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Started by Alex, February 04, 2009, 12:22:16 AM

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74/171FAN

^As I grew up in Prince George County, I have driven through this interchange many times over the years even though I lived very close to Hopewell.  I started driving in this area more once my friends in the neighborhood that I grew up with moved to Carson.
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.


cpzilliacus

Quote from: plain on January 07, 2021, 08:22:46 PM
The RPT claimed some homes in Petersburg but not nearly as many as in Richmond's Jackson Ward. So I would have to agree with Takumi, very little impact to Petersburg, if any. Looking at Historic Aerials, much of the Petersburg segments followed undeveloped plots anyway.

Thanks.

Quote from: plain on January 07, 2021, 08:22:46 PM

Actually, the I-64 interchange with the RPT led to even more homes being taken in Jackson Ward, on top of what happened 10 years prior.

The big one, however, is the construction of the Downtown Expressway (VA 195), which took hundreds of homes from US 1/301 westward.

Jackson Ward was starting a slow decline in the years preceding construction of the RPT, but the highway definitely help speed that decline up, on top of splitting the neighborhood into two.

Strange, I am familiar with the Downtown Expressway, but was not aware of its negative impacts at all. 

There has been a fair amount of writing about the racist routing of the RPT by VDH through African American neighborhoods in Richmond, but this is the first time I have seen anything that mentions the Downtown Expressway.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

WillWeaverRVA

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 08, 2021, 12:15:24 PM
VDOT tweeted another great "Then and Now." Love the old signs in the top photo, and it's striking how little the spot has changed in just over 60 years.

https://twitter.com/VaDOT/status/1347591910765035522

Really interesting. It looks like US 301 was already in the process of becoming I-95 here.
Will Weaver
WillWeaverRVA Photography | Twitter

"But how will the oxen know where to drown if we renumber the Oregon Trail?" - NE2

sprjus4

#5478
^

The section of I-95 north of VA-35 was completed around 1961, though US-301 remained a four-lane divided highway south of there until it was finally upgraded to interstate standards around 1980 down towards Jarratt.

1995hoo

One of the things I find striking in the 1959 picture is the lack of edge striping. Of course we've all driven on roads that don't have such striping, but off the top of my head I'm not sure I've driven on a road of the sort seen in that picture (as opposed to two-lane roads or similar) that didn't have them (the Colonial Parkway near Williamsburg doesn't count). I'm sure to some degree that's a generational thing.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Mapmikey

Here is a picture from the same view in 1956 (from Virginia Hwys Bulletin):




US 301 had just been 4-laned to this area when this photo was taken.  The road signed as VA 35 was actually VA 35Y and prior to about this time (vahighways project needs updating on this info) was US 301's route.

The exit ramp veers to the right of the VA 35Y road.

Not sure if at this point in 1956 they knew I-95 was coming through here yet or if the plan was going to be twinning US 301 on new alignments from here to Petersburg.


plain

Quote from: cpzilliacus on January 08, 2021, 01:28:27 PM
Quote from: plain on January 07, 2021, 08:22:46 PM
The RPT claimed some homes in Petersburg but not nearly as many as in Richmond's Jackson Ward. So I would have to agree with Takumi, very little impact to Petersburg, if any. Looking at Historic Aerials, much of the Petersburg segments followed undeveloped plots anyway.

Thanks.

Quote from: plain on January 07, 2021, 08:22:46 PM

Actually, the I-64 interchange with the RPT led to even more homes being taken in Jackson Ward, on top of what happened 10 years prior.

The big one, however, is the construction of the Downtown Expressway (VA 195), which took hundreds of homes from US 1/301 westward.

Jackson Ward was starting a slow decline in the years preceding construction of the RPT, but the highway definitely help speed that decline up, on top of splitting the neighborhood into two.

Strange, I am familiar with the Downtown Expressway, but was not aware of its negative impacts at all. 

There has been a fair amount of writing about the racist routing of the RPT by VDH through African American neighborhoods in Richmond, but this is the first time I have seen anything that mentions the Downtown Expressway.

The neighborhoods affected by VA 195 were Randolph, which was/is primarily black, and Oregon Hill, which was/is primarily white.

I noted this expressway mostly because of the number of homes leveled. Though technically Randolph was more affected due to it being the larger neighborhood of the two, it still sucked (they certainly wasn't about to route it through The Fan..)


_____________________________________

As for that US 301 picture VDOT put out, another good one! I hope they keep them coming. This wasn't the only spot on this road that lacked shoulder striping. I saw a pic of a book cover online that showed US 301 near Stony Creek and it looked very similar: divided with no outside striping to be found. I also saw pics of the Turner Turnpike (OK) from the 1950's that lacked those lines. I guess some states weren't uniform yet with such practices.
Newark born, Richmond bred

D-Dey65

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 08, 2021, 12:15:24 PM
VDOT tweeted another great "Then and Now." Love the old signs in the top photo, and it's striking how little the spot has changed in just over 60 years.

https://twitter.com/VaDOT/status/1347591910765035522
I remember bringing up this interchange in a post.  But I'm up way too late, so I won't go searching for it now.



sprjus4

#5483
Information regarding a future project along the US-58 / US-13 / US-460 connector between Suffolk and Bowers Hill that would construct a flyover at the SPSA Regional Landfill, will be presented at the HRTPO Transportation Programming Subcommittee meeting on January 15, 2021.

If constructed, this would eliminate one of the few dangerous at-grade crossings along a major corridor that effectively functions as a 60 mph 6 lane freeway.

Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) Flyover Project Phase 1: Update - SPSA
QuoteThe SPSA Flyover — Phase I Project improves the safety and efficiency of the U.S. Route 460/58/13 corridor by removing a hazardous at-grade intersection along the high-speed corridor with a new flyover ramp connecting to the Regional Landfill. The combined 20- year benefit of the project translates to 200 fewer crashes and 325 hours of travel time savings for travelers along the U.S. Route 460/58/13 corridor and users of the SPSA Regional Landfill.

The proposed flyover would direct eastbound traffic destined for the landfill to a new ramp on the right-hand side of the road, carry it over U.S. 460/58/13, and deliver it into a new acceleration/deceleration lane on the right-hand side of westbound U.S. 460/58/13 so that landfill traffic could safely make a right turn into the facility. The crossover currently used for the eastbound left turns into the landfill would be closed, thereby completely eliminating the hazardous maneuver.

Solid waste disposal is well-recognized as a critical public service for local governments. The waste disposal services provided by SPSA are essential to the continued health, welfare, and prosperity of Southeastern Virginia's economic engine.

The Regional Landfill ensures that the SPSA member localities have an environmentally safe and reliable solution to waste disposal. Without the flyover, SPSA will be unable to expand the current landfill and the region would lose that safety and reliability due to the uncertainty of private landfills and their lack of emphasis on environmental stewardship.


After doing some digging, I came across this resolution given back in May 2020 in regards to applying for a BUILD grant application for the project, which provided a higher resolution conceptual drawing of the "I-58 / SPSA flyover interchange".

https://spsa.com/application/files/2216/0192/0718/Board_Agenda_-_May_2020.pdf

plain

That certainly looks promising, would be a huge improvement. Hope they keep them coming. One cross section eliminated, 5 more to go.
Newark born, Richmond bred

plain

From a 1991 video posted in the Old Baltimore Area Signs thread are these screenshots of BGS's on the Richmond-Petersburg Tpk. Not the best quality pics but you should be able to see that most of them had the exit numbers inside the BGS instead of on a separate tab.



moto g(7) optimo (XT1952DL)

Newark born, Richmond bred

1995hoo

Nice find. Those exit signs look like they adopted Jersey Turnpike style with the exception of the arrows.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

plain

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 13, 2021, 10:38:15 PM
Nice find. Those exit signs look like they adopted Jersey Turnpike style with the exception of the arrows.

Yeah the RPT definitely mimicked the NJTP in that regard. I have some more pics somewhere ranging from the late 1950's to the early 80's with the same style signs at other exits, along with some rather unique ones at the exit gores themselves. I'll try to dig those up sometime.

Also, from that same video mentioned, I captured the Belvedere toll plaza and the ramp tolls at 7th St (I-64 EB) and Chamberlayne Pkwy but they didn't come out as clear as I hoped.
Newark born, Richmond bred

WillWeaverRVA

Quote from: plain on January 13, 2021, 10:25:47 PM
From a 1991 video posted in the Old Baltimore Area Signs thread are these screenshots of BGS's on the Richmond-Petersburg Tpk. Not the best quality pics but you should be able to see that most of them had the exit numbers inside the BGS instead of on a separate tab.



moto g(7) optimo (XT1952DL)



A couple of those BGSes are actually still around, namely that I-64 sign on the James River Bridge. The "75" patch blew off at one point, revealing the original exit number (11), until the exit tab was replaced.

Also, interesting to see that US 33 was erroneously signed on this portion of Broad Street in 1991. It should just be US 250 (specifically, US 250 west).
Will Weaver
WillWeaverRVA Photography | Twitter

"But how will the oxen know where to drown if we renumber the Oregon Trail?" - NE2

1995hoo

That sign on the bridge appears to be missing in the most recent Street View image from last March.

Edited to add: The exit number as seen in July 2011 is rather amusing. https://goo.gl/maps/49QmAuEMATV31s9o9
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

WillWeaverRVA

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 14, 2021, 10:01:26 AM
That sign on the bridge appears to be missing in the most recent Street View image from last March.

Edited to add: The exit number as seen in July 2011 is rather amusing. https://goo.gl/maps/49QmAuEMATV31s9o9

Yeah, they threw that on after the previous patch blew off. And I was wrong, they didn't replace the tab, they just threw on a bigger "75" patch on top of the tiny one.

I have no idea how I didn't notice that the sign was gone, though, and I live here! VDOT did recently refresh a bunch of overhead signs along I-95 (mainly along the I-64 concurrency), so that might be why this one was removed. I have no idea if it's been replaced.
Will Weaver
WillWeaverRVA Photography | Twitter

"But how will the oxen know where to drown if we renumber the Oregon Trail?" - NE2

1995hoo

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on January 14, 2021, 10:28:09 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 14, 2021, 10:01:26 AM
That sign on the bridge appears to be missing in the most recent Street View image from last March.

Edited to add: The exit number as seen in July 2011 is rather amusing. https://goo.gl/maps/49QmAuEMATV31s9o9

Yeah, they threw that on after the previous patch blew off. And I was wrong, they didn't replace the tab, they just threw on a bigger "75" patch on top of the tiny one.

I have no idea how I didn't notice that the sign was gone, though, and I live here! VDOT did recently refresh a bunch of overhead signs along I-95 (mainly along the I-64 concurrency), so that might be why this one was removed. I have no idea if it's been replaced.


To some degree, I think when you're familiar with a road and its signs you sometimes see what your mind believes to be there or knows should be there. It's similar to proofreading your own work. Often it's easy to miss your own typos because you know what you meant to say and your mind therefore "sees" what you meant and not what you actually typed.

I haven't been through Richmond on I-95 in several years. We usually opt for I-295 unless it's a time of day when we're getting particularly hungry, in which case we'll take I-95 and stop at the VA-10 exit just because there are a good number of options there.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

plain

The US 33 posting has always annoyed me. Not only hasn't been on that part of Broad St since 1981, it hasn't existed anywhere east of Harrison St, or Hancock, or something, since then. The split on Exit 74C (heading east) leads directly to Oliver Hill Way (17th St/US 360 WB) but really no need to sign that either at that point. It could say TO EAST US 60 or TO EAST VA 33, but given how shitty the city is with signing routes it would be too confusing trying to get to them. Might as well just say Broad St EAST.

I'm almost thinking that I-64 posting on the bridge is gone because VDOT felt there was just too much information there, but then again why now after so many years (that sign was probably put up in 1976)
Newark born, Richmond bred

D-Dey65

Arcadia publishing has those Images of America books on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I wonder if anyone ever considered a book on the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike.



D-Dey65


Takumi

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on January 14, 2021, 10:28:09 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 14, 2021, 10:01:26 AM
That sign on the bridge appears to be missing in the most recent Street View image from last March.

Edited to add: The exit number as seen in July 2011 is rather amusing. https://goo.gl/maps/49QmAuEMATV31s9o9

Yeah, they threw that on after the previous patch blew off. And I was wrong, they didn't replace the tab, they just threw on a bigger "75" patch on top of the tiny one.

I have no idea how I didn't notice that the sign was gone, though, and I live here! VDOT did recently refresh a bunch of overhead signs along I-95 (mainly along the I-64 concurrency), so that might be why this one was removed. I have no idea if it's been replaced.

Yeah, I've been passing the staged replacements heading to work every morning. Up next is the one before Bells Road with the greenout.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

TheGrassGuy

How did the Cumberland Gap area look like before the tunnel was built?
If you ever feel useless, remember that CR 504 exists.

Mapmikey

Quote from: TheGrassGuy on January 20, 2021, 04:49:19 PM
How did the Cumberland Gap area look like before the tunnel was built?

Historicaerials.com has 1950s and 1980s views that show two other US 25E configurations

The Virginia Hwys Page entry for US 25E gives some description of the configurations using Topo maps to illustrate - http://www.vahighways.com/route-log/us025.htm

Jmiles32

Here are the draft Smart Scale Round 4 project scores: https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/dailyprogress.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/20/f207f738-5c1e-11eb-86cd-3724f7c459dd/6009d64125101.pdf.pdf

Some projects that scored well and stand out to me are as follows:

1. I-64/Denbigh Blvd Interchange ($46 million). Is there room for this?
2. I-77 northbound truck climbing lane ($16 million) Not exactly sure where this will be though.
3. Hydraulic Road and US-29 ($5 million) I'm assuming that an interchange improvement here has probably been dropped.
4. I-66 Exit 28 Improvements ($16 million and two separate projects).
5. VA-2/US-17 Business Widening south of Fredericksburg ($20 million).
5. Berry Hill Connector between US-311 and the Danville Bypass (US-58) ($38 million).
6. US-1 Widening through Dumfries ($50 million) Thought the NVTA already recently funded this...
7. VA-294 (PW Pkwy) and Old Bridge Road Intersection Improvements ($34 million).
8. Intercity rail service expansion along I-81 and US-29 corridors ($50 million).
Aspiring Transportation Planner at Virginia Tech. Go Hokies!

plain

The proposed interchange on I-64 at VA 173 is needed, but I agree... How are they going to pull this off with very little room? They're in the process of rebuilding the overpass there, if they already had this interchange in mind then they should design the bridge to accommodate a diamond (where the ramps on the western side can squeeze in between the interstate and the railroad).
Newark born, Richmond bred



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