The proposed Raleigh-Norfolk corridor - why I-44 or I-50?

[froggie]

What is the connection point in metro Norfolk?  Bowers Hill, Deep Creek, Great Bridge?  If it is Bowers Hill, could it makes sense for I-46? to just overtake all of 264 to the beach?  Wpould there be driver confusion if 46 and 64 were in the same metro area?

The way NC folks are proposing it (via US 64 and US 17), the connection point would be Dominion Blvd/Steel Bridge.

[andy3175]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't this topic be in Fictional Highways? Or is the topic not completely fictitious?

It is officially proposed at this point. This corridor (defined as High Priority Corridor 13, Raleigh-Norfolk Corridor from Raleigh, North Carolina, through Rocky Mount, Williamston, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to Norfolk, Virginia) was designated a future Interstate by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of December 2015; see the following post for more information:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=16970.0

Unlike I-11 and I-14 (among others), the FAST Act legislation did not assign a specific number to the future Interstate along High Priority Corridor 13, hence why there is  speculation.

[froggie]

It is officially proposed at this point.

Congressional meddling notwithstanding (and yes, I'd call its inclusion in the FAST act meddling instead of actual planning), I'm not sure I'd call it "officially proposed".  It was proposed by a business consortium, not NCDOT.  NCDOT may be open to it, but Future I-495 is as far as they've gone with this corridor.

[The Ghostbuster]

I think they should have given this corridor its ultimate 2-digit designation from the get-go, instead of giving it the 495 designation now, only to renumber it down the road.

[froggie]

The likelihood of this reaching completion in YOUR lifetime (let alone the rest of us) is pretty darn small.  Nothing wrong with the 495 designation.  As noted before, this "extension" east of I-95 is proposed by local business interests, not the DOT.

[wdcrft63]

The likelihood of this reaching completion in YOUR lifetime (let alone the rest of us) is pretty darn small.  Nothing wrong with the 495 designation.  As noted before, this "extension" east of I-95 is proposed by local business interests, not the DOT.

NCDOT did give this proposal a letter of support, and it has started a feasibility study of what would be required to upgrade the route to interstate status. However, the only project in the 2015-25 STIP plan is an upgrade of the Edenton Bypass. I agree, there's no danger of this interstate highway being completed much before 2040, if then.

[cpzilliacus]

It is officially proposed at this point.

Congressional meddling notwithstanding (and yes, I'd call its inclusion in the FAST act meddling instead of actual planning), I'm not sure I'd call it "officially proposed".  It was proposed by a business consortium, not NCDOT.  NCDOT may be open to it, but Future I-495 is as far as they've gone with this corridor.

Unless the rules were changed, the I-495 designation could not extend across the border into Virginia, since the Commonwealth already has one.

[froggie]

My point was that NCDOT has only committed to the Raleigh-Rocky Mount part of US 64 for Interstate conversion (i.e. the "Future I-495" segment).

[The Ghostbuster]

Which is why, cpzillacus, I think the number should have been Interstate 695. Since Virginia doesn't have an Interstate 695, there would have been no problems extending the Interstate across state lines.

[Henry]

Perhaps we could see a situation similar to I-49/I-540 in AR? Sign the route with both designations initially, and once drivers get accustomed to the new number, remove the old one entirely. In this case, I-495 would be removed when the I-44/I-50/whatever number becomes more familiar to motorists.

[NE2]

Perhaps we could see a situation similar to I-49/I-540 in AR? Sign the route with both designations initially, and once drivers get accustomed to the new number, remove the old one entirely.

I don't remember this happening on I-540...

[The Ghostbuster]

Henry miswrote. That stretch of highway was Interstate 540 initially, and was later renumbered to Interstate 49. I seem to recall that the Interstate 49 designation was originally proposed for the highway, but it was rejected and became an extension of 540 instead.