Interstate 42 (E)

[jcil4ever]

Drove through Johnston County again today and good to see lots of continued progress. Paving seems to essentially be done, along with most signage, on 70 through Wilson's Mills. Final pavement marking and some signage still remains. As for I-42 signage, it looks like most updates are in place, except around the US-70 exit. Eastbound, the exit number has been updated to 42 mileage, but the route number hasn't been updated to show 70 going through Clayton. No signage has been updated on 40 East at either the 70 or 42 exits. Also, just happened to see this post published today about Ranch Rd.

Westbound, a new sign has been installed showing that US-70 exits itself:


However, a previous sign that had been corrected was replaced with a new sign that's wrong. This will be mainline 70, not business:


The overhead sign still shows it as 70 Business West, as well:


On the west side of the interchange (heading east), the exit number has been updated, but not the route number:


Advance signs for the exits along the new freeway have been added. Here's Wilson's Mills Rd. westbound:


and Swift Creek Rd. eastbound:


Signage along I-40 East hasn't been updated at either the US-70 interchange:


or I-42 interchange:


Apparently, installing the permanent signage didn't always involve removing the temporary (eastbound):

[The Ghostbuster]

Google Maps now shows Interstate 42 continuing past Exit 8 (old 326) to past Exit 337 (future 19), when we all know it doesn't go that far yet.

[roadman65]

Google maps shows a lot of stuff that isn't true. ^^^^^

That's why Google Maps f***** sucks.😂😂😂

[jcil4ever]

Drove to Morehead City today from New Bern. Continued work in both James City and Havelock. Still a lot of work seems to be going on (off camera) leading up to the westbound railroad bridge on the east end of the project, including slope work and paving.

[Scott5114]

the trend where it seems like every time there's a change to the road system someone will make a post saying "[change] is now on Wikipedia!".  I'm not keeping track of who's doing what when with that.

The "change is now on Wikipedia" comments are not the problem - they are always in response to a previous, problematic, post saying that the change is not yet on Wikipedia yet.

And the reason why the change is not on Wikipedia yet is usually because the roadgeek that would have made the change quit Wikipedia and is now on AARW. (I was the only person doing most of the writing on the Oklahoma highway articles—haven't touched the Wikipedia version in years. When I do updates, I just edit AARW, so it's to one's benefit to look at AARW first instead of just mindlessly checking Wikipedia because one is a slave to brand names or takes whatever slop Google gives them first.)

Wikipedia is starting to actively delete British A road articles now, by the way. A153 and A1071 have just gone. Neither of them are primary roads but the way this usually works is those deletions will be used as a precedent to justify deleting more and more articles.

[74/171FAN]

And the reason why the change is not on Wikipedia yet is usually because the roadgeek that would have made the change quit Wikipedia and is now on AARW. (I was the only person doing most of the writing on the Oklahoma highway articles—haven't touched the Wikipedia version in years. When I do updates, I just edit AARW, so it's to one's benefit to look at AARW first instead of just mindlessly checking Wikipedia because one is a slave to brand names or takes whatever slop Google gives them first.)

Not directly related, but the reason that many I-73, I-74, and US 220 Rockingham related updates were not done until this week on AARW is because whoever probably would have updated them on Wikipedia is either not active on AARW, has stuck to Wikipedia, or is apathetic in regard to updates in regard to the situation.  I ended up making tons of NC updates as I was attempting to update my list file from my NC trip to clinch I-73 and US 220 earlier this month.

[Mav94]

Wikipedia is starting to actively delete British A road articles now, by the way. A153 and A1071 have just gone. Neither of them are primary roads but the way this usually works is those deletions will be used as a precedent to justify deleting more and more articles.

This worries me. I started a few Wikipedia articles for Iowa state highways. Even though very little of my original work still remains, I'd hate to see them go.

[bob7374]

Drove to Morehead City today from New Bern. Continued work in both James City and Havelock. Still a lot of work seems to be going on (off camera) leading up to the westbound railroad bridge on the east end of the project, including slope work and paving.

Thanks again for posting the I-42 videos, I will post links on my I-42 page. NCDOT has yet to revise the completion dates on their Construction Progress Report for the Havelock Bypass and the James City work. Currently, the Havelock Bypass is listed as being complete on April 19. The project website now lists completion not until the summer of 2026. The James City project appears to have the correct completion percentage, 50.4, but the completion date is this August 3. Given the project started in 2019 and is only 1/2 done, perhaps August 3, 2030 would be more appropriate. It didn't appear there was much work yet on the Thurman Road to Havelock Bypass section. It is only listed as 18.9% complete, and has a more reasonable completion date of June 8, 2028.

[Scott5114]

Wikipedia is starting to actively delete British A road articles now, by the way. A153 and A1071 have just gone. Neither of them are primary roads but the way this usually works is those deletions will be used as a precedent to justify deleting more and more articles.

This worries me. I started a few Wikipedia articles for Iowa state highways. Even though very little of my original work still remains, I'd hate to see them go.

They're still on AARoads Wiki—the whole reason the project exists is so that the fifteen-odd years of work we roadgeeks have sunk into those articles will be preserved.

[jcil4ever]

Thanks again for posting the I-42 videos, I will post links on my I-42 page. NCDOT has yet to revise the completion dates on their Construction Progress Report for the Havelock Bypass and the James City work. Currently, the Havelock Bypass is listed as being complete on April 19. The project website now lists completion not until the summer of 2026. The James City project appears to have the correct completion percentage, 50.4, but the completion date is this August 3. Given the project started in 2019 and is only 1/2 done, perhaps August 3, 2030 would be more appropriate. It didn't appear there was much work yet on the Thurman Road to Havelock Bypass section. It is only listed as 18.9% complete, and has a more reasonable completion date of June 8, 2028.

Yeah, I'm really surprised that there's still a year on the Havelock Bypass. But, as I mentioned earlier, it looks like they had to reconfigure the interchanges with "old" 70, so I guess that explains it. I wonder what's going on with the rail bridge as well.

I didn't see any obvious work happening between Thurman and HB. There was some major land clearing west of 70 just before Havelock; maybe that's part of the project.

In James City, a red flag for me is that bridge construction has yet to start.

Thanks for tracking all these projects! Hope they can make some progress this summer!

[brian440i]

This should not be a red flag.

There was an article a while back that Phase One was to be completed this summer.  Now sounding like August 2025 per above, which is good as I was worried they were going to change the traffic pattern before the heavy July 4th Vacation Traffic, with all Beach Condos rented around the Holiday.

Phase One was defined as the completion of the Local Roads and the New Entrance and Exit Ramps along the new Interchanges so that Existing US 70 can be shifted onto the Entrance and Exit Ramps.

Phase Two was then allowing the Bridges to be built in the Path of Existing US 70 Roadway.

The NC Project Site has been terrible at communicating Phase 1 and Phase 2 for the James City Project.

[branched-out]

Maybe someone else already pointed this out, but assuming you were on NC 540 going east onto I-42, you could make a 360^o loop by taking the exit to I-40 west and continue around the circle back to I-42 east. OR even a 270^o loop to I-40 east.

Could be North Carolina's version of Rhonda the Roundabout

No, a 270 loop (NC-540 East around the turbine to I-40 East) is the best you can do there. It is a separate ramp going from I-40 East around to I-42 East.  That ramp isn't accessible from the rest of the turbine.

[sprjus4]

This should not be a red flag.

There was an article a while back that Phase One was to be completed this summer.  Now sounding like August 2025 per above, which is good as I was worried they were going to change the traffic pattern before the heavy July 4th Vacation Traffic, with all Beach Condos rented around the Holiday.

Phase One was defined as the completion of the Local Roads and the New Entrance and Exit Ramps along the new Interchanges so that Existing US 70 can be shifted onto the Entrance and Exit Ramps.

Phase Two was then allowing the Bridges to be built in the Path of Existing US 70 Roadway.

The NC Project Site has been terrible at communicating Phase 1 and Phase 2 for the James City Project.

Wouldn't opening the bypass prior to the Fourth of July rush be better? To get traffic out of town?

[roadman65]

Is I-42 ( when completed through Kinston) supposed to serve that NC Global Park near Kinston Jetport?

[jcil4ever]

Is I-42 ( when completed through Kinston) supposed to serve that NC Global Park near Kinston Jetport?

Not directly. The current preferred alternative through the Kinston area would use the already-constructed intersection with NC-148. I believe that I-48 was one of the designations NCDOT once requested instead of I-42. Based on that numbering, it seemed logical that NCDOT anticipates this route eventually becoming a spur of 42. 

[roadman65]

So NC 148 could become an x-42.

I see the east end at NC 11 is designed to continue that roadway further is why I'm asking.


However I'm glad to see them build it South of the city in a straight line instead of an arc.

[sprjus4]

So NC 148 could become an x-42.

I see the east end at NC 11 is designed to continue that roadway further is why I'm asking.


However I'm glad to see them build it South of the city in a straight line instead of an arc.

NC-148 near the Global TransPark is a divided highway with several at-grade intersections, three signaled intersections, and at-grade railroad crossing. The later portions near US-70 and NC-11 were built to interstate standards, but that middle portion would still need to be upgraded. I'm not sure that is a priority for the area, with I-42 still looming, and previous talks about upgrading NC-11 and building an eastern bypass.

[roadman65]

I did see that NC 148 was not interstate freeway.  At Airport Road there is a signal and, like you said, many other at grades.   However, I was referring to that maybe NCDOT was planning to upgrade like they did to US 70 between Selma and Powhatan from arterial to freeway.

But if there are other worthwhile projects out there, and I-42 will have another alignment I'm sure it would be a future aspiration if things in that part of state change.

[LM117]

Shortly before the 2016 election, there was an attempt to get the NC-11/US-13 corridor between Kinston and Bethel designated a future interstate, but it didn't get anywhere and there's been no further talk of it since then as far as I know.

Given that the idea behind it was to give the Global Transpark an interstate connection to the Port of Virginia in Norfolk, it likely would've been another I-x87 if it had come to fruition.

[The Ghostbuster]

There was an Interstate 99 proposed in 2006 that would have gone from Charleston, SC to Wilmington, DE: http://www.vahighways.com/route-log/i099.htm. Obviously, nothing ever became of this proposal. As for the C.F. Harvey Pkwy., I'd leave it NC 148.

[sprjus4]

I did see that NC 148 was not interstate freeway.  At Airport Road there is a signal and, like you said, many other at grades.   However, I was referring to that maybe NCDOT was planning to upgrade like they did to US 70 between Selma and Powhatan from arterial to freeway.

US-70 carries over 30,000 AADT, is a major expressway to the coastal part of the state with a lot of regional traffic and is apart of a future interstate highway corridor.

NC-148 carries 7,000 AADT, serves a business park and carries local traffic. If anything, NC-148 is overbuilt by the fact that most of it is interstate standard. That being said, it is perfectly adequate for the traffic it carries for decades to come, and any major money in that region should be spent getting I-42 and I-795 complete.

[jcil4ever]

Did another drive through Wilson's Mills today. Rumble strips have been added, but looks like permanent paint and reflectors are still to come. Only other change I noticed were some additional Logo Signs. The end is in sight! (I think...)

Didn't notice any signage changes for the work to update signed to 42. I-40 is still signed for US-70.