Interstate 42

[74/171FAN]

Well there could be a debate with renumbering NC 46....

[LM117]

Well there could be a debate with renumbering NC 46....

Not really, since I-46 wouldn't cross NC-46 and would be a good distance away from each other, unlike the 42's.

[CanesFan27]

Well there could be a debate with renumbering NC 46....

Not really, since I-46 wouldn't cross NC-46 and would be a good distance away from each other, unlike the 42's.

The existence of NC/VA 46 was part of the reason they did. Or propose I-46.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2016/05/36-and-89-ncdot-submits-their.html

" The east west numbers that fell in the range between 40 and 64 had what we perceived as greater conflicts. The following routes were considered, but rejected due to the below reasons:
· 42 — has a State route that is a widely used in central and eastern NC
· 44 — received comments from people concerning 44 and confusing it with I- 440
· 46 — exists in both states, located in central NC
· 48 — has a State route that is widely used in central and eastern NC
· 50 — has a State route that is widely used in central and eastern NC
· 52 — NC and VA have a US route 52, but we prefer not to create other conflicts like 74
· 54 — has a State route used in central and eastern NC
· 58 — has a State route that is widely used in central and eastern NC
· 60 — avoiding utilizing 60 as well as 50based on review by FHWA
· 62 — exists in both states, located in central NC, less likely to be confused; however; VA would like to avoid the potential confusion with 64."

And

"  Once the Department receives approval, we will follow the process required to place the appropriate signs. We would like to place the signs as soon as we are able.
For the 70 corridor, the number 36 appears to be the only number in the range that did not have a conflict. There are several examples across the country where the numbers are slightly out of order."

When James Dunlop corrected myself and others about how and who decided and chose 42.  It's pretty obvious that NC did not want to conflict with any state route that is relatively close - in this case Aashto and to some extent the FHWA (see I-50) were clear on what they preferred and it ruled the day.

It's trivial but the change allowed me to write about it.
https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/07/more-nc-highway-oddities-on-way-hello.html

And in the end - it just keeps myself for gribblenation or Mike Roberson for the NCRoads annex something to write/update.

[74/171FAN]

44 — received comments from people concerning 44 and confusing it with I- 440

I cannot think of a world in which I would confuse I-440 with any route numbered 44.     Maybe I should blame VA 44 for this even though it has been gone almost 25 years.

[Mapmikey]

44 — received comments from people concerning 44 and confusing it with I- 440

I cannot think of a world in which I would confuse I-440 with any route numbered 44.     Maybe I should blame VA 44 for this even though it has been gone almost 25 years.

This may have been the impetus for NCDOT to request I-495 just 3 months after requesting I-44 for current I-87.  Otherwise, 44 checked all the boxes with no NC or VA 44 to coincide with.

I also wonder if the I-36 request meant Virginia was willing to renumber VA 36?  Virginia can certainly renumber the short VA 87 later if they wish.

[The Ghostbuster]

The Interstate 46 designation could have worked for the US 70 corridor (any number between 42 and 62 could have been added), but 42 was probably chosen since it would be north of Interstate 40 south of the Raleigh metropolitan area. The Interstate 46 designation would be the number I would choose for the US 412 corridor in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

[bob7374]

Update on Future I-42 work in Johnston County-
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-08-14-johnston-county-project-new-pattern.aspx

[The Ghostbuster]

What will happen west of the future Swift Creek Rd. and Wilson Mills Rd. interchanges? Will Strickland Rd. get a grade-separation or a cul-de-sac? How about Uzzie Dr. and Uzzle Industrial Dr.? The connection with Sadisco Rd. will definitely be eliminated. East of Bear Farm Rd. and Turnage Rd., W. Oak St. will get a cul-de-sac. Upgrading all of that should complete the upgrades of US 70 between Interstate 40 and Interstate 95.

[bob7374]

What will happen west of the future Swift Creek Rd. and Wilson Mills Rd. interchanges? Will Strickland Rd. get a grade-separation or a cul-de-sac? How about Uzzie Dr. and Uzzle Industrial Dr.? The connection with Sadisco Rd. will definitely be eliminated. East of Bear Farm Rd. and Turnage Rd., W. Oak St. will get a cul-de-sac. Upgrading all of that should complete the upgrades of US 70 between Interstate 40 and Interstate 95.

Based on the preliminary design map (available at: https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/us-70-wilsons-mills/Documents/us-70-wilsons-mills-project-map.pdf) it appears Strickland Road and the others will end at a pair of new frontage roads being built along the eastbound roadway between Sadisco Road's current intersection and Swift Creek Road and along the westbound highway from where Wilson Mills Road turns after paralleling US 70 to across from the current Sadisco Road intersection. Don't know if plans have changed since the map was published in 2020.

[bob7374]

Google Maps has Street View images from earlier this month for US 70 from James City through the future site of the Havelock Bypass. I have posted screen grabs such as this:


on my Future I-42 in NC pages which also includes updated construction progress info (and lack of progress in signing I-42 on the Goldsboro Bypass):
https://malmeroads.net/ncfutints/fut42.html#seg6photos

[The Ghostbuster]

Now if only the Google Maps Satellite would show the Havelock Bypass under construction.

[PiedmontHwys]

Knowing Google, it's probably gonna take another year or so for them to take satellite images around eastern Carolina.

[bob7374]

NCDOT announces opening of a new roundabout and service roads as part of US 70 (Future I-42) improvements in James City: https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-09-05-craven-county-roundabout.aspx

[The Ghostbuster]

"But they won't slow down the roundabout." Does anyone remember what the name of the 80's song this lyric is from, and who performed it?

[ARMOURERERIC]

The reflex duran duran

[bob7374]

NCDOT has announced a public meeting October 12 to discuss the upcoming movement of US 70 off of the Clayton Bypass and the renumbering of NC 42 due to the signing of I-42:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/public-meetings/Pages/us-70-business-70-nc-42-redesignation-2023-10-02.aspx

Doesn't look like any comments they may have received about problems with their NC 36 solution changed their minds.

[LM117]

NCDOT has announced a public meeting October 12 to discuss the upcoming movement of US 70 off of the Clayton Bypass and the renumbering of NC 42 due to the signing of I-42:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/public-meetings/Pages/us-70-business-70-nc-42-redesignation-2023-10-02.aspx

Doesn't look like any comments they may have received about problems with their NC 36 solution changed their minds.

Any word on when they're planning to sign I-42 in Goldsboro, now that US-70 Bypass is officially decommissioned?

[bob7374]

NCDOT has announced a public meeting October 12 to discuss the upcoming movement of US 70 off of the Clayton Bypass and the renumbering of NC 42 due to the signing of I-42:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/public-meetings/Pages/us-70-business-70-nc-42-redesignation-2023-10-02.aspx

Doesn't look like any comments they may have received about problems with their NC 36 solution changed their minds.

Any word on when they're planning to sign I-42 in Goldsboro, now that US-70 Bypass is officially decommissioned?

There has been no official announcement. Perhaps they are waiting until the Clayton Bypass is signed.

Here's the official I-42 Public Comment page: https://publicinput.com/US70-NC42-Clayton that has the summary and maps of what NCDOT is proposing. You'll notice now that they don't plan to sign NC 36 along what is now NC 42 between I-42 and US 70, but instead have NC 36 join I-42 until the Ranch Road exit and use that to get to US 70 avoiding the current Business 70/NC 42 overlap.

There's also now an official press release about the Oct. 12 meeting:
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-10-03-johnston-county-highway-changes.aspx

The latest Proposed NC 36 Map from the public input page:

[The Ghostbuster]

Either they should renumber all of NC 42 to NC 36, or they should abandon the proposal altogether. I don't think NC 42 should be spilt into two legs. I know both Arkansas, Indiana and Nebraska (and possibly more states) have state highways of the same number that are discontinuous, although I am not a supporter of doing so.

[LM117]

Upcoming overnight closures on US-70 in Wilson's Mills as part of the interstate upgrade project.

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2023/2023-10-05-johnston-county-project-requires-closures.aspx

[sturmde]

Either they should renumber all of NC 42 to NC 36, or they should abandon the proposal altogether. I don't think NC 42 should be spilt into two legs. I know both Arkansas, Indiana and Nebraska (and possibly more states) have state highways of the same number that are discontinuous, although I am not a supporter of doing so.

Not like NCDOT really asks... but what might work better... leave the easternmost part of NC 42 as signed heading west from Colerain, but terminate that at its northern join with NC 11.  Discontinue it south from there.  Discontinue it along the multiplex with NC 142.  Where NC 142 currently leaves westerly for NC 111, resign that as a new NC 442.  Replace NC 42 from there westerly with an new routing for NC 142.  Continue that all the way to US 70 east of Clayton, and follow the eastern part of "new NC 36" and terminate new NC 142 at I-42.  (Now the number makes some sense...)
.
What of the rest?  The westernmost part from Asheboro to Bennett is restored as a restored westernmost part of NC 902.
From NC 22 to Sanford, let that be NC 36.
And finally, the rest of NC 42, should be an eastern extension of NC 78 that would terminate at its interchange with I-42.
.
Don't co-sign a senseless NC 36 between two exits of I-42. 

[bugo]

There are 999 1, 2 or 3 digit numbers available, and there is no excuse for two highways of the same number to intersect or even come close to each other. I-74/US 74 is the most egregious of the examples. I-41/US 41 isn't quite as bad. Roads of the same number that intersect like US 27/GA 27, US 70/TX 70, US 287/MT 287 and US 360/VA 360 are inexcusable. Highways of the same number that run close to each other like US 270/OK 270, I-64/IN 64, US 59/AR 59 and US 54/TX 54 are nearly as bad. A lot of motorists only look at the number and not the designation, so they don't know whether to take US xx or SH xx. The average American is dumb, and the highway system needs to be dumbed down to accomodate them.

[sprjus4]

Roads of the same number that intersect like [...] US 360/VA 360 are inexcusable..

VA-360 was the old route of US-360, which was realigned in the 1970/1980s to follow along the parallel US-58 between South Boston and Danville, since that was a 4 lane divided highway.

Not excusing it being a duplicate designation basically, but that's why it is what it is.

[Mapmikey]

I don't understand NCDOT's problem with NC 42 given I-73 and NC 73 also intersect.  Is it because the 73 situation is much more rural?

The *simplest* solution (if not renumbering NC 42 in its entirety) for the eastern part is to renumber it as NC 124 (with current NC 124 becoming a bypass of Pinetops).  If they want to ditch the long NC 11 overlay, renumber the Colerain piece back to NC 350 as it was from 1933-1974.

Roads of the same number that intersect like [...] US 360/VA 360 are inexcusable..

VA-360 was the old route of US-360, which was realigned in the 1970/1980s to follow along the parallel US-58 between South Boston and Danville, since that was a 4 lane divided highway.

Not excusing it being a duplicate designation basically, but that's why it is what it is.

Virginia requested US 360 ALT and AASHTO turned them down.  Virginia should just sign it as VA 360 ALT.

[bwana39]

Just an FYI Oklahoma and Arkansas are upgrading US-412 and proposing that it be I-42 as well.