Work on U.S. 70 years away

[DCMetroRaleigh]

News and Record

GREENSBORO -- As residential growth continues full throttle in eastern Guilford and western Alamance counties, transportation planners hope to quell traffic congestion by improving U.S. 70 between Greensboro and Burlington.

That's the good news for an area where 8,000 houses have been built or cleared for construction in recent years.

The bad news: If planning for the improvements started this fall, it could be up to eight years before construction begins, said Eric Midkiff of the state Department of Transportation's project development and analysis office.

[suburban george3]

That are needs improved transportation and QUICKLY! At the rate housing is going up there, it'll be a choke point in the very near future.

[Creasy336]

In 5 years it will take forever to drive between Greensboro and Burlington. 8 lane I-40/85 will be in gridlock from I-840 to atleast NC 49-Maple Avenue in Burlington. I don't even want to imagine 2 lane US 70 around that time.

[cityboi]

Hwy 70 may end up becoming a divided lane freeway parallel to I-85/40

[blburton]

This is a shame considering what's already proposed and what will be proposed because we know more development is forth coming.

[ezcheese]

yeah, it used to be fun to take 70 from greensboro to burlington, but it's already becoming more of a chore than it is enjoyable. it's going to get much worse before it gets better.

[Roadgeek]

yeah, it used to be fun to take 70 from greensboro to burlington, but it's already becoming more of a chore than it is enjoyable. it's going to get much worse before it gets better.

I don't know why parents prefer 70 than 40/85 when traveling to Burlington. The Interstate just seems a lot quicker.

[otherstream]

I don't know why parents prefer 70 than 40/85 when traveling to Burlington. The Interstate just seems a lot quicker.

Maybe it's not so much about speed. It's just that it's sometimes more interesting to use the old road. Interestingly enough, when I was a kid, I used to actually request that my parents take 70 rather than 85.

As Charles Kurault once said, "Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything."

[ezcheese]

the interstate is a lot quicker. i take it to and from work every day. but sometimes it's nice to take the old road, like otherstream said. the problem is that 70 is getting less interesting as it's being developed.

[otherstream]

the problem is that 70 is getting less interesting as it's being developed.

Granted, it taxes the imagination to find the visual interest in a string of treeless subdivisions full of identical, vinyl-clad houses on streets like "Whimpering Fawn Terrace" or "Range Rover Road", especially when you're behind someone trying to make a left turn into one of these little corners of paradise from a two-lane road.