Interstate 42 (E)

[cowboy_wilhelm]

It's sad to see the visible cost cutting where gore signs are only on a single post. NCDOT used to anchor every shoulder sign with multiple posts back in the glory days.

I'm not sure when the "glory days" were, but there are lots of single post gore signs out there that have been around for at least 20 years.

[jcil4ever]

The design speed is 70 mph between the interchanges. I have no idea if the interchange design speeds were modified later or not. Max can be 8% or 10%.

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/Roadway/RDM/2026%20Feb%20RDM.pdf?#page=69

Someone on here has said this before, but NCDOT's M.O. seems to be designing these freeway segments with their lower intrastate freeway standards instead of interstate standards to lower the cost, then request design exceptions later after applying for a blue shield.

This was the article I saw that mentioned that the design speed for the interchange was originally lower. Note it only mentions the northern (western) interchange. Perhaps the southern (eastern) interchange (with the slopes) still has a slower design speed since there are no immediate plans to continue to 42 past this point, thus no need to keep up 70 mph. The speed drops to 55 mph before entering the interchange. Of course it does westbound as well, but hopefully that will change in a few years!

That was the word from Brad McMannen, NCDOT's resident engineer on the U.S. 70/Havelock Bypass, in late September when he was asked to give an update on the project.

He said the new 10.3-mi., four-lane divided highway, designed to divert traffic to the west side of the small town and encompass parts of Craven and Carteret counties, has progressed to the point that he felt confident in saying construction crews are likely to have the job finished late next summer — only a few months longer than his agency anticipated in 2014.

"A lot of that delay is because of the interchange at the north end of Havelock where U.S. 70 meets U.S. 70 Business," he explained. "We had to hold up the construction until we got a redesign on that part of the project."

Originally, the interchange was planned so that traffic would travel at 60 mph, but an upcoming project that ties into the bypass has a speed limit of 70 mph.

"With the bypass and that new project each having higher speed limits than the interchange, we needed a redesign to make it 70 mph throughout, meaning we also had to change some walls, and do a little bit of structure and field work," McMannen said.

The change also boosted the overall price tag of the bypass. McMannen declined to name a cost figure for the redesign, but NCDOT currently lists the construction at $167.2 million.

[architect77]

It's sad to see the visible cost cutting where gore signs are only on a single post. NCDOT used to anchor every shoulder sign with multiple posts back in the glory days.

I'm not sure when the "glory days" were, but there are lots of single post gore signs out there that have been around for at least 20 years.

I wonder if these single posts have concrete footings like most had back in the glory days.

The blue gas, food, lodging signs on the I40/I-85 duplex through Burlington are mostly perfectly level after 30 years due to the quality installation standards.

I personally when I see leaning shoulder signs across the state because they aren't ever shored back up. I see the same signs leaning for years.

There are many slips in the high standards from the glory days (15-30 ago), and of course the biannual hurricanes are much of the reason that NCDOT's budget is always constrained. They should raise the gas tax 15-20 cents per gallon with an equal increase in EV registration fees to get back to the high standards the roads have always been built to.

I missed the curved exposed steel overpasses and signs have bigger green backgrounds. It's undeniable that standards have declined and these pairs of skinny over head signs paired overhead look terrible to me.

Meanwhile Georgia's signage is now bigger than ever with oversized lettering finally befitting for the nexus of the Southeast. Georgia's highways are commanding serious respect now.

Here is NCDOT's former high standards for gore signs, and the handsome curved steel overpass that used to be the standard in NC.

2post by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr


curved by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

[bob7374]

NCDOT using cellular concrete in Future I-42 James City project construction:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2026/2026-3-5-innovative-cement-solution-us-70-improvement-project.aspx

[jcil4ever]

Drove to and from the Triangle today and, when heading west, saw crews in the eastbound lanes replacing the Buffalo Rd. exit sign and grabbed a recording on the way home. Notice the covered exit number, suggesting these exits between Wilson's Mills and Selma may be about to be updated to I-42's mileage:


I didn't see any other signs of renumbering beyond 42's current end at US-70/70 Business. This sign for US-70 looked new as well (it definitely slimmed up compared to the old sign!), but kept the US-70 mileage-based exit number:


apologies for the bad quality; screen grabs from dashcam.

[bob7374]

Drove to and from the Triangle today and, when heading west, saw crews in the eastbound lanes replacing the Buffalo Rd. exit sign and grabbed a recording on the way home. Notice the covered exit number, suggesting these exits between Wilson's Mills and Selma may be about to be updated to I-42's mileage:


I didn't see any other signs of renumbering beyond 42's current end at US-70/70 Business. This sign for US-70 looked new as well (it definitely slimmed up compared to the old sign!), but kept the US-70 mileage-based exit number:


apologies for the bad quality; screen grabs from dashcam.

Interesting. Perhaps someone else thought the two different exit numbering systems on I-42/Future I-42 between I-40 and I-95 was confusing, especially where the same exit at the east end of the Clayton Bypass has 2 different numbers (10/326) depending on your direction. Based on those numbers, the Swift Creek exit would become 13, Wilson's Mills Road 14, Buffalo Road 17 and the US 70 East exit 18. Don't know if this means that NCDOT has gotten permission to extend I-42 eastward as they stated they were trying to do a few months ago.

[ElishaGOtis]

NCDOT using cellular concrete in Future I-42 James City project construction:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2026/2026-3-5-innovative-cement-solution-us-70-improvement-project.aspx

Oooooooooooooo I wanna see how this will work out... 👀

A certain highway in Texas probably could have benefited greatly from this mix and a better subgrade *cough* _SH-130 *cough*

[jcil4ever]

Interesting. Perhaps someone else thought the two different exit numbering systems on I-42/Future I-42 between I-40 and I-95 was confusing, especially where the same exit at the east end of the Clayton Bypass has 2 different numbers (10/326) depending on your direction. Based on those numbers, the Swift Creek exit would become 13, Wilson's Mills Road 14, Buffalo Road 17 and the US 70 East exit 18. Don't know if this means that NCDOT has gotten permission to extend I-42 eastward as they stated they were trying to do a few months ago.

I agree; unifying the exit numbering to match 42's mileage would make sense and has some precedent, like 264 now using 587's mileage west of 95.

[Great Lakes Roads]

An update on the James City segment of future I-42 as of a month ago... still a long way to go towards completion!

[bob7374]

NCDOT announces widening project for Wayne Memorial Drive between Maxwell Center and I-42 interchange:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2026/2026-05-05-wayne-memorial-drive-project.aspx

[LM117]

NCDOT announces widening project for Wayne Memorial Drive between Maxwell Center and I-42 interchange:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2026/2026-05-05-wayne-memorial-drive-project.aspx

Much needed.

[bob7374]

Control City Freak takes on I-42 (and US 70 where it's not signed):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBxt5KpHugE

[bob7374]

The new DriveNC app does not know what to call the route between the Clayton Bypass and Bypass 70. They posted 2 alerts at Swift Creek Road today indicating the ramp eastbound would be closed the next couple days. One says its on I-42, the other on US 70. It is signed I-42 on the traffic map. A traffic camera image though showed it is still signed as US 70.

[architect77]

So is the Kinston section all that remains? It's not even funded yet is it? Anyway if the trip time from Raleigh to Morehead can be reduced to 2.5 hours or less, it will be a good thing.

I doubt the average speed will ever be as fast as I-40 to Wilmington where people seem to haul *ss.

Kinston section, plus New Bern to Morehead City, and then Smithfield to Goldsboro. So still a lot be done.

How much does the Havelock bypass take care of the New Bern to Morehead City stretch?

[fillup420]

So is the Kinston section all that remains? It's not even funded yet is it? Anyway if the trip time from Raleigh to Morehead can be reduced to 2.5 hours or less, it will be a good thing.

I doubt the average speed will ever be as fast as I-40 to Wilmington where people seem to haul *ss.

Kinston section, plus New Bern to Morehead City, and then Smithfield to Goldsboro. So still a lot be done.

How much does the Havelock bypass take care of the New Bern to Morehead City stretch?

only a portion of the entire planned route, but it definitely eliminates one of the most annoying parts of driving US 70 to the coast. Going through Havelock with all the lights was maddening.

[bob7374]

Mileage Mike has a new video out about I-42:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdU8NzFDc4g

There's also an interesting comment stating that I-42 is now signed starting at Exit 338 in Pine Level, except the section between Buffalo Road and the Neuse River bridge, through Wilson's Mills to the Clayton Bypass.  Can anyone confirm this? This would explain why NCDOT's new traffic map has this stretch of US 70 signed as I-42 also.

[jcil4ever]

There's also an interesting comment stating that I-42 is now signed starting at Exit 338 in Pine Level, except the section between Buffalo Road and the Neuse River bridge, through Wilson's Mills to the Clayton Bypass.  Can anyone confirm this? This would explain why NCDOT's new traffic map has this stretch of US 70 signed as I-42 also.

Just drove 70/42 West from Raleigh Friday night. I didn't see any changes in signage. I-42 still ends at US-70/US-70 Business (Exit 10).

The only extension I've noticed (and this has been a few months) is that I-42 grew a few hundred feet westward in Goldsboro. The TO I-42 sign just past Community Drive has been changed from TO I-42 (and, before that, TO Bypass 70) to a reassurance shield for both 42 & 70. You can see the previous TO sign at 38:18 here. You can (kind of) see the current setup at 29:24 here. I'll try to remember to grab a shot of it some time. Pretty sure that stretch between Community Dr. and the 70 split isn't up to Interstate standards, but who's counting? 

[bob7374]

There's also an interesting comment stating that I-42 is now signed starting at Exit 338 in Pine Level, except the section between Buffalo Road and the Neuse River bridge, through Wilson's Mills to the Clayton Bypass.  Can anyone confirm this? This would explain why NCDOT's new traffic map has this stretch of US 70 signed as I-42 also.

Just drove 70/42 West from Raleigh Friday night. I didn't see any changes in signage. I-42 still ends at US-70/US-70 Business (Exit 10).

The only extension I've noticed (and this has been a few months) is that I-42 grew a few hundred feet westward in Goldsboro. The TO I-42 sign just past Community Drive has been changed from TO I-42 (and, before that, TO Bypass 70) to a reassurance shield for both 42 & 70. You can see the previous TO sign at 38:18 here. You can (kind of) see the current setup at 29:24 here. I'll try to remember to grab a shot of it some time. Pretty sure that stretch between Community Dr. and the 70 split isn't up to Interstate standards, but who's counting?

Thanks. I replied to the commenter's statement with your news. He modified his comment by deleting mine.
A traffic camera at the east end of the Bypass this morning shows an East US 70 reassurance marker.

[bob7374]

NCDOT announces work on the third of 5 new interchange bridges along US 70 (Future I-42) at Thurman Road in James City will begin this weekend (6/20-21):
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2026/2026-06-17-construction-on-thurman-bridge-us70-improvements-continue.aspx