin with DFW (Killeen, Temple, Waco). Once you get to the other side of Waco, you're not that far at all from the I-35E/W split. There aren't many two-lane sections of I-35 from Austin to DFW anymore.
Extend this road to Savannah.
Quote from: lamsalfl on August 12, 2009, 10:59:45 PM
Extend this road to Savannah.
I 2nd that. They should honestly look at doing that somehow.
Chew on this.
http://www.i73.com/images/SC_sm.jpg (http://www.i73.com/images/SC_sm.jpg)
I-73's official government website shows I-77 going to I-95. Mistake or something we don't know?
Whoa, that's weird. I cannot believe this would be an actual plan... the I-26/I-95 route is not even really a long detour compared to the I-77 routing on that map.
Quote from: lamsalfl on August 29, 2009, 01:59:30 PM
Chew on this.
http://www.i73.com/images/SC_sm.jpg (http://www.i73.com/images/SC_sm.jpg)
I-73's official government website shows I-77 going to I-95. Mistake or something we don't know?
:-D They must also plan to completely destroy I-26 north of Columbia and replace part of it with I-385. Check out I-85 too. Some hokey must've made that map up.
Not to mention that US 178 doesn't go anywhere NEAR Greenville...closest it comes is probably its intersection at US 123 in Liberty, SC, but that's west of Easley, which itself is 10 miles west of Greenville (and I doubt that's US 176, which heads south through Spartanburg. An SC 110 (extra 0???) goes to Cowpens, which is east of Spartanburg, not Greenville, unless they meant SC 11, the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, but that's quite a distance north of Greenville.
I spent too much free time in college (1995 Clemson grad) roadgeeking.
If I had my way, I-77 would be built to Florida and end at I-75. I think from South Carolina , I-77 should run parellel to US 301 and join I-75 in the Ocala area or just south of Gainesville.
Quote from: leifvanderwall on September 04, 2009, 10:42:16 AM
If I had my way, I-77 would be built to Florida and end at I-75. I think from South Carolina , I-77 should run parellel to US 301 and join I-75 in the Ocala area or just south of Gainesville.
OK, so this is 7 years old, but has anything moved in this direction? Since #2 son moved to the Tampa area a year ago, we have made several trips between Southwest Virginia and west-central Florida. There is no easy way to get there from home. The "shortest" trip requires going east then west via I-26, I-95, and either I-4 or U.S. routes. The alternative, yet longer, route is to head to Atlanta (with all that traffic mess involves) via I-85 from Charlotte to pick up I-75 for the long haul south. It would seem to make sense to extend I-77 to Valdosta via a choice of routes to open up parts of central Georgia and provide a good alternative to I-95.
Bruce in Blacksburg
Quote from: VTGoose on August 16, 2016, 11:19:25 AM
Quote from: leifvanderwall on September 04, 2009, 10:42:16 AM
If I had my way, I-77 would be built to Florida and end at I-75. I think from South Carolina , I-77 should run parellel to US 301 and join I-75 in the Ocala area or just south of Gainesville.
OK, so this is 7 years old, but has anything moved in this direction? Since #2 son moved to the Tampa area a year ago, we have made several trips between Southwest Virginia and west-central Florida. There is no easy way to get there from home. The "shortest" trip requires going east then west via I-26, I-95, and either I-4 or U.S. routes. The alternative, yet longer, route is to head to Atlanta (with all that traffic mess involves) via I-85 from Charlotte to pick up I-75 for the long haul south. It would seem to make sense to extend I-77 to Valdosta via a choice of routes to open up parts of central Georgia and provide a good alternative to I-95.
Bruce in Blacksburg
I doubt it, but an I-77 extension (or at least a 4-lane, ARC-style road) across GA into FL might be a good idea. On a recent trip to the FL Gulf Coast I had to take a zig-zag, mostly 2-lane route from Augusta to I-10 because there was no major corridor through the area. This is getting into fictional territory, but I would extend I-77 south by following I-20/520 to Augusta, then the US-319 corridor SW to I-10 near Tallahassee.
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 16, 2016, 12:11:28 PM
Quote from: VTGoose on August 16, 2016, 11:19:25 AM
Quote from: leifvanderwall on September 04, 2009, 10:42:16 AM
If I had my way, I-77 would be built to Florida and end at I-75. I think from South Carolina , I-77 should run parellel to US 301 and join I-75 in the Ocala area or just south of Gainesville.
OK, so this is 7 years old, but has anything moved in this direction? Since #2 son moved to the Tampa area a year ago, we have made several trips between Southwest Virginia and west-central Florida. There is no easy way to get there from home. The "shortest" trip requires going east then west via I-26, I-95, and either I-4 or U.S. routes. The alternative, yet longer, route is to head to Atlanta (with all that traffic mess involves) via I-85 from Charlotte to pick up I-75 for the long haul south. It would seem to make sense to extend I-77 to Valdosta via a choice of routes to open up parts of central Georgia and provide a good alternative to I-95.
Bruce in Blacksburg
I doubt it, but an I-77 extension (or at least a 4-lane, ARC-style road) across GA into FL might be a good idea. On a recent trip to the FL Gulf Coast I had to take a zig-zag, mostly 2-lane route from Augusta to I-10 because there was no major corridor through the area. This is getting into fictional territory, but I would extend I-77 south by following I-20/520 to Augusta, then the US-319 corridor SW to I-10 near Tallahassee.
Well, according to this (http://interstate77-extension.freeservers.com), there's a proposal to extend I-77 to Miami, using up the Turnpike. It's similar in scope to a plan that involves extending I-83 to Greensboro.
Quote from: VTGoose on August 16, 2016, 11:19:25 AM
Since #2 son moved to the Tampa area a year ago, we have made several trips between Southwest Virginia and west-central Florida. There is no easy way to get there from home. The "shortest" trip requires going east then west via I-26, I-95, and either I-4 or U.S. routes.
You are forgetting that both I-26 and I-4 (and the more logical US 301) are diagonal routes, and just how far west Florida is.
Draw a line due south from Blacksburg and you are in the ocean off South Carolina. Blacksburg is 80.41 LON, while Tampa is 82.45, and the furtherest east point on 81-77-26-95-10-301-75 is the JCT of 26 and 95 which is 80.85 (while Tampa is the westernmost point). 80.85 - 80.41 is .44. One degree of LON is roughly 69 miles. .44 x 69 is about 31 miles. Going 31 miles further east than you started at when leaving from a small town in a mountainous region on a trip south of over 700 miles is hardly justification for building hundreds of miles of highway.
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 16, 2016, 12:11:28 PM
I doubt it, but an I-77 extension (or at least a 4-lane, ARC-style road) across GA into FL might be a good idea. On a recent trip to the FL Gulf Coast I had to take a zig-zag, mostly 2-lane route from Augusta to I-10 because there was no major corridor through the area. This is getting into fictional territory, but I would extend I-77 south by following I-20/520 to Augusta, then the US-319 corridor SW to I-10 near Tallahassee.
Sounds like our return trip back in January -- up I-75 to exit 451 to pick up U.S. 129 into Georgia, to hit U.S. 221 near Lakeland. Followed that all the way up to Wrens, where we shifted to U.S. 1 into Augusta, then I-20 east to I-77. It wasn't a bad drive but it wasn't a way to make time.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 16, 2016, 01:30:45 PM
Draw a line due south from Blacksburg and you are in the ocean off South Carolina. Blacksburg is 80.41 LON, while Tampa is 82.45, and the furtherest east point on 81-77-26-95-10-301-75 is the JCT of 26 and 95 which is 80.85 (while Tampa is the westernmost point). 80.85 - 80.41 is .44. One degree of LON is roughly 69 miles. .44 x 69 is about 31 miles. Going 31 miles further east than you started at when leaving from a small town in a mountainous region on a trip south of over 700 miles is hardly justification for building hundreds of miles of highway.
:confused: This might make sense if we were talking about flying blind with only a compass as a guide. But this is about highways and more direct routes. I'm not asking for Georgia to build a new interstate just to ease my trip -- there are many people who probably would be more than happy to avoid Atlanta and I-26 and I-95 to travel from parts of the north to the western side of Florida.
Quote from: Henry on August 16, 2016, 12:22:36 PM
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 16, 2016, 12:11:28 PM
Quote from: VTGoose on August 16, 2016, 11:19:25 AM
Quote from: leifvanderwall on September 04, 2009, 10:42:16 AM
If I had my way, I-77 would be built to Florida and end at I-75. I think from South Carolina , I-77 should run parellel to US 301 and join I-75 in the Ocala area or just south of Gainesville.
OK, so this is 7 years old, but has anything moved in this direction? Since #2 son moved to the Tampa area a year ago, we have made several trips between Southwest Virginia and west-central Florida. There is no easy way to get there from home. The "shortest" trip requires going east then west via I-26, I-95, and either I-4 or U.S. routes. The alternative, yet longer, route is to head to Atlanta (with all that traffic mess involves) via I-85 from Charlotte to pick up I-75 for the long haul south. It would seem to make sense to extend I-77 to Valdosta via a choice of routes to open up parts of central Georgia and provide a good alternative to I-95.
Bruce in Blacksburg
I doubt it, but an I-77 extension (or at least a 4-lane, ARC-style road) across GA into FL might be a good idea. On a recent trip to the FL Gulf Coast I had to take a zig-zag, mostly 2-lane route from Augusta to I-10 because there was no major corridor through the area. This is getting into fictional territory, but I would extend I-77 south by following I-20/520 to Augusta, then the US-319 corridor SW to I-10 near Tallahassee.
Well, according to this (http://interstate77-extension.freeservers.com), there's a proposal to extend I-77 to Miami, using up the Turnpike. It's similar in scope to a plan that involves extending I-83 to Greensboro.
Similar in that it's not a real plan.
When the Fall Line (not a) Freeway opens south of Milledgeville this, uh, fall, you'll at least have a mostly-four lane option from I-520 in Augusta to I-16/75 in Macon to get over to I-75; there's still a two-lane section through Wrens that probably won't be fixed until a TSPLOST happens, a bit of suburban slog at both ends, and GA 24 west of Sandersville is probably a year or more from being done. The pie-in-the-sky I-14 proposal would make it a full freeway. Problem is that takes you a long way out of the way for non-panhandle Florida.
The US 1 GRIP corridor south of Augusta may help more when it's done. That said SC widening I-95 from the state line to I-26 would probably help more (and probably will happen sooner).
As far as 301 goes, FDOT is apparently now selling the Starke bypass (http://www.nflroads.com/_layouts/FDOT%20D2%20Northeast%20Florida%20Road%20Construction/ProjectDetails.aspx?pid=402&sid=All) as a "Truck Route" now so maybe they'll actually build it and quietly forget to restrict it to truck traffic.
Quote from: Alex on May 14, 2009, 03:33:34 AM
Approving more sprawl...well look at what Orange County, FL is doing with the Alafaya Trail extension to the Beachline. That will open up the Deseret Ranch area for a potential 10,000 new homes.
The Deseret Ranch is owned by the LDS Church (aka Mormons).. they are the largest private landowner in Florida. They have plans for widespread development
Quote from: lordsutch on August 16, 2016, 09:49:33 PM
When the Fall Line (not a) Freeway opens south of Milledgeville this, uh, fall, you'll at least have a mostly-four lane option from I-520 in Augusta to I-16/75 in Macon to get over to I-75; there's still a two-lane section through Wrens that probably won't be fixed until a TSPLOST happens, a bit of suburban slog at both ends, and GA 24 west of Sandersville is probably a year or more from being done. The pie-in-the-sky I-14 proposal would make it a full freeway. Problem is that takes you a long way out of the way for non-panhandle Florida.
The US 1 GRIP corridor south of Augusta may help more when it's done. That said SC widening I-95 from the state line to I-26 would probably help more (and probably will happen sooner).
As far as 301 goes, FDOT is apparently now selling the Starke bypass (http://www.nflroads.com/_layouts/FDOT%20D2%20Northeast%20Florida%20Road%20Construction/ProjectDetails.aspx?pid=402&sid=All) as a "Truck Route" now so maybe they'll actually build it and quietly forget to restrict it to truck traffic.
Florida has always called bypasses TRUCK ROUTE. Back in the 1950s and earlier when they widened US higways business interests in the small towns lobbied to have the higways plowed thru main streets of town to keep tourist dollars in town.
Ruined lots of history and made traveling slower. Which in turn gave impetus for the Florida turnpike, which was planned to go to Jacksonville at one point
Quote from: VTGoose on August 16, 2016, 02:36:06 PM
But this is about highways and more direct routes. I'm not asking for Georgia to build a new interstate just to ease my trip -- there are many people who probably would be more than happy to avoid Atlanta and I-26 and I-95 to travel from parts of the north to the western side of Florida.
No doubt 26 between 77 and 95, and most of 95 in the entire southeast is overburdened and in need of a good combination of thoughful alternates and more lanes.
Because of the nature of the current crossing of the Appalachins, there is pretty close to a black letter line where one either uses 75 or 95 to get to Florida, no matter which side of Florida you need to be on, and does ones coast switching once one is already in Florida.. However another road between the two, well south of the mountains is not going to collect that much traffic.
Really, what we need is an interstate grade road northeast from Atlanta towards Asheville, which would siphon off much 77-26-95 traffic that is headed for the Gulf side onto 75, freeing up capacity on 95 for Atlantic coast traffic. And, Florida needs a traffic cop free interstate grade replacement for 301 from Jacksonville to Gainesville, and a road from Orlando to Naples. Both would be great toll projects.
As to Georgia, really what Georgia needs is more effective bypasses of Atlanta as the city has grown out to and beyond its beltway. Something connecting I-85 about 20 or 30 miles north of the beltway to somewhere near Macon, and something from I-75 also about 20 or 30 miles north of the beltway back to 75 about that far south.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 17, 2016, 10:26:35 AM
Quote from: VTGoose on August 16, 2016, 02:36:06 PM... And, Florida needs a traffic cop free interstate grade replacement for 301 from Jacksonville to Gainesville
Waldo has disbanded their police department, patrolled by Alachua County sheriff department, so the speed trap in Waldo is no more. Starke freeway bypass( truck route in Floridaese) is supposed to break ground next year. That will leave Lawtey as the speed trap
Quote from: SP Cook on August 17, 2016, 10:26:35 AM
Really, what we need is an interstate grade road northeast from Atlanta towards Asheville, which would siphon off much 77-26-95 traffic that is headed for the Gulf side onto 75, freeing up capacity on 95 for Atlantic coast traffic.
I-985 really should be extended up US 23 to Turnerville or so (the right-of-way is there and the existing alignment would be fine, it just needs full access control), and a new-location freeway should be put in from about Rabun County High School (south of Clayton) north to the state line, bypassing the substandard 2-4 lane facility through there. Something to bypass the commercial strip along 23/441 south of Franklin and the 35 mph zone in Dillsboro probably should be considered too. With that and some access management along the US 23/74 corridor to I-40 (and widening I-40 from Asheville to Clyde) you'd have a good high-speed alternative to divert traffic off 85. As-is it's not terrible but the portion from the state line south to Clayton is inadequate - and unfortunately GDOT's planned on-line upgrade of this section is pathetic but typical of how half-assed GRIP is.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 17, 2016, 10:26:35 AM
As to Georgia, really what Georgia needs is more effective bypasses of Atlanta as the city has grown out to and beyond its beltway. Something connecting I-85 about 20 or 30 miles north of the beltway to somewhere near Macon, and something from I-75 also about 20 or 30 miles north of the beltway back to 75 about that far south.
US 441 + 129 eventually will do this for an eastern bypass from 985 and 85 north to 75 south, although with some substandard bits (particularly through north/east Macon and the Madison sorta-bypass).
Any sort of proper second beltway of Atlanta, though, is a political non-starter even though it'd be a toll goldmine.
Quote from: jwolfer on August 17, 2016, 08:05:38 PM
Waldo has disbanded their police department, patrolled by Alachua County sheriff department, so the speed trap in Waldo is no more. Starke freeway bypass( truck route in Floridaese) is supposed to break ground next year. That will leave Lawtey as the speed trap
There's also Hawthorne and Citra and Orange Heights, all of which should be bypassed even if their local money-grubbing is less egregious.
Concerning an Atlanta to Asheville corridor, wouldn't a combined facility using I-575, GRIP-515, a relatively short new-terrain expressway facility along Spur-60 from Mineral Bluff to US 64/74 in NC, and the under-development expressway along US 74 to I-40 at Waynesville (and then east to Asheville) be just as effective as a corridor along US 23? Most of it is built and/or in the process of such; the prospect of a single project connecting the two sections of such a corridor (albeit involving a joint effort of 2 states) would, IMO, be more feasible in both a political and practical sense than several separate projects bypassing currently substandard roadways and congested commercial areas. I've actually used this routing to get from Atlanta to Asheville; even with the "slog" through the Nantahala Gorge, it was a surprisingly fast corridor; with the Gorge expressway bypass, it should be considerably more effective as a through route.
Quote
There's also Hawthorne and Citra and Orange Heights, all of which should be bypassed even if their local money-grubbing is less egregious.
Orange Heights and Citra are both unincorporated so it's just sheriff's office on patrol, they don't run speed traps per se.
I would like to see bypasses of the small towns. The state has built overpasses at SR 20 and 26, but there are still traffic lights on 301 instead of on the cross roads.
The 301/i10 exit is being reconfigured, should be done in 2018. From i10 to Starke there is danger of suburban sprawl from Jacksonville..
The 301 bypass of Baldwin will link with 4 lane section thru Nassau County. So good outer bypass of Jacksonville for those going from 95 to Tampa Bay and SW Florida
I would like a better connection between 301 and 75, SR 326 @ i75 can't handle the volume and there are 2 or3 truck stops
Quote from: sparker on August 17, 2016, 09:35:50 PM
Concerning an Atlanta to Asheville corridor, wouldn't a combined facility using I-575, GRIP-515, a relatively short new-terrain expressway facility along Spur-60 from Mineral Bluff to US 64/74 in NC, and the under-development expressway along US 74 to I-40 at Waynesville (and then east to Asheville) be just as effective as a corridor along US 23? Most of it is built and/or in the process of such; the prospect of a single project connecting the two sections of such a corridor (albeit involving a joint effort of 2 states) would, IMO, be more feasible in both a political and practical sense than several separate projects bypassing currently substandard roadways and congested commercial areas. I've actually used this routing to get from Atlanta to Asheville; even with the "slog" through the Nantahala Gorge, it was a surprisingly fast corridor; with the Gorge expressway bypass, it should be considerably more effective as a through route.
Depends on where you're going in "Atlanta" I suppose. 575/515 is probably easier to Cobb and Cumberland or to get to I-20 west; 985 is probably best for anywhere on 75 south or anything east of the downtown core; some routing using 400 is probably the easiest way to get downtown.
Interesting topic, since I just did much of the existing Atlanta-to-Asheville route and have been researching ADHS Corridor A for a post on that topic.
I was county-collecting, and overnighted Tuesday in Dahlonega. I needed to get Pickens County, so I backtracked south on US 19 to GA 53 and took that over to GA 5/515, then took 515 north to past Blue Ridge. For some reason, I thought the combination of GA 60, Spur GA 60 and NC 60 was part of the ADHS corridor, because North Carolina has five-laned its portion of NC 60 from the state line all the way to US 64/74. While it isn't part of the ARC system, and Georgia hasn't improved its portions of GA 60 and Spur 60 between US 76 and the state line, it's still not a bad drive.
When I attended the Atlanta meet eight years ago, I used US 23 south from Asheville through Franklin into Georgia. Portions of the route in Georgia were under construction then, and I did not mind the drive at all. Of course, not everything has to be an interstate and I don't mind a few traffic lights along a corridor -- there are more than a few of them along 515 through Ellijay and Blue Ridge, and I think I hit every light on US 23 in Pike County on the final leg of my trip -- but the US 23/I-985 corridor from Asheville all the way to I-85 is an easy drive.
At any rate, from Blacksburg, how about using US 220 south from Roanoke into North Carolina, and finding a way to connect with I-95 in either NC or SC?
Quote from: lordsutch on August 16, 2016, 09:49:33 PM
When the Fall Line (not a) Freeway opens south of Milledgeville this, uh, fall, you'll at least have a mostly-four lane option from I-520 in Augusta to I-16/75 in Macon to get over to I-75; there's still a two-lane section through Wrens that probably won't be fixed until a TSPLOST happens, a bit of suburban slog at both ends, and GA 24 west of Sandersville is probably a year or more from being done. The pie-in-the-sky I-14 proposal would make it a full freeway. Problem is that takes you a long way out of the way for non-panhandle Florida.
Most of the Freeway is now four lanes (with a section of two-lane where construction is still going on) with all towns from Wrens to outside Macon bypassed. I did a trip write-up in the Georgia thread -- and yes, it takes one a bit far west to make the route useful to get to the Gainesville and south part of Florida.
Bruce in Blacksburg
The best alternative I can see that would take some traffic off of I-77 would be to put more long distance traffic onto I-26. I believe the below three improvements would accomplish that
(1) Make a more direct route to connecting from I-81 South to I-26 East with a new freeway connector between Bristol, TN/VA <-> Johnson City, TN
(2) Fix I-26 through Asheville (Already planned)
(3) Finally get SC to convert their portion of US 25 into a full freeway between Hendersonville, NC <-> Greenville, SC (the NC portion is already complete.)
I-26 between Asheville and Johnson City, TN is a very well-built and scenic highway - comparable to I-77 through WV in every respect - but it doesn't carry much traffic. The reason, as far as I can tell, is that it is not a very direct route for most long distance trips. For a hypothetical trip from Roanoke to Atlanta, a route using I-26 is 472 miles, compared with 434 miles when going via I-77. Most people I know aren't too keen on driving an extra 38 miles even if it means missing two major metropolitan areas (CLT and GSP) With the improvements above, you cut the I-26 route down to 438 miles and it becomes a legitimate alternative.
I understand that items 1 and 3 are not high on the list of priorities for their respective states, but when you take a broader look at priorities on a national level, especially congestion on I-77, I think it makes a lot of sense.
What is the likelihood of options 1 and 3 actually getting constructed, even if they aren't high-prioities?
Quote from: Marc on August 10, 2009, 02:43:26 AM
Same can be said for many cities. San Antonio and Austin are pretty much "one" nowadays and as you head north out of Austin, there are plenty of towns that link Austin with DFW (Killeen, Temple, Waco). Once you get to the other side of Waco, you're not that far at all from the I-35E/W split. There aren't many two-lane sections of I-35 from Austin to DFW anymore.
Well that's good. Driving I-35 from Fort Worth to Austin in 2008 was frustrating to say the least. Glad to hear that most of it has been widened since then.
Does anyone have photos of I-77/I-40 interchange (or drove through it?) I heard the fly-under (as it went under, not over both I-40 and I-77 bridges lol) ramp is open. It is also marked complete on Google Maps (not in street view though)
Quote from: Strider on December 07, 2016, 12:29:02 PM
Does anyone have photos of I-77/I-40 interchange (or drove through it?) I heard the fly-under (as it went under, not over both I-40 and I-77 bridges lol) ramp is open. It is also marked complete on Google Maps (not in street view though)
NCDOT lists the project as 90% complete, with final completion in the spring. The DDI at US 21 opened last weekend:
http://860wacb.com/another-traffic-shift-scheduled-for-statesville-interchange-project/
I drove from Morganton to Pittsburgh the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving and can confirm that the NB fly under from 77NB to 40WB is complete and open. In fact I went to an SCA event in Boonesville in mid October and the ramp from 77 SB to 40 WB was closed to build the tie in and the detour was to travel the 3 loops.
The new DDi at US 21 and I-40 is also open and operational (but the time I went there it was raining and I missed the cross-over lane).
Isn't there supposed to be a second part of the Statesville interchange that needs to be done? I think the project number is I-3819B. Last I heard, the ROW and construction had been moved up to FY 18.
http://governor.nc.gov/press-release/governor-mccrory-announces-accelerated-timelines-major-transportation-projects
Quote from: Strider on December 07, 2016, 12:29:02 PM
Does anyone have photos of I-77/I-40 interchange (or drove through it?) I heard the fly-under (as it went under, not over both I-40 and I-77 bridges lol) ramp is open. It is also marked complete on Google Maps (not in street view though)
Came northbound on I-77 last week and there were signs about "New Traffic Pattern" and all I-40 traffic was to use the one exit. The bridges on I-77 over I-40 are still under construction.
Bruce in Blacksburg
I must say, the interchange is quite impressive. I'm not sure the rationale behind using the left-hand ramp for Exit 152B westdound on 40 for US 21 instead of I-77 southbound, but being able to get to US 21 or I-40W from I-77N without contending with traffic going from I-40W to I-77S in the old cloverleaf is a plus. I used to hate going to US 21N from work (we used to go to Staples until we got a corporate account and could get the stuff online) because of it.