Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction

[KJHburg]

My inaugural drive along the Monroe Expressway US 74 toll road.  Took me 8 minutes at 65-70 mph from I-485 to US 601 exit north of downtown Monroe.  That is time savings of at least half with all the lights I missed.

First 12 photos heading down to Monroe from I-485 to US 601 exit. 

Then I went up US 74 Business which did indeed seem to have less traffic on it and got back on Unionville Indian Trail Road exit which they call Lake Park (I think they need to add the road name) back up to I=485.  The brick walls are really nice as are all the bridges that are labeled.  I would say 2/3 of the traffic went the non toll road split at I-485 and 1/3 went onto the toll road. 

the sunnier shots were the return trip as the sun was out by then. 

 

[KJHburg]

I-77 express lanes under construction near uptown.  Today.  Other place you will able to use your NC EZ Pass and I heard from their office the first 6 months after it opens the toll rates will be static i.e. not changing until they see how people use the lanes.  

[KJHburg]

Just a follow up it took 48 hours for my toll charges to appear on my online account with NC Quick Pass.  I have contributed a total of $1.12 towards the construction of this road.  Now I will add my moms car to my account and get her a sticker so we can go to Wilmington on our annual trip and save time.  She likes to be in Wilmington by lunch time LOL 

[elrodvt]

Didn't spring for the HOV option?

[KJHburg]

2 hours ago, elrodvt said:

Didn't spring for the HOV option?

doesn't apply to the Monroe Bypass it will make a difference on the 77 express lanes but not US 74.

[elrodvt]

I read Washington not wilmington.  Presume you can switch later.

[NCMike1990]

A list of highway and street projects happening in 2019. 

http://www.wbtv.com/2018/12/31/i-toll-lanes-other-projects-that-will-be-happening-around-charlotte/

[C85]

25 minutes ago, NCMike1990 said:

A list of highway and street projects happening in 2019. 

http://www.wbtv.com/2018/12/31/i-toll-lanes-other-projects-that-will-be-happening-around-charlotte/

Graham Street - 1.https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2926869,-80.7955593,3a,75y,29.01h,98.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVXuwosNrHMKXn08xiG-2iA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 beginning 

2.https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3003329,-80.7938363,3a,75y,69.35h,89.75t/data=!3m10!1e1!3m8!1sQcpdMJKzZn7RCCQc6mGV5g!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DQcpdMJKzZn7RCCQc6mGV5g%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D66.15232%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656!9m2!1b1!2i51 middle

3.https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3040737,-80.7937572,3a,75y,185.06h,92.92t/data=!3m9!1e1!3m7!1sPzvunZTAIQzuUEnRVxgucg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!9m2!1b1!2i51 middle 

4.https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3092396,-80.7940526,3a,90y,179.98h,95.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-9p1xfQtxVODTpZvpMRCCg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 end

Edited January 1, 2019 by C85

[Hushpuppy321]

Absolutely awesome picture of our Metropolis and highway construction.   Do you guys think there's any possibility for High Rise construction within the Music Factory site?

Edited January 1, 2019 by Hushpuppy321

[KJHburg]

77 Express lanes.  This new interchange rebuild at 277 and 77 is going to be impressive.  As I noted on my recent Nashville trip they don't build road there or light rail for that matter and for a growing city like Charlotte this is needed.  Today from several angles.  I will  use my NCQuickpass just to ride up on that new bridge to 277 for its great views.  I will get someone to drive my vehicle so I can be taking photos like a madman.   Check out that last photo with the crane. 

[sakami]

I went out to Extreme Ice Center this weekend and google maps sent me on the bypass. But the map instructions told me to get off at Indian-Trail Rd while the road signage had a completely different name, something with an H. Has Indian-Trail been renamed? 

[videtur quam contuor]

Hemby Bridge is the community there on Indian Trail-Fairview Road

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, sakami said:

I went out to Extreme Ice Center this weekend and google maps sent me on the bypass. But the map instructions told me to get off at Indian-Trail Rd while the road signage had a completely different name, something with an H. Has Indian-Trail been renamed? 

Yes I was confused too.   They use only the town names so the first exit says Hemby Bridge, the next one where I was expecting Unionville Indian Trail road just says Lake Park not even Indian Trail.    I think they should use road names too.  

[DCMetroRaleigh]

NCDOT adds “Constructing part of the U.S. 74 Wadesboro Bypass in Anson County”  to its new draft plan:

 

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-01-10-draft-stip.aspx

[Nick2]

4 hours ago, DCMetroRaleigh said:

NCDOT adds “Constructing part of the U.S. 74 Wadesboro Bypass in Anson County”  to its new draft plan:

 

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2019/2019-01-10-draft-stip.aspx

Thanks for giving me something to do for the next hour. 

[tozmervo]

Filed under "but what about all the good things mccrory did?" - how do people feel the NCDOT scoring system is working so far? Are there still ineffective political projects slipping through? 

[Nick2]

Pretty much everything I saw is good projects. Nothing stuck out as pet projects that are unnecessary.

For areas I'm especially familiar with, the projects slated are things that people constantly talk about. "They need to widen this" "this needs sidewalks" "that needs a turn lane" there needs to be a traffic light at that intersection" and so on

[KJHburg]

INTERSTATE PROJECTS I-77 
SECTION A - RIGHT-OF-WAY GARVEE BOND FUNDING = $183M, PAYBACK FY 2025 - FY 2039
I-571810838655000 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LINE TO I277/NC 16 (BROOKSHIRE FREEWAY).  WIDEN EXISTING FREEWAY TO TEN LANES BY CONSTRUCTING MANAGED LANES, RECONSTRUCT I-277 INTERCHAnges 

and add ramp meters.  I never thought ramp meters worked until I drove all over LA and the southland  and they do work.  They are using them now on I -540 in north Raleigh.

from the above mentioned report.   

I like a lot of what  I see on this report and just wish it would start sooner. 

[DCMetroRaleigh]

The Rockingham Bypass is also listed 

[Nick2]

4 hours ago, DCMetroRaleigh said:

The Rockingham Bypass is also listed 

And it is well underway and will get opened in phases. Sadly the bypass received really low project scores (for whatever stupid reason) so it might be 10 years before completion. Gotta love bureaucracy and incompetent planning.

[tozmervo]

13 hours ago, KJHburg said:

INTERSTATE PROJECTS I-77 
SECTION A - RIGHT-OF-WAY GARVEE BOND FUNDING = $183M, PAYBACK FY 2025 - FY 2039
I-571810838655000 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LINE TO I277/NC 16 (BROOKSHIRE FREEWAY).  WIDEN EXISTING FREEWAY TO TEN LANES BY CONSTRUCTING MANAGED LANES, RECONSTRUCT I-277 INTERCHAnges 

I'm reading that like $183m is required JUST for the ROW expansion. The cost of fixing 77 South is going to be mind boggling

[QClifer]

59 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

I'm reading that like $183m is required JUST for the ROW expansion. The cost of fixing 77 South is going to be mind boggling

i might be wrong but isn’t it supposed to cost something like a 1 billion for the 77south widening? Every bridge and interchange has to be rebuilt. 

I cant imagine how bad 77south will be by the time they start construction. 

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, tozmervo said:

I'm reading that like $183m is required JUST for the ROW expansion. The cost of fixing 77 South is going to be mind boggling

It is going to be very expensive but nothing has been done with it in 20 plus years.  However it is a prime candidate for tolled express lanes. 

My idea was this: do a second level of 3 lanes in each direction and make those the toll lanes with limited exits until Woodlawn or Tyvola then have them merge back in around 485.  Basically double decker the highway from 277 south to Nations Ford. 

[Seaboard Fellow]

2 hours ago, KJHburg said:

It is going to be very expensive but nothing has been done with it in 20 plus years.  However it is a prime candidate for tolled express lanes. 

My idea was this: do a second level of 3 lanes in each direction and make those the toll lanes with limited exits until Woodlawn or Tyvola then have them merge back in around 485.  Basically double decker the highway from 277 south to Nations Ford. 

I used to think of proposals for double decker freeways in the southeast as pie in the sky until I visited Dallas and drove on the LBJ TEXpress lanes. It could definitely work here (minus the frontage roads).  Fortunately for I-77 commuters, I-485 is a legitimate bypass for Charlotte thru traffic that has bought NCDOT time to get this proposed widening of I-77 right. 

 

Edited January 12, 2019 by Seaboard Fellow

[kermit]

18 hours ago, tozmervo said:

Filed under "but what about all the good things mccrory did?" - how do people feel the NCDOT scoring system is working so far? Are there still ineffective political projects slipping through? 

I haven't seen much written about changes that have resulted from the scoring system, but it does _feel_ like its done a good job of reducing spending on new interstate quality roads to nowhere (e.g. Columbus county).

The thing that has greatly annoyed me about the system is that it was intended to score transit projects as well as road projects. It turns out that transit projects score pretty well in the system. The NCGA response to this was to either ignore the transit project scores or put up artificial roadblocks to funding them.  It seems like the system has taken some of the politics out of the 'where to spend' question but it certainly has not eliminated all of the anti-urban bias in the process (at least in terms of mode choice).

http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2018/05/30/without-coming-right-out-and-saying-it-proposed-budget-could-kill-light-rail-in-north-carolina/