If Independence Blvd was an Interstate

[DigitalSky]

Or at least would we need as much of it as we're getting?

[atlrvr]

Yes and no......485 wouldn't be necessary in the capacity of commuting had we built roads in a responsible fashion and had better land-use guidelines.......however, as far as moving truck traffic as 485 was originally intended, I'm not sure how much a difference making 74 would have been, since I don't think that the majority of the truck traffic comes from the east, but I could be wrong.

[cinco]

i do think that 485 would be the perfect size that it is now - if 74 had of been an interstate. as it stands 485 was too narrow the day it opened. i wish that 74 was at least a 6 lane interstate all the way down to wilmington...that just happened to be paralelled by high speed rail. while we're there lets take that all the way to asheville. dream big, i say.

[mediamongrel]

i do think that 485 would be the perfect size that it is now - if 74 had of been an interstate.  as it stands 485 was too narrow the day it opened.  i wish that 74 was at least a 6 lane interstate all the way down to wilmington...that just happened to be paralelled by high speed rail.  while we're there lets take that all the way to asheville.  dream big, i say.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's no light rail project that would go through the mountains near Shelby to Asheville. It would be too costly. However, it's not a bad idea to have and eight lane interstate on Rt. 74 from Charlotte to Wilmington. It probably wont happen though only because they have to overcome some big structural hurdles in Matthews. I know they plan to expand it to Monroe in the future, and I don't want to be around when they start doing construction on Rt. 74 in Matthews. Can you say TOTAL TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE?

[rockhilljames]

485 was buggered up for two reasons; not enough lanes and too many intersections. If they had made it 8 lanes to begin with, and intersections at only the major roads it would be a real outer belt.

Now it's just....a traffic jam.

[MZT]

East-to-West flow in Charlotte is just bad.

There's a huge chunk of land between 51 and Fairview/Tyvola that you have to snake and wiggle your way through. Making Independence an Interstate would not relieve much of that pressure, and taking 485 away would throw more of it, onto those only two (remaining) street level options.