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[LM117]

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2018/2018-11-09-this-week-ncdot.aspx

U.S. 421 Reopening

The Department of Transportation has reopened a key route to and from the Wilmington area following severe damage from Hurricane Florence. U.S. 421, which runs parallel to Interstate 40 in southeastern North Carolina, received the most damage of any state road when the storm hit in September.

Knowing the critical need to quickly restore traffic on this route, NCDOT installed a temporary bridge on one side of the road, with a single lane in each direction. This allows drivers to get through the area while planning and construction of two new bridges at the site takes place.

[LM117]

The Record of Decision for building a tolled Mid-Currituck Bridge has been delayed.

http://www.reflector.com/News/2018/11/13/ROD-of-decision-on-Mid-Currituck-Bridge-still-not-ready.html

[jcarte29]

The Record of Decision for building a tolled Mid-Currituck Bridge has been delayed.

http://www.reflector.com/News/2018/11/13/ROD-of-decision-on-Mid-Currituck-Bridge-still-not-ready.html

The picture dictates there will be a “toll plaza,” so is it safe to say it will be different than the free flowing NC 540 and US 74 tolled roads? They should stay consistent IMHO and design it the same way as its Raleigh and Charlotte freeways :-]

[wdcrft63]

The Record of Decision for building a tolled Mid-Currituck Bridge has been delayed.

http://www.reflector.com/News/2018/11/13/ROD-of-decision-on-Mid-Currituck-Bridge-still-not-ready.html

The picture dictates there will be a “toll plaza,” so is it safe to say it will be different than the free flowing NC 540 and US 74 tolled roads? They should stay consistent IMHO and design it the same way as its Raleigh and Charlotte freeways :-]

Just guessing now: it may be that they're expecting a larger fraction of drivers to be tourists coming from places that don't have toll roads.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

The Record of Decision for building a tolled Mid-Currituck Bridge has been delayed.

http://www.reflector.com/News/2018/11/13/ROD-of-decision-on-Mid-Currituck-Bridge-still-not-ready.html

The picture dictates there will be a “toll plaza,” so is it safe to say it will be different than the free flowing NC 540 and US 74 tolled roads? They should stay consistent IMHO and design it the same way as its Raleigh and Charlotte freeways :-]

Just guessing now: it may be that they're expecting a larger fraction of drivers to be tourists coming from places that don't have toll roads.

The past few times I've been to the OBX it has seemed like the majority of license plates have been MD, NJ, NY, OH, and PA. I'm not sure what sort of costs are associated with out-of-state billing.

I suspect all of the cameras, sensors, lights, etc. required for electronic tolling won't hold up so well to the salt, wind and nor'easters.

[jcarte29]

I suspect all of the cameras, sensors, lights, etc. required for electronic tolling won't hold up so well to the salt, wind and nor'easters.

That's a great point!

[triplemultiplex]

I suspect all of the cameras, sensors, lights, etc. required for electronic tolling won't hold up so well to the salt, wind and nor'easters.

That's a great point!

Nonsense. They have EZ Pass on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The fact that most of their tourists are coming from further north only adds merit to electronic toll collection; specifically, EZ Pass compatible.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

I suspect all of the cameras, sensors, lights, etc. required for electronic tolling won't hold up so well to the salt, wind and nor'easters.

That's a great point!

Nonsense. They have EZ Pass on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The fact that most of their tourists are coming from further north only adds merit to electronic toll collection; specifically, EZ Pass compatible.

I'm not referring to E-ZPass at a covered toll plaza. I mean the exposed gantries like you see on the Triangle Expressway and will see on the Monroe Expressway.

[froggie]

I suspect all of the cameras, sensors, lights, etc. required for electronic tolling won't hold up so well to the salt, wind and nor'easters.

That's a great point!

Nonsense. They have EZ Pass on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The fact that most of their tourists are coming from further north only adds merit to electronic toll collection; specifically, EZ Pass compatible.

I'm not referring to E-ZPass at a covered toll plaza. I mean the exposed gantries like you see on the Triangle Expressway and will see on the Monroe Expressway.

The fly in that ointment is that such "exposed gantries" exist in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.  Elsewhere in Hampton Roads, too.  So your argument still doesn't really hold water.

[HazMatt]

First off, the start/end of the new route is at an intersection so traffic will need to stop anyway.  Would open-road tolling add much value if traffic is slow/stopped already anyway?  Secondly, out-of-state tolling with the cameras is cost-prohibitive.  IIRC North Carolina is only able to collect from states where they have an agreement in place.  540 and the Monroe bypass will be primarily local traffic; the Currituck bridge would have a lot more tourist traffic from out of state.

[Thing 342]

First off, the start/end of the new route is at an intersection so traffic will need to stop anyway.  Would open-road tolling add much value if traffic is slow/stopped already anyway?  Secondly, out-of-state tolling with the cameras is cost-prohibitive.  IIRC North Carolina is only able to collect from states where they have an agreement in place.  540 and the Monroe bypass will be primarily local traffic; the Currituck bridge would have a lot more tourist traffic from out of state.

...almost all of which would come from EZ-Pass states. In fact, since I assume any tolling plaza built would support NC Quick Pass, the closest state without a compliant transponder would be Tennessee. I dunno if they should use only Open-Road Tolling for this bridge, but this argument against it doesn't hold water.

[sparker]

First off, the start/end of the new route is at an intersection so traffic will need to stop anyway.  Would open-road tolling add much value if traffic is slow/stopped already anyway?  Secondly, out-of-state tolling with the cameras is cost-prohibitive.  IIRC North Carolina is only able to collect from states where they have an agreement in place.  540 and the Monroe bypass will be primarily local traffic; the Currituck bridge would have a lot more tourist traffic from out of state.

One would think that NC 540, being in a location ("Research Triangle") that draws visitors from just about everywhere, would be a prime location to install OTR systems compatible with as many variations as possible.  And while the main purpose of the US 74 Monroe bypass is initially as eastern egress to and from metro Charlotte, when the Shelby bypass is finished to the west along US 74, it'll probably be used as part of a "shortcut" from the Asheville area (and points west along I-26 and I-40) to the coast, cutting time and mileage off a strictly I-40 routing.  It, too, would benefit from maximum OTR compatibility -- better sooner than later! 

[froggie]

Secondly, out-of-state tolling with the cameras is cost-prohibitive.

Really?  Tell that to MdTA (MD 200/ICC) or MassDOT (I-90/Mass Pike)...

[cowboy_wilhelm]

I suspect all of the cameras, sensors, lights, etc. required for electronic tolling won't hold up so well to the salt, wind and nor'easters.

That's a great point!

Nonsense. They have EZ Pass on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The fact that most of their tourists are coming from further north only adds merit to electronic toll collection; specifically, EZ Pass compatible.

I'm not referring to E-ZPass at a covered toll plaza. I mean the exposed gantries like you see on the Triangle Expressway and will see on the Monroe Expressway.

The fly in that ointment is that such "exposed gantries" exist in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.  Elsewhere in Hampton Roads, too.  So your argument still doesn't really hold water.

Relax. I'm only suggesting a possible reason why North Carolina isn't implementing the same all-electronic tolling system they're using on all of their other toll roads in the state. There's nothing indicating that there won't be dedicated NC Quick Pass/E-ZPass lanes at the toll plaza (like at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel toll plazas, and practically everywhere else).

[LM117]

A public meeting is being held in Riegelwood on Nov. 28 to discuss converting the NC-87/NC-11 intersection into an interchange.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2018/2018-11-15-columbus-county-interchange-proposed.aspx

Meanwhile, NCDOT and Wilson’s finest are looking for the driver of a semi that struck a bridge on US-301 in Elm City and left the scene.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2018/2018-11-15-wilson-truck-damages-bridge-public-help.aspx

[LM117]

Regarding the I-85 rebuild project between Henderson and the Virginia state line, all lanes of I-85 are now open.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2018/2018-11-16-milestone-i-85-rehab-vance-warren.aspx

[Beltway]

Regarding the I-85 rebuild project between Henderson and the Virginia state line, all lanes of I-85 are now open.
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2018/2018-11-16-milestone-i-85-rehab-vance-warren.aspx

So is it all complete now?  If so that is great news, as that section has been horrendous for at least 20 years.

Any other badly deteriorated sections south of Henderson?

[wdcrft63]

Regarding the I-85 rebuild project between Henderson and the Virginia state line, all lanes of I-85 are now open.
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2018/2018-11-16-milestone-i-85-rehab-vance-warren.aspx

So is it all complete now?  If so that is great news, as that section has been horrendous for at least 20 years.

Any other badly deteriorated sections south of Henderson?

The section between Henderson and the VA line was by far the worst part of I-85 in NC, so this is very good news. The section between Henderson and Falls Lake, north of Durham, is in much better shape. There's a need to widen and rebuild the section approaching Durham from the north as well as the section west of Durham to the I-40 split.

[seicer]

The one-and-only asphalt overlay (for at least a lot of that segment) only lasted less than 10 years. You can see the original concrete pavement, in a rather poor condition, on Streetview dating to 2008. Considering that the highway was built in 1957, that couldn't have been the original pavement?

[Roadsguy]

The one-and-only asphalt overlay (for at least a lot of that segment) only lasted less than 10 years. You can see the original concrete pavement, in a rather poor condition, on Streetview dating to 2008. Considering that the highway was built in 1957, that couldn't have been the original pavement?

Was this a full-depth reconstruction with new concrete, or did they just diamond-grind the original?

[NJRoadfan]

Full depth reconstruction with concrete, a luxury rarely given to roads in the Northeast. I wouldn't be surprised if it was original up to 2008. Mild climate combined with lower traffic counts make it a possibility. Parts of I-85 further north in VA had what appeared to be original concrete until a few years ago.

[Mapmikey]

Full depth reconstruction with concrete, a luxury rarely given to roads in the Northeast. I wouldn't be surprised if it was original up to 2008. Mild climate combined with lower traffic counts make it a possibility. Parts of I-85 further north in VA had what appeared to be original concrete until a few years ago.

Was definitely the original concrete on I-85 btw Henderson and Virginia up to 2008, as is any concrete remaining on 85 in Virginia.

[Beltway]

Full depth reconstruction with concrete, a luxury rarely given to roads in the Northeast. I wouldn't be surprised if it was original up to 2008. Mild climate combined with lower traffic counts make it a possibility. Parts of I-85 further north in VA had what appeared to be original concrete until a few years ago.

VA I-85 north of MP 40 and south of MP 63 was built with concrete pavement.  The rehab projects keep the original concrete pavement.  First the concrete is rehabbed by replacing any deteriorated sections (in toto somewhere between 5% and 15% of any mile of pavement), repairing joints, and then overlaying with several layers of asphalt pavement.  Also rehabbing and overlaying the asphalt shoulders. 

In my opinion this process provides a finished product just as fine and durable as a new concrete pavement, and for lower total costs.  Full depth reconstruction with concrete is an unnecessary luxury, IMO.

[seicer]

Depends on the age and condition. I've seen rehabbed concrete pavements, with joint replacement, last about 10 to 15 years on average before needing major work.

I-64 between Frankfort and Midway, Kentucky, finished circa 1972, is still on its original pavement and was just diamond ground after numerous full-depth repairs for the second time. Aerial. You can see just how much has been replaced with the prior project and the one that proceeded it around 2003.

Portions of I-88 in New York was diamond ground some years back (2003?) but it is in ridiculous condition. I posted a video in the New York forum of how jarring the expansion joints had become and why most drivers just stick to the left lane where the circa 1980 concrete still exists. Some of the absolute worst pavement I've ever driven on was the southernmost (and newest) section of I-88, which after 29 years was finally repaired with asphalt and diamond ground. Aerial.

I can't imagine how bad I-81 would be if the concrete still remained and was repaired on a continual basis. With each asphalt overlay, the state will go in and complete full-depth repairs to the joints, but it's still a bumpy ride - even after the asphalt overlay is complete.

[Beltway]

I was referring to concrete pavement that receives a full structural rehab of the concrete to repair places that are damaged or deteriorated, and -then- overlaying the whole thing with 4 to 6 inches of asphalt pavement.  It is no longer merely concrete pavement, but is what highway engineers call composite pavement.  The final product is every bit as good as brand new concrete pavement, and costs a lot less to build, and can be performed with daily single lane closures. 

Full replacement of concrete pavement requires closing one whole roadway for several months and running two-way traffic on the other roadway.