Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction

[dubone]

There will never be an interstate on this corridor, as it is really too redundant with the current 85-40 corridor that has received a lot of capacity attention in the last 15 years. But if you are going to southern Raleigh, the 49-64 corridor is a decent rural route, and most of the areas that need bypasses (Asheboro) have been programmed to get those eventually.

Regardless, spending tens of billions to build a redundant freeway to shave 25 miles off the current route, is just never going to happen.

[nonillogical]

There will never be an interstate on this corridor, as it is really too redundant with the current 85-40 corridor that has received a lot of capacity attention in the last 15 years. But if you are going to southern Raleigh, the 49-64 corridor is a decent rural route, and most of the areas that need bypasses (Asheboro) have been programmed to get those eventually.

Regardless, spending tens of billions to build a redundant freeway to shave 25 miles off the current route, is just never going to happen.

Agreed. I make the drive from Charlotte to Raleigh regularly and always take 49/64, mostly because I so disdain interstate driving and like driving low-key country roads. The amount of time it takes versus 85 to 40 or 85 to 64 is practically identical, and I never hit traffic, so I can't see this being anywhere near necessary just to make a 2.5 hour drive 2.

Having taken the 24/27/1 route only once I can't really speak to its congestion, but I had about the same experience with that one time.

Edited October 8, 2012 by nonillogical

[southslider]

Regardless, spending tens of billions to build a redundant freeway to shave 25 miles off the current route, is just never going to happen.

True, it shouldn't happen. But then why is there even a I-73/74 going through Asheboro? Talk about a waste of money. Still, if NC can have 3-plus north-south expressways, then just 2 east-west shouldn't be too far-fetched.

[dubone]

The 73/74 routing were messes, but at least it is in't really redundant, although it would have been nice for it to have followed 77 farther south to Charlotte and be used for funding the US74 upgrade to the coast. But that would have violated the #1 policy of NCDOT: Everything must go through Greensboro.

[mjcatl2]

Can someone explain why there is no direct route east - even if not northeasternly to Raleigh, why not a more direct route to the coast/Wimington etc...?

[ah59396]

I drive 77 to work everyday. Our police officers need to do a better job enforcing restrictions on the HOV lanes. I actually watched a lone guy in an sedan pass a trooper in the HOV lane on Friday. Not to mention the constant abuse it sees during heavy traffic.

[Norm2]

I drive 77 to work everyday. Our police officers need to do a better job enforcing restrictions on the HOV lanes. I actually watched a lone guy in an sedan pass a trooper in the HOV lane on Friday. Not to mention the constant abuse it sees during heavy traffic.

I will be glad once they turn that lane into a toll lane. I wonder if it will be sectioned off from the rest of the road since it will be toll only. I agree that the HOV lanes gets A LOT of abuse. People use it just to go around others they perceive as driving slow.....and driving at 70 or 75 isn't slow.....

[Sabaidee]

There's supposed to be a 4 feet buffer between the general purpose lanes and toll lanes.

http://www.mumpo.org/PDFs/I-77/I-77_HOT_HOV_Lanes/I-77_HOV_HOT_FeasibilityStudy.pdf

[NCMike1990]

I found this cool

that shows what the area around the new I-85/N.C. 73 DDI interchange may look like in the future as development and traffic increases. Its also great because it shows how the traffic will flow once the DDI interchange is completed.

[15895]

^ Sprawl Heaven. That design is quite nifty. I'd have to literally drive it to understand how it works. I'm sure it's much simpler than it first appears. Where exactly at will this be located again?

[NCMike1990]

These new interchanges are being constructed at Poplar Tent Rd. and N.C. 73 (Davidson Highway) along I-85 in Concord. They're part of the I-85 widening project. The interchange shown in the video I posted is at N.C. 73, near the Concord International Business Park.

Also another

of that same interchange, except from an aerial perspective using google maps. The video also shows 2030 peak-hour traffic. After looking at these animations, I didn't realize the new interchange would require two bridges. From looking at the NCDOT plans I thought that it would be just one wide bridge. Edited October 22, 2012 by NCMike1990

[tozmervo]

I love how traffic engineers are touting how much better the "diverging diamond" interchange will be for pedestrians. Eh, hopefully we'll do better than Missou.

[southslider]

A new DDI is also planned for the new I-485 exit on Mallard Creek Road.

[Third Strike]

Looks like construction on the Shelby Bypass starts this December. The Bypass will be built in segments, and won't be completed in its entirety until 2030:

http://www.shelbysta...der-way-1.34390

Just wondering, but if this road was built as a toll road, like the Monroe Bypass, would the completion of the road happen much sooner than 2030?

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Looks like construction on the Shelby Bypass starts this December. The Bypass will be built in segments, and won't be completed in its entirety until 2030:

http://www.shelbysta...der-way-1.34390

Just wondering, but if this road was built as a toll road, like the Monroe Bypass, would the completion of the road happen much sooner than 2030?

It has actually been delayed until February to "balance project lettings," but that's trivial at this point.

I wonder about the actual likelihood of it taking 17 years to construct. I think once a project is finally started, it is more likely to have funding earmarked and rolled that way in the upcoming TIPs (if the right people make their voices heard).

Edited October 29, 2012 by cowboy_wilhelm

[drumsy]

An update on I-85 construction in Concord: The newly paved south bound lanes have road markings and reflectors. Also, the south-facing ramp from the temporary overpass is being demolished. The north-facing ramp is still intact.

[DEnd]

Looks like construction on the Shelby Bypass starts this December. The Bypass will be built in segments, and won't be completed in its entirety until 2030:

http://www.shelbysta...der-way-1.34390

Just wondering, but if this road was built as a toll road, like the Monroe Bypass, would the completion of the road happen much sooner than 2030?

I really wish they would just delay the project indefinitely. Granted the bypass would be a good thing for me (I live about 10 minutes from where it crosses 18), but the state is building like 20 miles of freeway just to eliminate 10 stoplights. I would even support changing those stop lights to overpasses if it cost more, solely due to long term cost savings from fewer miles of road maintence needed.

[tozmervo]

The problem with Shelby - not unlike Monroe - is that 74 is virtually the only way to move east-west in that town. So you get all the thru-traffic like truckers (and myself) combining with the local population that is going to Walmart or Cleveland Mall. To this day, the worst congestion I've experienced in North Carolina is on that stretch of 74.

Of course, one alternate to a full bypass would be better connectivity within Shelby itself so locals aren't forced onto 74 to go anywhere.

[drumsy]

An update on I-85 construction in Concord: The newly paved south bound lanes have road markings and reflectors. Also, the south-facing ramp from the temporary overpass is being demolished. The north-facing ramp is still intact.

it looks like a portion of south bound I-85 will shift to the new lanes starting tomorrow night.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/11/13/3662764/traffic-shift-planned-for-i-85.html

[Third Strike]

Another update on the Monroe Bypass, and it still doesn't look good. It also looks like a massive future research park, one that could rival the RTP, could also be killed off if this bypass doesn't get built. I really do hope something gets worked out by sometime in 2013, and that work can get started on this road. It would also be great to also have another research institute in the Charlotte metro area.

http://www.charlotte...t-turnpike.html

[kermit]

Another update on the Monroe Bypass, and it still doesn't look good. It also looks like a massive future research park, one that could rival the RTP,.

Ummm, I may have misread the article but it looked to me that "Project Legacy" is an industrial (not research) park. While I would love to see 20,000 new jobs in Union and Anson counties, typical rural industrial park jobs are in the sub $20 per hour range. Rural industrial parks are also notoriously difficult to fill since there is very little to distinguish one area from another (why would a manfacturer pick Union county over upstate SC).

The loss of the Monroe bypass might be mournable, but lets be clear. The real loss in is connectivity between Wilmington and Charlotte, not local development opportunities.

[dubone]

I agree, but hopefully this would be a lesson for pretty much lying on the environmental assessment. It is clearly not just a box to check off while we do whatever we want, it is to make sure a large project does not seriously damage an area. Perhaps we will be better off in the long run if they upgrade the current 74 corridor instead of a greenfield corridor that apparently encourages placeless sprawl.

[Sabaidee]

CDOT has some info about the Uptown Loop Study and I don't think anyone has posted any new information on it and it has been out there for a few months. It's quite interesting that it plans to close and revamp some exits and reconstruct the John Belk interchange with I-77. I think the best part is the partial reconstruction of the John Belk/I-77 interchange that includes a flyover for I-277 to southbound I-77.

 

http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/Transportation/PlansProjects/Pages/Uptown%20Loop%20Study.aspx

[Norm2]

CDOT has some info about the Uptown Loop Study and I don't think anyone has posted any new information on it and it has been out there for a few months. It's quite interesting that it plans to close and revamp some exits and reconstruct the John Belk interchange with I-77. I think the best part is the partial reconstruction of the John Belk/I-77 interchange that includes a flyover for I-277 to southbound I-77.

 

http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/Transportation/PlansProjects/Pages/Uptown%20Loop%20Study.aspx

 

When is this supposed to take place.....2025? lol

[southslider]

^By 2025, we will more likely be discussing the removal of I-277.  By then, attitudes about driving and freeways will have changed dramatically, as well as the density of Charlotte's urban core.