Jump to content

Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction


monsoon

Recommended Posts

On 7/14/2018 at 8:29 PM, cltbwimob said:

 

Having said that I disagree with the assertion that we don't need any more interstates.  We need an Asheville-Charlotte-Wilmington interstate.  It is unfathomable to me that the state's top port is not connected by interstate to its largest city and largest manufacturing/export region, especially since the port only has access to one Class1 railroad and is highly dependent upon trucks to move goods in and out. 

Just a friendly reminder, Charleston is a lot busier.  It's deeper and needs less dredging and most of the foreign companies I use when importing request Charleston.  A nice highway would be convenient for many,  but we'll probably still be required to use Charleston.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


On 7/14/2018 at 11:29 PM, cltbwimob said:

I agree on the fact that we need to build out our non interstate grid-what little bit of grid we have-to help alleviate traffic.  At a minimum it would be nice if most of the streets that have been fractured for various reasons like they have been in 4th Ward and some neighborhoods outside Uptown were reconnected.  In areas further out,  even if the roads aren't laid out in a grid per se,, they need to be connected so there are several ways in and out of a neighborhood/subdivision.  Few things irk me more in the realm of city planning than disconnected streets that create unecessarily long trips.  The other day I tried to cut through a neighborhood only to find that the road connecting it to an adjacent neighborhood had concrete blocks blocking the roadway.  I could have gotten out of my car, walked around the blocks and been in the next neighborhood and still only be a few feet from my car, but to drive to the same spot in that adjacent neighborhood would have been a 2.5-3 mile journey.

Having said that I disagree with the assertion that we don't need any more interstates.  We need an Asheville-Charlotte-Wilmington interstate.  It is unfathomable to me that the state's top port is not connected by interstate to its largest city and largest manufacturing/export region, especially since the port only has access to one Class1 railroad and is highly dependent upon trucks to move goods in and out.  Connecting Asheville to Wilmington and Charlotte I suspect would significantly bolster the intrastate tourism industry as well.  And while they're at it they need to turn US-74 between Uptown and 485 into a limited access freeway if for no other reason but safety.  The right in right out expressway design requiring traffic to  enter from a dead standstill into a road whose traffic is traveling at near interstate speeds can not be very safe.  What's more is that the expressway has sidewalks just a few feet away, and it's a road that carries somewhere in the neighborhood of 70k-80k cars per day (once again at near interstate speeds). I do not know how any pedestrian can feel safe in those conditions; however I've seen people not only utilize the sidewalks but actually jump off the sidewalk to cross the 8 lanes of expressway.    The independence expressway is a death trap in my opinion and needs to be turned into a full fledged freeway  so that ostensibly hazardous right in right out design goes away and to disencentivize people from going anywhere near the road on foot

 

I think there's a big difference between an interstate to connect to other cities (which is what they are supposed to be for) versus a new way to get around the existing city. I would support a new interstate connection to Wilmington, though in my experience, the roads to get there are mostly already interstate-like... the exceptions being Union County (which they are building around) and a few small towns along the way.

Bypasses are good for killing small towns. I think the businesses on current 74 in Shelby are going to suffer. Sure some new ones will pop up along the new route over time, but it will leave a rotting suburban landscape carcass on the current route in short order, which creates new problems for Shelby. But they won't have traffic issues anymore!

Charleston has always been the better port for Charlotte. To that end, at one point South Carolina started building a canal to provide better access to Charleston (see: Landsford Canal) , but then someone went and invented trains.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Spartan said:

 

I think there's a big difference between an interstate to connect to other cities (which is what they are supposed to be for) versus a new way to get around the existing city. I would support a new interstate connection to Wilmington, though in my experience, the roads to get there are mostly already interstate-like... the exceptions being Union County (which they are building around) and a few small towns along the way.

Bypasses are good for killing small towns. I think the businesses on current 74 in Shelby are going to suffer. Sure some new ones will pop up along the new route over time, but it will leave a rotting suburban landscape carcass on the current route in short order, which creates new problems for Shelby. But they won't have traffic issues anymore!

Charleston has always been the better port for Charlotte. To that end, at one point South Carolina started building a canal to provide better access to Charleston (see: Landsford Canal) , but then someone went and invented trains.

I did read somewhere that the original Brinswicktowne site on the west bank, had deeper water and was better suited for ships coming up the Cape Fear.  But, in classic NC fashion politics and in-fighting caused that site to lose ship traffic to the "new" settlement of Wilmington. I get your point,  however I think if anything fixing infrastructure around Wilmington will do more for job growth in SE NC than needless roads in rural counties.    

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, KJHburg said:

When the Shelby bypass is completed you will have a 4 lane freeway for the most part from Asheville to the other side of Wingate east of Monroe using US 74, I=85, I-485 to the soon to open Monroe Bypass toll road.    Wadesboro needs to be bypassed and the rest heading east to Wilmington is freeway or 4 laned .  I do think that I-73 or I-74 should end in Wilmington since SC has no interest in completing it. 

I74 is actually ending in Wilmington. Originally 74 was to go to myrtle and 73 to Charleston but now i74 ends in Wilmington and eventually i73 will go to myrtle with the split being a few miles east of rockingham.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, NcSc74 said:

I did read somewhere that the original Brinswicktowne site on the west bank, had deeper water and was better suited for ships coming up the Cape Fear.  But, in classic NC fashion politics and in-fighting caused that site to lose ship traffic to the "new" settlement of Wilmington. I get your point,  however I think if anything fixing infrastructure around Wilmington will do more for job growth in SE NC than needless roads in rural counties.    

You are correct, here is the link to the history of the port and how it was moved to Wilmington. 

http://www.nchistoricsites.org/brunswic/brunswic.htm

P.S.  It's funny I got think link from you over a year ago!:tw_joy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, NcSc74 said:

I did read somewhere that the original Brinswicktowne site on the west bank, had deeper water and was better suited for ships coming up the Cape Fear.  But, in classic NC fashion politics and in-fighting caused that site to lose ship traffic to the "new" settlement of Wilmington. I get your point,  however I think if anything fixing infrastructure around Wilmington will do more for job growth in SE NC than needless roads in rural counties.    

I'm not saying that NC shouldn't work to improve Wilmington. I just think that Wilmington becomes a tougher sell as a port for Charlotte when Charleston is so much closer. Wilmington can still benefit much of the state, so it should absolutely get better improvements and connections. I just doubt that it will ever be at the level of Charleston - but that's ok. It doesn't need to be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/3/2018 at 10:12 AM, DCMetroRaleigh said:

They really should have extended the Monroe Expressway over past Wadesboro, actually to the Rockingham Bypass across the Pee Dee River.

I'm pretty sure 74 is four lanes between Charlotte and Wilmington now that some of the I-74 segments have been completed.  It gets pretty rural once you get past Monroe, so I think extending the Monroe Expressway that far would be a waste of time, money, and resources (it is roughly 35 miles between the end of the Monroe bypass in Marshville and the start of the Rockingham bypass).  Granted, Marshville and Wadesboro will probably need short bypasses due to the number of intersections and businesses on 74, but most of the remaining route to Rockingham can probably be upgraded to interstate standards fairly easily and economically with the addition of interchanges and service roads.

Edited by nicholas
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Spartan said:

I'm not saying that NC shouldn't work to improve Wilmington. I just think that Wilmington becomes a tougher sell as a port for Charlotte when Charleston is so much closer. Wilmington can still benefit much of the state, so it should absolutely get better improvements and connections. I just doubt that it will ever be at the level of Charleston - but that's ok. It doesn't need to be.

I agree.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/16/2018 at 5:38 PM, Spartan said:

Charleston has always been the better port for Charlotte. To that end, at one point South Carolina started building a canal to provide better access to Charleston (see: Landsford Canal) , but then someone went and invented trains.

Charleston being so physically close and already connected on interstates is a major reason why I think the Charlotte to Wilmington route is not already to the point of an interstate, which it absolutely would be if it were the main port and beach for Charlotte.

As discussed before, it really is getting its interstate upgrades east of Rockingham, and those improvements are progressing a lot over the next 7 year NCTIP plan.   

The Monroe Bypass will absolutely be the major improvement that makes the rest of the trip to Wilmington go far faster.  When I used to go to Wilmington a lot, literally 1/2 my time was in traffic in Meck and Union county.       Now that the tollway will be there, it may bring enough of an increase in activity that we may see the Union and Anson county bypasses get planned.   

Bypasses do hurt towns, but those towns hurt mobility.   Those commercial arterials that spring up are bad designs and I understand why they happen, but are not worth much mourning. Nearly every town like this eventually knows that they reach a point where they must plan for a bypass after they let a corridor get developed. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While Wilmington is no where near as big as port as Charleston much less the 4th largest container port of Savannah,  it is growing.  Its uncongested and that is becoming much more of an issue in Charleston especially.   The Wando Welch terminal in Mt Pleasant has NO rail service which is crazy and every single container off loaded has to be trucked.  The 2 other container terminals in town do have rail access.    And yes the Monroe Bypass will help greatly for with the only town then you have to through of any size is Wadesboro.  Everything else is bypassed until the Wilmington suburb of Leland.  

Wilmington has overnight a couple of times a week service direct from Charlotte to the port.  

Growth of the port.  https://ncports.com/about-the-ports/news/north-carolina-ports-container-volume-grows-record-setting-pace/

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The main products shipped out of Morehead City State Port are phosphate and sulfur from the Aurora mine, the largest phosphate mine in the world. Wood products are also significant there. With these products eliminated from Wilmington it becomes a lesser port compared to Charleston. Morehead City is also closer to the ocean, and deeper.

South Carolina closed Port Royal port to focus on Charleston.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/16/2018 at 5:38 PM, Spartan said:

Bypasses are good for killing small towns. I think the businesses on current 74 in Shelby are going to suffer. Sure some new ones will pop up along the new route over time, but it will leave a rotting suburban landscape carcass on the current route in short order, which creates new problems for Shelby. But they won't have traffic issues anymore!

I think Shelby will do OK after the bypass, with the exception of a few specific types of businesses (gas stations, hotels, etc.) that will lose through-traffic customers.  Dixon Blvd is the main commercial drag with everything already there, and I don't think the current and future retail climate is conducive for boarding up and building elsewhere. Twenty-five years ago, things may have gone differently. It's possible less traffic (especially trucks) may encourage more locals to go shopping in Shelby. I'm originally from a much more rural area than Shelby and have family members that complain about traffic in a town with two lights.

20 hours ago, KJHburg said:

I-85 construction and widening through Cabarrus County.  the widening to exit 63 Kannapolis is supposed to be done by end of the year then the stretch through southern Rowan county after that.  Yesterday.   Lots of soundwalls in Concord.  

IMG_1434.JPG

I crack up every time I pass this cell tower.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, KJHburg said:

I-85 construction and widening through Cabarrus County.  the widening to exit 63 Kannapolis is supposed to be done by end of the year then the stretch through southern Rowan county after that.  Yesterday.   Lots of soundwalls in Concord.  

IMG_1433.JPG

IMG_1434.JPG

IMG_1435.JPG

 

 

1

I really like the noise walls that are going up along this stretch of 85. Really starting to look like 85 through Atlanta. IMO, noise walls makes the area look more urban and less rural. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

Coming soon to I-485 the new tolled express lanes.  Like the direction connections at Westinghouse and US 521 Ballantyne.  

 

More information about 485 express lanes and the Independence US 74 express lanes.

https://publicinput.com/i-485_us-74_charlotte?utm_source=facebook

My only gripe with this project is why they aren't adding a third general purpose lane to 74. They are adding from Rea Rd. to NC 16 but why not just extend it to 74? 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

Fun discovery: NCDOT now has an excellent interactive map for traffic counts, color-coded by volume. (The legend is a button top right on the screen.) 

http://ncdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5f6fe58c1d90482ab9107ccc03026280

Great link. For those who drive to Raleigh the I-40 west  of Raleigh is purple and far higher count than 485 in South Charlotte. Experience tells me this is true.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

Great link. For those who drive to Raleigh the I-40 west  of Raleigh is purple and far higher count than 485 in South Charlotte. Experience tells me this is true.

I-40 traffic between NC-147 and I-540/NC-540 is now higher than I-77, and the most traveled highway in the state. But toll lane construction may have had some impact on the past few years' numbers for 77.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, cowboy_wilhelm said:

I-40 traffic between NC-147 and I-540/NC-540 is now higher than I-77, and the most traveled highway in the state. But toll lane construction may have had some impact on the past few years' numbers for 77.

To be clear, I'm extremely okay with another city having the "most traveled highway" designation.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, tozmervo said:

Fun discovery: NCDOT now has an excellent interactive map for traffic counts, color-coded by volume. (The legend is a button top right on the screen.) 

http://ncdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5f6fe58c1d90482ab9107ccc03026280

As a cartophile, thanks for helping me use over an hour of my time. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.