Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction

[tozmervo]

18 minutes ago, jednc said:

Right. No one uses I-77 coming from Western PA., Ohio, W. Virginia, Virginia or So. Carolina...it's all LKN commuters. GMAFB.

I-77 is tolled in West Virginia with no free lanes. 

[KJHburg]

^^^ I-85 is the most heavily traveled interstate in the state overall and the most important corridor in the southeast outside of Florida.

the clouds were beautiful today.  I-485 east Mecklenburg. 

 

[videtur quam contuor]

17 hours ago, tozmervo said:

I-77 is tolled in West Virginia with no free lanes. 

I first drove the West Virginia turnpike quite some time ago (dates concealed) and it was a three lane road with the center lane restricted to overtaking in both directions. Pass at your risk, in other words. It also had a long tunnel, now abandoned, that appeared to be entering a mine and was constructed using similar methods and equipment. The tunnels and other parts were two lane only, without overtaking. The improvement over the snaking road along the creek at the bottom of the hill side was startling.

The revelation to this flatland boy was to look down the mountain side from the road and see the cabins, abandoned vehicles and appliances, and poverty in the hollows and feel that the road was a museum of Appalachian desperation. It was not well travelled at that time, and the trick for through travelers was to take the toll ticket at entry and then drive well above the posted limit and at the end  claim to have lost the toll ticket and have to pay the maximum charge which was what would have been the charge in any case. Otherwise the time stamp would betray the driver at exit. 

Edited May 14, 2019 by tarhoosier

[jednc]

19 hours ago, tozmervo said:

I-77 is tolled in West Virginia with no free lanes. 

Ok. I'm referring to the traffic on I-77 through the Charlotte region. It's not all North Meck and Iredell Co. commuters.

[southslider]

6 hours ago, jednc said:

Ok. I'm referring to the traffic on I-77 through the Charlotte region. It's not all North Meck and Iredell Co. commuters.

Pretty sure most of the traffic on the fully tolled lanes in WV is mostly not commuters. What's your point?

[jednc]

47 minutes ago, southslider said:

Pretty sure most of the traffic on the fully tolled lanes in WV is mostly not commuters. What's your point?

My point was a reply to someone saying that they understood why the state would widen 85 because (nonsense) while they shouldn't widen 77 with free lanes because it was only commuters using the interstate. Please try to keep up.

On 5/13/2019 at 5:40 PM, KJHburg said:

^^^ I-85 is the most heavily traveled interstate in the state overall and the most important corridor in the southeast outside of Florida.

the clouds were beautiful today.  I-485 east Mecklenburg. 

 

I'd love to see the data comparing the traffic counts on both.

[KJHburg]

^^ Here you go the traffic volumes on I-85 outside of immediate metro area are still very high and in places like Burlington between Greensboro and Durham it is as high as many places in Charlotte.  I-77 N of Statesville completely falls off in traffic volume. i-85 links Raleigh Durham, the Triad and Greenville Spartanburg metro to Charlotte not to mention Atlanta.

https://connect.ncdot.gov/resources/State-Mapping/Pages/Traffic-Volume-Maps.aspx

someone posted this before and click on the legend to see what the volume are.   Is I-77 an important north south corridor of course it is but I-85 is much more important and the traffic counts show it.

[videtur quam contuor]

toz posted this some time ago (as I recall)

[southslider]

11 hours ago, jednc said:

My point was a reply to someone saying that they understood why the state would widen 85 because (nonsense) while they shouldn't widen 77 with free lanes because it was only commuters using the interstate. Please try to keep up.

My point is they shouldn't widen 77 with free lanes because only one more lane in each direction (or what is nearing completion between Davidson and Mooresville) will fit across the lake causeway. Toll lanes at this physical constraint will keep up with growth a lot better than free lanes.

Edited May 15, 2019 by southslider

[KJHburg]

My trip up I-77 midday today up to exit 36 and the express lanes are receiving final pavement coats it seems.  First photo is the Hambright Rd express lanes exit entrance only.  I will be happy when this is opened and there is some relief this way.  Part of the congestion a minor and I mean fender bender near Cornelius had one lane blocked.  2 out of state tags I noticed. 

Last photos why many put up with this commute  water skiing on a Wednesday   Enjoy your ride up 77 more than I did LOL. 

[cowboy_wilhelm]

I guess now wouldn't be a good time to mention the upcoming widening of I-85 to 321? 

Public meetings announced for 5/21 and 5/22, but no maps yet. Construction is still a few years off.

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

1 hour ago, cowboy_wilhelm said:

I guess now wouldn't be a good time to mention the upcoming widening of I-85 to 321? 

Public meetings announced for 5/21 and 5/22, but no maps yet. Construction is still a few years off.

I feel like there are SO many outdated bridges in Gastonia that need to be replaced well before widening. I guess by 2030 it will finally be a semi enjoyable ride between Atlanta and Charlotte. When I was in college the roadway was basically the same layout since 1997(Spartanburg bypass) and besides the widening from Clemson to Spartanburg, the Hamilton Mill exit in GA (just north of ATL) to Charlotte was a similar layout to the original 1958 layout. 

[cowboy_wilhelm]

2 minutes ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

I feel like there are SO many outdated bridges in Gastonia that need to be replaced well before widening. I guess by 2030 it will finally be a semi enjoyable ride between Atlanta and Charlotte. When I was in college the roadway was basically the same layout since 1997(Spartanburg bypass) and besides the widening from Clemson to Spartanburg, the Hamilton Mill exit in GA (just north of ATL) to Charlotte was a similar layout to the original 1958 layout. 

It's going to be a mess. The Norfolk Southern mainline crosses I-85 three times, twice within about three miles.

[KJHburg]

according to NCDOT it should be open I-85 widened from Belmont Mt Holly to US 321 by 2024

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/i-85-widening-gaston-county/Pages/default.aspx

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

5 hours ago, KJHburg said:

according to NCDOT it should be open I-85 widened from Belmont Mt Holly to US 321 by 2024

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/i-85-widening-gaston-county/Pages/default.aspx

It doesn't specifically state which interchanges are rebuilt, but 321 is obviously a huge need. Is there a plan to turn 321 into a limited access highway all the way to 85?

[KJHburg]

7 hours ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

It doesn't specifically state which interchanges are rebuilt, but 321 is obviously a huge need. Is there a plan to turn 321 into a limited access highway all the way to 85?

321 interchange is a separate project that is already happening now to eliminate the sharp turn from southbound 85 to 321.  

[southslider]

^and that project still keeps signals

[Seaboard Fellow]

3 hours ago, southslider said:

^and that project still keeps signals

NCDOT is making a huge mistake by not making a seamless connection from I-85 to the US 321 freeway section.  Traffic flow and safety should be of importance to NCDOT. They should correct this mistake now rather than 20 years from now. 

[southslider]

^even with signals, the future build is projected to provide acceptable level of service 20 years from now

 

[KJHburg]

the problem with 321 and I-85 there is already a stretch the last mile or so north of 85 that is not a freeway.  The new on and off ramps even with lights will be better than the current situation and since 1-2 miles are not freeway anyway this the best they can do without spending millions and millions more.  

[Nolan]

The cancelled Garden Parkway was supposed to connect to 321 where the freeway section of 321 ends along with a new interchange west of the current I-85/321 interchange

Now it will get this convoluted value engineered interchange 

 

Edited May 17, 2019 by Nolan

[JerseyBoy]

2 hours ago, Nolan said:

The cancelled Garden Parkway was supposed to connect to 321 where the freeway section of 321 ends along with a new interchange west of the current I-85/321 interchange

Now it will get this convoluted value engineered interchange 

 

Actually, if I recall correctly, the Garden Parkway was to be routed south of Gastonia where it would intersect with I-85 somewhere in the vicinity of the I-85/US 74/Business 74 junction near Kings Mountain.

[southslider]

^wherever Pittenger had property 

[KJHburg]

If you look at the 321 85 plan above most of the northbound 321 traffic and southbound 321 traffic heading towards Charlotte or coming from Charlotte will avoid the existing interchange area.  Remember there is a RR track in the middle of all this.   Actually this will help a lot!   No it is not a full on freeway to freeway interchange but it will work 1000x better than what is there now. 

[QClifer]

sundays currently its miserable, a small rear ender and its a 2 mile wait, hurry up and finish