Recent posts

#1

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: State Lays Out Vision for ...

Last post by Molandfreak - Today at 11:21:41 PM

Maybe the best option would be to either extend SR-15 down or SR-823 up from their respective endpoints.

#2

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by kkt - Today at 11:07:07 PM

This very, very nasty stuffy nose I've had the last several days.  No idea what's caused it, but it's the worst I've ever had in my life.  During the evening and at night, I'm 100% blocked, can't breathe at all through either nostril.  The only thing that works is Afrin, which is a problem because Afrin shouldn't be used more than three days because of the risk of rebound congestion.  And breathing through my mouth requires me to consciously think about it, so I can't sleep that way.

I've tried literally everything to find a way to control it other than Afrin (since I've passed the three day mark and it's showing no sign of ending).  I've tried Ibuprofin.  I've tried Sudafed PM.  I've done consultations at CVS twice to try to find something.  I've tried Claritin.  Just now I've taken the CVS version of Flonaise.  Nothing works in the slightest.  What can I do?  I don't think I'm going to get a single minute of sleep tonight - not unless I use the Afrin again and risk rebound congestion.

Once it's been several days and the available OTC medications aren't doing the trick, I'd go to urgent care.
Or whatever you have that's not a full ER but lets you see someone that day.

#3

Southeast / Re: I-40 in North Carolina

Last post by architect77 - Today at 10:55:06 PM

All of this because ex-Governor Pat McCrory and now-US Senator Thom Tillis sold out to Cintra for 99 years!  No widening of this stretch of I-77 or of US 21 or NC 115 is permitted according to the agreement.

Not entirely true.  Widening of US 21 was on the books before the toll lanes, and are in the works, although I don't know the current status of funding/scheduling. I don't recall if NC 115 is included, I did work on some projects involving 115, but don't recall what widening was included.  Other projects are allowed, however if they significantly affect revenue projections, Cintra would be compensated.

IIRC, the toll projects started under Gov. Perdue, but the 3P agreements did occur under McCrory's administration.  (And if you're "blaming" people/organizations, don't leave out the Charlotte MPO.)

Don't blame Gov. Perdue though because during the tough years after the great recession, she oversaw Charlotte getting the lion's share of construction funding with the deluxe I-485 completion, some of the I-85 widening, and she cobbled together the money to replace the Yadkin River Bridge. At this time the state was having to dip into the Highway Trust Fund to balance the budget too.

The I-77 toll rates are way too high. More people would use the Express Lanes if the tolls (which are supposed to only guarantee 45mph+ free flowing traffic) weren't set too high initially. The state should buy out Cintra. I think though it is only for 50-60 years not 99.

Charlotte region folks can feel at ease that Raleigh's outer loop is 60% tolled with no free lanes or alternate parallel route. The completed tolled section will cost $12.01 with QuickPass. $20 or so without it.

#4

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by freebrickproductions - Today at 10:47:03 PM

The internet at my house went out last night, and it won't be fixed for a few days. Apparently it's because the equipment we use is just simply too obsolete now, and Google never clearly told us that we needed to upgrade it to continue having internet access. Google is sending us new equipment though, but it'll still take 1-3 business days for it to arrive...

Doesn't sound minor.

Well, for my sister and I at least, we're able to use our phone's mobile hotspots (and I'm able to use my laptop) in the meantime, even if it's a bit awkward compared to normal.

Plus, last I checked, there's no "Major things that bother you" thread.

#5

Southeast / Re: Atlanta

Last post by architect77 - Today at 10:45:53 PM

Here's a video on the visualization of the I-285 Eastside Express Lanes...

I wonder how they are going to do this since they already built out the middle reversable toll lane.  I'm assuming they get rid of that or it becomes part of the original freeway. 

Will the I-75 South express lanes be similar to the Northside "tollercoaster" with lots of high bridges?  I haven't seen any renderings yet.

They should also upgrade the northside I-75 express lanes to be two lanes in both directions although that may be next to impossible to do now.

I sound like a broken record with my opinions on this but...

I hope they won't make the same mistake they did with the tollercoaster. The fact that the speed limit and design speed in the express lanes is LOWER than the general purpose lanes is kinda messed up imho  (55 express 65 general south of 575, and 65 express 70 general on 575).

Wow, I never even realized that. I understand the roller coaster aspect of the lanes (which it's really neat how they put them in there to begin with) can limited the design speed in some areas, but I don't know why they can't post it at 65 mph and then have advisory speeds where needed.

I imagine trucks are banned in the lanes so that should allow a little more flexibility in speed setting as well.

I-575 is strange... 65 mph in the middle where you pay, yet 70 mph on the free lanes? Nothing geometrically different... that should get changed.

Seeing all the renderings for the elevated lanes being proposed for I-285 makes me kinda anxious for this happening again tbh     

Regardless, it doesn't mute the fact that on a civil engineering perspective, the I-75 NWC project was beyond impressive with the bridges. These renderings do give me hope of impressive structures to come.

I hope the elevated viaducts are smooth enough to handle Atlanta' high average driving speeds. People say you can't drive all that fast on the Cobb Express Lanes because of the ups and downs. Still though I think it's impressive that they built all of those elevated lanes and interchanges for under $1 Billion. I think about $900M was the final price.

When I view these renderings of I-285 Express Lanes and all of the ramps at the main interchanges, I can't help thinking how beautiful they'd be if built as box trusses on curved column bents in the style of Spaghetti Junction.

Of course they will use precast concrete girders and beams but the price is going to be staggering. They will put lights on the elevated lanes so I-285 will get partially lit.

I hate that the East I-285 rebuild includes some freeway lanes at only 11' width instead of the standard 12'. The restriping of I-85 to add the HOV/Express Lane took 1' from at least 2 inner lanes turning it from a luxurious drive of 5 generous lanes into a white knuckle more stressful event.

#6

Northeast / Re: Pennsylvania

Last post by coldshoulder - Today at 10:31:19 PM

Does anyone know if there were ever any plans to build a southern bypass of Sharon? Just over the state line in Ohio, OH 82 take a sharp SE turn before it ends in a cloverleaf at US 62. The I-376 freeway from Pittsburgh ends at PA 18 southeast of Sharon, and then continues NW into Sharon proper as PA 760 and PA 718.

Both of these are logical endpoints for their respective routes, but they also look like a gap that could plausibly be connected as an alternative route (with US 422) between Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

I remember reading or hearing long ago that the eastern section of OH-82 you referenced was once considered as a plausible alternative corridor for I-80.  But the way both roads you describe turned out, you'd have to think there had been some coordination between Ohio and Pennsylvania DOT's (in the late 50's/early 60's) to have their endpoints line up so as to potentially connect at some future time.

However during that era there were steel mills and other thriving industrial facilities smack dab in the middle of the route that would connect the two roads, not to mention the low-lying wetlands and the Shenango River which snakes through that area ~ which would make construction of a connecting freeway an engineering challenge to say the least.

The OH-82 / US-62 cloverleaf interchange in retrospect was overbuilt as planners apparently assumed the booming steel industry facilities nearby would continue forever.  And in some respect the cloverleaf interchange at I-80 / I-376 (formerly PA-60) could also be looked at as overbuilt (or underbuilt ?) with 1960's-era tight turn radius with short merge / weave stretches. 

#7

Southeast / Re: I-40 in North Carolina

Last post by vdeane - Today at 10:24:22 PM

All of this because ex-Governor Pat McCrory and now-US Senator Thom Tillis sold out to Cintra for 99 years!  No widening of this stretch of I-77 or of US 21 or NC 115 is permitted according to the agreement.

Agreements like that need to be made illegal.  In fact, this is exactly why privatization in general should be banned via a constitutional amendment!

#8

Southeast / Re: I-40 in North Carolina

Last post by jdunlop - Today at 10:23:28 PM

All of this because ex-Governor Pat McCrory and now-US Senator Thom Tillis sold out to Cintra for 99 years!  No widening of this stretch of I-77 or of US 21 or NC 115 is permitted according to the agreement.

Not entirely true.  Widening of US 21 was on the books before the toll lanes, and are in the works, although I don't know the current status of funding/scheduling. I don't recall if NC 115 is included, I did work on some projects involving 115, but don't recall what widening was included.  Other projects are allowed, however if they significantly affect revenue projections, Cintra would be compensated.

IIRC, the toll projects started under Gov. Perdue, but the 3P agreements did occur under McCrory's administration.  (And if you're "blaming" people/organizations, don't leave out the Charlotte MPO.)

#9

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by Rothman - Today at 10:06:26 PM

The internet at my house went out last night, and it won't be fixed for a few days. Apparently it's because the equipment we use is just simply too obsolete now, and Google never clearly told us that we needed to upgrade it to continue having internet access. Google is sending us new equipment though, but it'll still take 1-3 business days for it to arrive...

Doesn't sound minor.

#10

Southeast / Re: Atlanta

Last post by ElishaGOtis - Today at 09:54:19 PM

Here's a video on the visualization of the I-285 Eastside Express Lanes...

I wonder how they are going to do this since they already built out the middle reversable toll lane.  I'm assuming they get rid of that or it becomes part of the original freeway. 

Will the I-75 South express lanes be similar to the Northside "tollercoaster" with lots of high bridges?  I haven't seen any renderings yet.

They should also upgrade the northside I-75 express lanes to be two lanes in both directions although that may be next to impossible to do now.

I sound like a broken record with my opinions on this but...

I hope they won't make the same mistake they did with the tollercoaster. The fact that the speed limit and design speed in the express lanes is LOWER than the general purpose lanes is kinda messed up imho  (55 express 65 general south of 575, and 65 express 70 general on 575).

Wow, I never even realized that. I understand the roller coaster aspect of the lanes (which it's really neat how they put them in there to begin with) can limited the design speed in some areas, but I don't know why they can't post it at 65 mph and then have advisory speeds where needed.

I imagine trucks are banned in the lanes so that should allow a little more flexibility in speed setting as well.

I-575 is strange... 65 mph in the middle where you pay, yet 70 mph on the free lanes? Nothing geometrically different... that should get changed.

Seeing all the renderings for the elevated lanes being proposed for I-285 makes me kinda anxious for this happening again tbh     

Regardless, it doesn't mute the fact that on a civil engineering perspective, the I-75 NWC project was beyond impressive with the bridges. These renderings do give me hope of impressive structures to come.