North Carolina

[D-Dey65]

Hey, while we're all talking about new highways and improved highways in North Carolina, I recently discovered some old ones in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Specifically. two NRHP-listed bridges over an old Southern Railway line. These are obviously the King Street Overhead Bridge (U.S. Business Route 74) and the Southern Railway Company Overhead Bridge, which carries a street with no apparent name. I looked at a GSV of the bridge and I see that it has been closed twice, more recently sometime between June 2023 and January 2026. When exactly has it been closed, and are there any plans to reopen it as a pedestrian bridge?

[WashuOtaku]

When exactly has it been closed, and are there any plans to reopen it as a pedestrian bridge?

I hope it does not become some walking trail nobody uses, rail corridors should be preserved till new rail business opportunities or for future intercity rail.

[D-Dey65]

^
It's not the railroad line I'm worried about (unless I should be). It's the bridge over that railroad line.

[brian440i]

Road Hypnosis:
As someone who drives from Raleigh to Washington DC fairly often - I have to deal with Road Hypnosis... I almost always take US1N/I85/I95 to DC but take I-95/I295/I95/US64W back to Raleigh...  pretty sure I'll die on I85S due to Tunnel Vision through the Pine Forest, if an actual accident occurred in Southern Virginia.

So I Take I95S...  but even on I-95 I almost miss I64W (Exit 138).
The Sign for Raleigh jsut after the Hunter Hill Overpass snaps me awake...   (PS It Helped once they cut all the Tree Limbs from the Sign)

But I keep wanting NC DOT to Extend the Exit Lane another 1/2 Mile Back and Have a Giant Overhead Sign (Maybe on Hunter Hill Bridge with a Nice Right Lane Exit Arrow for Rocky Mount/Raleigh.

Are there any other Hypnotic Roadways in the South East? Or Underwhelming Major Exits...

[fillup420]

Road Hypnosis:
As someone who drives from Raleigh to Washington DC fairly often - I have to deal with Road Hypnosis... I almost always take US1N/I85/I95 to DC but take I-95/I295/I95/US64W back to Raleigh...  pretty sure I'll die on I85S due to Tunnel Vision through the Pine Forest, if an actual accident occurred in Southern Virginia.

So I Take I95S...  but even on I-95 I almost miss I64W (Exit 138).
The Sign for Raleigh jsut after the Hunter Hill Overpass snaps me awake...  (PS It Helped once they cut all the Tree Limbs from the Sign)

But I keep wanting NC DOT to Extend the Exit Lane another 1/2 Mile Back and Have a Giant Overhead Sign (Maybe on Hunter Hill Bridge with a Nice Right Lane Exit Arrow for Rocky Mount/Raleigh.

Are there any other Hypnotic Roadways in the South East? Or Underwhelming Major Exits...

a few that i drive frequently or have driven:

- US 70 between Kinston and New Bern has a very long, pretty straight section.
- I-40 between I-95 and Wilmington is also very empty and straight.
- US 264 from Engelhard to the eastern terminus at US 64 is possibly the emptiest road I have driven in NC, both on traffic levels and things to look at.

[Dirt Roads]

- US 70 between Kinston and New Bern has a very long, pretty straight section.

Before the most recent tree farming activities, you had to "Watch for Bears" on that stretch at night.  Quite appropriate, given the name of the eastern end of this straightaway.

[jcil4ever]

- US 70 between Kinston and New Bern has a very long, pretty straight section.

Before the most recent tree farming activities, you had to "Watch for Bears" on that stretch at night.  Quite appropriate, given the name of the eastern end of this straightaway.

Just drove it tonight. No bears this time, but the shoulder is usually packed with deer. I've seen a bear killed on the shoulder too, very close to New Bern.

[architect77]

Road Hypnosis:
As someone who drives from Raleigh to Washington DC fairly often - I have to deal with Road Hypnosis... I almost always take US1N/I85/I95 to DC but take I-95/I295/I95/US64W back to Raleigh...  pretty sure I'll die on I85S due to Tunnel Vision through the Pine Forest, if an actual accident occurred in Southern Virginia.

So I Take I95S...  but even on I-95 I almost miss I64W (Exit 138).
The Sign for Raleigh jsut after the Hunter Hill Overpass snaps me awake...   (PS It Helped once they cut all the Tree Limbs from the Sign)

But I keep wanting NC DOT to Extend the Exit Lane another 1/2 Mile Back and Have a Giant Overhead Sign (Maybe on Hunter Hill Bridge with a Nice Right Lane Exit Arrow for Rocky Mount/Raleigh.

Are there any other Hypnotic Roadways in the South East? Or Underwhelming Major Exits...

I like how they add some variety in the layout of the interstate's original construction with each direction sometimes splitting apart with lots of trees in the middle. I don't believe any new divided highways really do that anymore. It's becoming more rare to see it.

I don't know if you've ever driven across the continental US but that hypnosis effect can be a big part of it. Kansas, for example, is 12-14 hours of just looking at a blank horizon with the sky meeting a flat horizon line. Every 30 minutes you see a little blip of something in the distance and as you get closer it's the same thing, a small cluster of trees, a silo, and a house, then back to flat horizon. Repeat that from sun up to sun down.

I can remember driving at night through Arizona and realizing that for the last 1-2 minutes I hadn't been actively thinking about anything, which meant I'm was asleep while moving at 75mph. The road noise and darkness are so conducive to sleep, and what feels so comfortable is actually deadly. When this happened I rolled the windows down and do whatever to wake up and head to the closest motel.

[WashuOtaku]

NC Quick Pass expanded interoperability with four more states today: Colorado (ExpressToll), Kansas (K-tag), Oklahoma (PikePass), and parts of Texas (TollTag). Within twelve months they plan to include  EZ TAG and TxTag. Here is the reference.

[WashuOtaku]

Clinched it, eastern terminus of U.S. Route 70.

I am glad NCDOT did the effort to install new route signage here, as they were missing in the Feb, 2024 Google Streetview. They even added new white sign for Cedar Island and put arrows on the secondary routes below.

[fillup420]

Clinched it, eastern terminus of U.S. Route 70.

I am glad NCDOT did the effort to install new route signage here, as they were missing in the Feb, 2024 Google Streetview. They even added new white sign for Cedar Island and put arrows on the secondary routes below.

That is my favorite route terminus out of all I have seen!

[brian440i]

Is there a Mechanism for Adding a New Statistic to the NC DOT Annual Report?

https://www.ncdot.gov/about-us/our-mission/Documents/2025-annual-report.pdf

I was reviewing the 2025 Annual Report (For Pedestranian Fatalities) when I started to Review all the Other Statistics. (Good Job Division 6 on Bridge Health)

It came to mind that if they add a Statistic on Quality of Road/Interstate Signage it might motivate a few laggard divisions to spend a bit more on repainting/replacing poor signs.

As with most businesses - you have to track the item to gage any improvement in the item.

[architect77]

Is there a Mechanism for Adding a New Statistic to the NC DOT Annual Report?

https://www.ncdot.gov/about-us/our-mission/Documents/2025-annual-report.pdf

I was reviewing the 2025 Annual Report (For Pedestranian Fatalities) when I started to Review all the Other Statistics. (Good Job Division 6 on Bridge Health)

It came to mind that if they add a Statistic on Quality of Road/Interstate Signage it might motivate a view laggard divisions to spend a bit more on repainting/replacing poor signs.

As with most businesses - you have to track the item to gage any improvement in the item.

You should report every maintenance need to them and also email DOT officials in the appropriate divisions. Their contact info is available on NCDOT's website employee database.

I looked at the report, I don't know if it replaces the MOPAR report they have published every 2 years or so in the past, but it's not as impressive at the MOPAR books from the 2010s. Budget constraints are really affecting what used to be one of the best DOTs in the country.

And now I know why Charlotte's freeways and highways and signage is so much bigger and more impressive than in Raleigh. The head of NCDOT is also the head of Division 10 which is Charlotte, Concord and adjacent counties to the East.

$8.1 billion operating budget aint' cutting it anymore. They need $10 billion annually to build and prepare for the state for its future 14 million residents 20 years from now.

[Rothman]

The head of NCDOT is also the head of Division 10 which is Charlotte, Concord and adjacent counties to the East.

Either this is incorrect or I'm interpreting NCDOT's structure incorrectly:

Daniel Johnson is NC's Secretary of Transportation.  Felix Obergon is NCDOT Highway Division 10's Division Engineer. 

Of course, DOT websites can lag behind personnel changes.

***

And, of course, the OP was asking how to get an entirely new statistic into a report rather than reporting a specific maintenance need.  A DOT has to define the performance measure (quality of signage is too vague), collect the data (no small feat) and then report out on it.  So, adding a statistic can be a big deal and expense if data is unavailable.

That said, I actually don't know how NYSDOT collects data on faded signage and the like, if it even does in the aggregate.  Regional offices are mandated to have cyclical replacement contracts, though.

[jdunlop]

He's talking about the chair of the Board.  Doesn't have much day to day involvement in department operations.

[Rothman]

He's talking about the chair of the Board.  Doesn't have much day to day involvement in department operations.

That still doesn't make total sense to me.  The Board chair is Anthony Lathrop, who isn't the head of Division 10...per what I'm seeing.

I mean, the chair of the Board is from Division 10, I suppose.  Wonder how the Board works, though, since sometimes the Chair can't just dictate over the wishes of the other board members in other cases.

[architect77]

My comment was merely my thoughts after looking at the scaled down report they publish for the state legislature every 2 years.

https://www.ncdot.gov/about-us/our-mission/Documents/2025-annual-report.pdf
There is a page of photos of NCDOT leadership from which my comment was referring to.

I quoted the post with the link. Charlotte does have the biggest and best interstates and freeways with the most lighting. And Raleigh is neglected in terms of maintenance and the quality of the freeways. SO many needed widening projects are needed in the Raleigh area and most are unfunded until 2035.

[jdunlop]

My comment was merely my thoughts after looking at the scaled down report they publish for the state legislature every 2 years.

https://www.ncdot.gov/about-us/our-mission/Documents/2025-annual-report.pdf
There is a page of photos of NCDOT leadership from which my comment was referring to.

I quoted the post with the link. Charlotte does have the biggest and best interstates and freeways with the most lighting. And Raleigh is neglected in terms of maintenance and the quality of the freeways. SO many needed widening projects are needed in the Raleigh area and most are unfunded until 2035.

The BOT is a policy making entity.  It does not make everyday decisions, and was specifically removed from project-making decisions a few governors ago. That power was given to the Secretary.  That doesn't mean they don't have influence regarding projects, just that the Board isn't the final decision makers.

The pictures are of the politically appointed Secretary and Board.  (Typical of such documents.)  If you go to the department's web site, the "leaders" listed and pictured are of the top staff, and not the Board.

https://www.ncdot.gov/about-us/our-people/Pages/default.aspx

[brian440i]

Raleigh's Peace Street Peeler Strikes again -  Thirsty for Pepsi on September 17th...

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdY6X9okS46/

[Mapmikey]

NC 172 has been decommissioned to SR 3329 within Camp Lejeune.  I wonder if that means one of the remaining segments will get a new number or if this is the first step in getting rid of NC 172 in its entirety:

https://xfer.services.ncdot.gov/gisdot/DOTDELetters/2026/06_June/Div03/HTO_067_06-26.pdf

[74/171FAN]

NC 172 has been decommissioned to SR 3329 within Camp Lejeune.  I wonder if that means one of the remaining segments will get a new number or if this is the first step in getting rid of NC 172 in its entirety:

https://xfer.services.ncdot.gov/gisdot/DOTDELetters/2026/06_June/Div03/HTO_067_06-26.pdf

Well I guess I do not need my Marines friend in the area to find a way to clinch it for me now.

[MBHockey13]

Raleigh's Peace Street Peeler Strikes again -  Thirsty for Pepsi on September 17th...

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdY6X9okS46/

No one is thirsty for Pepsi. If a place doesn't sell Coca-Cola products I walk. No big loss here.

[elsmere241]

I quoted the post with the link. Charlotte does have the biggest and best interstates and freeways with the most lighting. And Raleigh is neglected in terms of maintenance and the quality of the freeways. SO many needed widening projects are needed in the Raleigh area and most are unfunded until 2035.

No surprise to me.  The original plan for the Interstate Highway System ignored Raleigh completely with I-85 turning north at Durham, toward Richmond.  Eventually I-40 was extended east from Greensboro along I-85 up to Durham, then went to Raleigh and was gradually extended to Wilmington.  (To me, it would have made more sense for I-85 to go to from Greensboro to Washington along the US 29 corridor, and I-95 at least get closer to Raleigh following the US 1 corridor.)

When I lived in Raleigh 1998-2002 (parts of 1999 and 2000 in nearby Apex) lot of people there still thought the city was still that kind of place, or should have stayed that way.  That mentality was one of the factors when a proposed mixed-use development on 11-15 acres at Wade Avenue and Oberlin Road (that was derisively called "Coker Towers" was basically ridden out on a rail,  Not much later (in 2001) Charles Meeker, one of that group's leaders, ran for mayor of Raleigh.  Responding to a voicemail I'd sent him about that conflict, he said if "Coker Towers" had been limited each building to four stories his group might have supported it.  Meanwhile, just within a mile north of I-440 there were plenty of buildings a lot taller than four stories.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Portions of the US 221 Rutherfordton Bypass project have updated aerial imagery at Google maps.

[bob7374]

NCDOT to hold public hearing on proposed US 15-501 widening project in Pinehurst:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2026/2026-09-25-US-15-501-Widening-Meeting-Set.aspx