Winston-Salem/Lexington get I-285

[twincity]

Forsyth county finallyy gets an I-85 designation. Hopefully this will spur better "W-S" signage south of Davidson Couty.

http://journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pa...s=1037645509099

[DigitalSky]

Forsyth county finallyy gets an I-85 designation.  Hopefully this will spur better "W-S" signage south of Davidson Couty.

http://journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pa...s=1037645509099

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

wow.. I-285.. i'll have to get used to saying that now, even though Atlanta already has one called I-285 and I-585 would have made more sense.. lol

[StevenRocks]

Brilliant idea. I'm suprised no one thought about this designation sooner, since the road is practically interstate quality anyway.

[AnEverydayJo]

Finally, this has been talked about for years. I feel sorry for all of those who use 52/Future 285 to commute to work...you can see future plans at www.us52study.com and the entire highway in WS will be reconfigured. I suppose they are waiting for the competion of the Eastern portion of I-74 before starting any improvements on this road. As we in Winston know, and some of you through reading numerous threads about it's congestion, it's going to be ugly.

[Jerseyman4]

The road should be I-185 or I-385, not I-285. The front even number digit indicates that it is a beltway, forming a 360 or 180 from the parent interstate (that being I-85). I-485 in Charlotte, I-495 in Washington, I-695 in Baltimore, I-285 in Atlanta, future I-640 in Raleigh, future I-840 in Greensboro.

A front odd number indicates that it is a connector or a spur from its parent route. Examples of this are I-385 in SC, future I-785 north of Greensboro (this is US 29 as we all know), I-795 in Baltimore County and I-395 in northern Virginia.

[StevenRocks]

^ You're right, Jerseyman4. That is how it's supposed to work.

[JunktionFET]

I thought the same thing... in fact I could've almost sworn that was the rule--that an even number prefix had to cross its parent interstate twice, thus making it a "loop"... However I was shot down on another forum by people saying that an even number 3 digit interstate can end at another interstate and not just its parent. Heh, who knew...

I have no idea if that's true or if people are just making things up.

[dromulus]

i believe the rule is that the 3 digit must touch two interstates, not necessarily the same one. look at other cities in the country and you will see an even number 3 digit form a 1/4 circle around a city connecting between two different interstates.

[dubone]

i think this is great news. some people, even in winston, don't realize that 52 is practically an interstate, so a i285 name will go a long way.

I think it is kind of funny that 285 will go through downtown and 74 will bypass the city like a beltway .

us52 through downtown NEEDS upgrades (i really believed that 74 should just be routed through there... but whatever). It is scary to drive on at night (when i am usually on that road to get to the relatives i visit there).

[Jerseyman4]

i think this is great news. some people, even in winston, don't realize that 52 is practically an interstate, so a i285 name will go a long way.

I think it is kind of funny that 285 will go through downtown and 74 will bypass the city like a beltway .

us52 through downtown NEEDS upgrades (i really believed that 74 should just be routed through there... but whatever). It is scary to drive on at night (when i am usually on that road to get to the relatives i visit there).

One day when I-74 connects the midwest and is a continious route to NC, it is a lot better off that it is routed onto a new highway, bypassing to the east so regional and local traffic are not jammed through downtown Winston along the existening 4 lane urban freeway. Unless, it is upgraded to at least 8 lanes between I-40 and Germanton Road then perhaps I-74 should go through Winston so there are plenty of lanes to accomodate both regional and local traffic but then you'll need improvements to I-40 to US 311 to turn I-40 to 8 lanes then US 311 from 4 to 6 lanes to North Main Street in High Point. A mainline interstate in downtown Winston would certainly improve commerce and growth to downtown and bring more recognition to Old Salem.

[jasoniman24]

i think this is great news. some people, even in winston, don't realize that 52 is practically an interstate, so a i285 name will go a long way.

I think it is kind of funny that 285 will go through downtown and 74 will bypass the city like a beltway .

us52 through downtown NEEDS upgrades (i really believed that 74 should just be routed through there... but whatever). It is scary to drive on at night (when i am usually on that road to get to the relatives i visit there).

I agree, 52 is definately overdue for upgrades, more lanes, longer acceleration lanes, and could really use good lighting.

[Noneck_08]

Well heres a bump to an old thread. I was on my way to the mall and Sams Club this past sunday. And they had put up the future I-285 corrider signs. There is one just past the Hwy 8 interchange in Lexington and I saw another southbound after the I-40 interchange.

[DigitalSky]

Pretty cool

[cityboi]

wow.. I-285.. i'll have to get used to saying that now, even though Atlanta already has one called I-285 and I-585 would have made more sense.. lol

true, just like I-840 in Greensboro. I think Nashville's loop is I-840 too.

[sax184]

If this speeds up the development of the northern beltway, then this will be a very bad thing for Winston-Salem.

Loop freeways suck the life out of cities. NC doesn't need more interstates. It needs more neighborhoods and transportation systems that function without an automobile. This is not progress.

[Hotlanta]

If this speeds up the development of the northern beltway, then this will be a very bad thing for Winston-Salem.

Loop freeways suck the life out of cities. NC doesn't need more interstates. It needs more neighborhoods and transportation systems that function without an automobile. This is not progress.

No but it does sound attractive to businesses.

[Tre 4]

Yea right Hotlanta

[Jerseyman4]

If this speeds up the development of the northern beltway, then this will be a very bad thing for Winston-Salem.

The northeast quadrant of the beltway is I-74. Its needed to shift regional traffic away from DT Winston. Since US 52 will not see big improvements to handle future traffic volumes in and around DT, this piece of the beltway is very important.

[sax184]

The northeast quadrant of the beltway is I-74. Its needed to shift regional traffic away from DT Winston. Since US 52 will not see big improvements to handle future traffic volumes in and around DT, this piece of the beltway is very important.

Why is it necessary to shift traffic away from our city center? Does it need some life sucked out of it? Traffic congestion? It's practically nonexistent in Winston.

We're just subsidizing unsustainable development practices.

[twincity]

The northeast quadrant of the beltway is I-74. Its needed to shift regional traffic away from DT Winston. Since US 52 will not see big improvements to handle future traffic volumes in and around DT, this piece of the beltway is very important.

US 52 is supposed to be expanded to 8 lanes after the eastern leg of the beltway is complete.

[Jerseyman4]

US 52 is supposed to be expanded to 8 lanes after the eastern leg of the beltway is complete.

Please confirm that with a source*.

Why is it necessary to shift traffic away from our city center? Does it need some life sucked out of it? Traffic congestion? It's practically nonexistent in Winston.

We're just subsidizing unsustainable development practices.

I said regional traffic. A lot of it will be coming from the midwest as many will be using the I-73/I-74 corridor in the years to come (beach bound). US 52 is a very dangerous road, probably the worst in the Triad. Its a highway that CANNOT handle anymore traffic than it does already through DT at 4 lanes. There are no real plans* that im aware of to fix that stretch of highway and should be used as a local/commuter limited access route. I consider I-74 more of a bypass than a beltway through NE Forsyth County. If High Point has a bypass for north/south and east/west, Winston deserves a north-south bypass as well since I-40 serves as the southern bypass.

Would you think its acceptable today if Business 40 was still the mainline 40? That would be a disaster to drive on plus how many accidents and fatalities that would occur on the highway?

While you want to be concerned about your 2 mile radius around downtown thats fine but we have to look at things from broader perspective in todays economy.

[twincity]

source

12 miles of US 52 is proposed to be expanded to a continuous 6 lanes from I-40 to University Parkway. 8 lanes are proposed through the downtown area.

i took the time and read most of the information on the website. This project is much more than widening a highway. Its being used as a tool to encourage retail/residential/commercial development east of 52 in specific areas.

[Jerseyman4]

Good source and Division 9 at NCDOT's website pretty much matches the source. It wont be for years until we see the 52 improvements finished because knowing the history of NCDOT, projects never get done on time.

Work Type Funding Est. Cost Schedule (Fiscal Years)

PLANNING/DESIGN IN PROGRESS

MITIGATION NHS 4305 FFY [20]06

RIGHT-OF-WAY NHS 1600 FFY [20]08

CONSTRUCTION NHS 27300 FFY [20]08

RIGHT-OF-WAY NHS 11700 POST YEARS

CONSTRUCTION NHS 375000 POST YEARS

Prior Cost Total Est. Cost Length (miles)

1200 421105 12

Comment

DESIGN-BUILD PROJECT

ALL COST IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

Source: NCDOT

[blburton]

even though that project is years overdue, it will likely be 20 years before construction even begins.

Good source and Division 9 at NCDOT's website pretty much matches the source. It wont be for years until we see the 52 improvements finished because knowing the history of NCDOT, projects never get done on time.

Work Type Funding Est. Cost Schedule (Fiscal Years)

PLANNING/DESIGN IN PROGRESS

MITIGATION NHS 4305 FFY [20]06

RIGHT-OF-WAY NHS 1600 FFY [20]08

CONSTRUCTION NHS 27300 FFY [20]08

RIGHT-OF-WAY NHS 11700 POST YEARS

CONSTRUCTION NHS 375000 POST YEARS

Prior Cost Total Est. Cost Length (miles)

1200 421105 12

Comment

DESIGN-BUILD PROJECT

ALL COST IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

Source: NCDOT