Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction

[Third Strike]

According to the NCDOT, the record of decision for the Monroe Bypass can happen late this year, or early next. They also said that if everything works out (beating the lawsuit), construction could also happen at the beginning of the next year:

 

http://www.unioncountyweekly.com/news/2013/02/business-leaders-ncdot-discuss-monroe-bypass/

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Hurry up with the quickness on the Monroe Bypass. Just as the 74 Gridlock is starting to decrease the rate of population growth in Union County, it is probably negatively impacting business opportunities as well. 

[grodney]

Big sign on Johnston/521 northbound at 485 that reads:  Nightly Lane Closures Begin Sunday Apr 14

 

Here we go.

[allthingsplanes]

Does anyone know what's going on with the new highway lights that are being installed at the junction of 485 and I-77 up north?  More specifically the space between 77 and Hwy 115 (Old Statesville).  That project has been dragging on forever, and that area remains really dark at night.

[Dale]

Big sign on Johnston/521 northbound at 485 that reads:  Nightly Lane Closures Begin Sunday Apr 14

 

Here we go.

Not a moment too soon. These will be my stomping grounds.

[Third Strike]

http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130410/SP01/130419958/1023/nc-roads-could-reach-75-mph-in-senate-bill

 

Lawmakers are considering raising the maximum speed limit from 70 to 75. I know this relates more to NC as a whole than just Charlotte, but I'm wondering if there's any roads in or near Charlotte that currently hits the max speed. I could honestly see a road like the Monroe Bypass having such a high limit, since it'll be running through a very less dense part of Union county, and that the fact it is a toll road, but I'm not sure about any other roads in the metro.

[Dale]

http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130410/SP01/130419958/1023/nc-roads-could-reach-75-mph-in-senate-bill

 

Lawmakers are considering raising the maximum speed limit from 70 to 75. I know this relates more to NC as a whole than just Charlotte, but I'm wondering if there's any roads in or near Charlotte that currently hits the max speed. I could honestly see a road like the Monroe Bypass having such a high limit, since it'll be running through a very less dense part of Union county, and that the fact it is a toll road, but I'm not sure about any other roads in the metro.

 

Are there any roads in Charlotte suitable for those sorts of speeds ? Perhaps in my first couple of weeks up here, I haven't found the good ones. Lots of bumps, cracks, etc.

 

[Matthew.Brendan]

It's easy to open it up on 485 given proper (light) traffic conditions...

[Dale]

It's easy to open it up on 485 given proper (light) traffic conditions...

Hehe, haven't discovered that yet. I suppose I will when I switch to the 3pm to midnight shift.

[15895]

So Charlotte leaders ponder trying to stop the garden parkway as revenge for the airport authority hypocrisy.

It's time for the parkway to die. From what I understand, it will NOT have tolls (the parkway). That's the latest I've heard.

[tozmervo]

At this point most elected Gaston-area leaders are opposed to the Parkway, regardless of what Charlotte politics say. Barring a dramatic shift, that road isn't getting built.

[Norm2]

At this point most elected Gaston-area leaders are opposed to the Parkway, regardless of what Charlotte politics say. Barring a dramatic shift, that road isn't getting built.

I am surprised that Gaston-area officials are opposed to it. I thought that they supported the parkway?

[cowboy_wilhelm]

When does construction on the last stretch of 85 through Kannapolis and Concord begin? That will make 85 at least 6 lanes all the way from US 74 in Kings Mountain to the I-40 split in Hillsborough.

 

I found the 2013-2023 Draft STIP on NCDOT's website, dated September 2012. The last date I saw for construction on the last 4-lane section of I-85 (I-3802) between Charlotte and Greensboro was the 2018 range, but the start date for Section A (Exits 55-63) has moved up to . . . FY2013? Not sure when that happened. . . . The last section (B, Exits 63-68) is slated for 2018-2023.

 

The Garden Parkway is still listed as a Turnpike Authority Project with construction in FY14. We will see. . . .

 

The U.S. 64 Asheboro Bypass (R-2536) is now scheduled for construction from FY14-FY17. I don't think this project was funded a few years ago, and a search revealed it is now a Design-Build project, which I though was reserved for high priority projects. I think another bypass deserves this funding, though. . . .

 

Funding for the U.S. 74 Shelby Bypass (R-2707) is still stretched out over an unbelievably long timeline, FY2013 to past FY2023 (unfunded). No contracts are scheduled to be let in FY16, FY18, FY20, FY21, or FY22, so the bypass will only be a spur for a decade. I don't know why lawmakers in Raleigh hate U.S. 74 so much. A similar event happened twenty years ago on the section between I-26 and Rutherfordton. Some lawmaker pissed another off, so funding got pulled and the already graded section grew up and they literally had to go back in and cut down scrub pines and re-grade the roadbed years later to finish the highway.

 

U.S. 74 through Shelby has higher traffic volumes (including many tractor-trailers) than U.S. 64 through Asheboro, and Shelby is a missing part of an otherwise continuous freeway between Asheville and Charlotte. I would be willing to bet that some of the bigwig GOP legislators from around Charlotte that are in the General Assembly have pushed the Asheboro Bypass through so they can get back and forth to Raleigh quicker, without taking 85.

 

What do you all think? As a Charlottean (or other), is the Asheboro or Shelby bypass more needed for intrastate travel?

 

http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130410/SP01/130419958/1023/nc-roads-could-reach-75-mph-in-senate-bill

 

Lawmakers are considering raising the maximum speed limit from 70 to 75. I know this relates more to NC as a whole than just Charlotte, but I'm wondering if there's any roads in or near Charlotte that currently hits the max speed. I could honestly see a road like the Monroe Bypass having such a high limit, since it'll be running through a very less dense part of Union county, and that the fact it is a toll road, but I'm not sure about any other roads in the metro.

 

As far as I know, the only section of highway near Charlotte with a 70 mph speed limit is I-85 from Lexington to south of Greensboro. With six lanes and a fairly low volume of traffic, this section will probably be capable of handling 75 mph. Raising the speed limit of course requires traffic studies, where traffic volume, level of service, number of wrecks, highway geometry, 85th percentile speed, etc. are taken into consideration before a speed limit increase or decrease is put into place. I imagine there will only be a few sections of highway in our state that ever receive this high of a speed limit.

 

Personally, I believe this is a silly proposal. Traveling those 30 miles of I-85 at 75 mph versus 70 mph only saves you 1 minute and 43 seconds and leaves you with less fuel in your tank. Why bother with the studies and spending money on new speed limit signs when funding for everything else is cut, cut, cut?

Edited April 14, 2013 by cowboy_wilhelm

[cltbwimob]

U.S. 74 through Shelby has higher traffic volumes (including many tractor-trailers) than U.S. 64 through Asheboro, and Shelby is a missing part of an otherwise continuous freeway between Asheville and Charlotte. I would be willing to bet that some of the bigwig GOP legislators from around Charlotte that are in the General Assembly have pushed the Asheboro Bypass through so they can get back and forth to Raleigh quicker, without taking 85.

 

What do you all think? As a Charlottean (or other), is the Asheboro or Shelby bypass more needed for intrastate travel?

I think the Shelby bypass is needed more, but I think it needs to be part of a larger continuous freeway from Asheville to Wilmington.  I think the lack of freeway connection between Charlotte and Wilmington is one of the reasons Wilmington is a small port compared to Charleston which is the preferred port for Charlotte companies.  The reason for that I think is that Charlotte has a direct freeway connection to Charleston but not Wilmington. Also Wilmington is not as deep from my understanding, but that can be corrected. 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2013 by cltbwimob

[kermit]

I think the Shelby bypass is needed more, but I think it needs to be part of a larger continuous freeway from Asheville to Wilmington.  I think the lack of freeway connection between Charlotte and Wilmington is one of the reasons Wilmington is a small port compared to Charleston which is the preferred port for Charlotte companies.  The reason for that I think is that Charlotte has a direct freeway connection to Charleston but not Wilmington. Also Wilmington is not as deep from my understanding, but that can be corrected. 

 

Highways are not the only issue with Wilmington. Depth is one, its only 42 ft deep at the births, 44 out at the river entrance. Charleston and Savannah will have 50ft minimums shortly. While the depth at Wilmington can be fixed, it will be MUCH more expensive to dredge than Charleston or Savannah due to constant shoaling at the mouth of the Cape Fear and the length of the river approach to the docks. IMO the State gave up on having competitive 21st century ports when they pulled the plug on the proposed deepwater docks in Southport, that plan was really the only way to efficiently serve the new class of post-panamax ships in NC.

 

The other issue (which is much more difficult to fix than depth) is that Wilmington is only served by one railroad (CSX). Shipping lines are very reluctant to develop long-term, high volume service to ports that do not have competing rail carriers -- the lack of competition drives landside costs far too high.Wilmington's competing ports (Savannah, Charleston and Norfolk) all have dockside service from both CSX and NS.

Edited April 15, 2013 by kermit

[Third Strike]

Funding for the U.S. 74 Shelby Bypass (R-2707) is still stretched out over an unbelievably long timeline, FY2013 to past FY2023 (unfunded). No contracts are scheduled to be let in FY16, FY18, FY20, FY21, or FY22, so the bypass will only be a spur for a decade. I don't know why lawmakers in Raleigh hate U.S. 74 so much. A similar event happened twenty years ago on the section between I-26 and Rutherfordton. Some lawmaker pissed another off, so funding got pulled and the already graded section grew up and they literally had to go back in and cut down scrub pines and re-grade the roadbed years later to finish the highway.

 

U.S. 74 through Shelby has higher traffic volumes (including many tractor-trailers) than U.S. 64 through Asheboro, and Shelby is a missing part of an otherwise continuous freeway between Asheville and Charlotte. I would be willing to bet that some of the bigwig GOP legislators from around Charlotte that are in the General Assembly have pushed the Asheboro Bypass through so they can get back and forth to Raleigh quicker, without taking 85.

 

What do you all think? As a Charlottean (or other), is the Asheboro or Shelby bypass more needed for intrastate travel?

 

I wonder...

 

If the Gaston Parkway gets killed, I wonder what's the possibility that the funding for that project could be transferred over to other Charlotte-related road projects, like the Shelby Bypass. Last time I checked, the Gaston Parkway was going to cost around $800,000,000. I believe the entirety of the Shelby bypass is going to cost near $300 million. It wouldn't surprise me if the Asheboro Bypass is around the same cost. You could practically finish both bypasses, with some leftover change to spend.

[TotalLamer]

The other issue (which is much more difficult to fix than depth) is that Wilmington is only served by one railroad (CSX). Shipping lines are very reluctant to serve ports that do not have competing rail carriers.

 

On that note, the rumor that we (CSX Charlotte) are going to be getting a pig run out to Wilmington is swirling again.  Granted, it's something that's been heard before, but the rumor's fresh again.

[Norm2]

On that note, the rumor that we (CSX Charlotte) are going to be getting a pig run out to Wilmington is swirling again.  Granted, it's something that's been heard before, but the rumor's fresh again.

A pig?

[ajfunder]

^Pig is slang for double stack container train or piggy back trailer train. Form of unit train which carries intermodal containers.

Alex

[orulz]

"Pig train" - lol, I thought you meant a train hauling hogs, which I thought was more or less an outdated practice.

[orulz]

he other issue (which is much more difficult to fix than depth) is that Wilmington is only served by one railroad (CSX). Shipping lines are very reluctant to develop long-term, high volume service to ports that do not have competing rail carriers -- the lack of competition drives landside costs far too high.Wilmington's competing ports (Savannah, Charleston and Norfolk) all have dockside service from both CSX and NS.

 

No doubt this is from the legacy of the Atlantic Coast Line in Wilmington. The only alternative to them was the Seaboard Coast Line but then they merged and eventually formed today's CSX.

 

Not sure whether this would help the port, but: there is a bill H86 in progress in the house to spend about $65 million to reconstruct the missing segment between Wallace and Castle Hayne on the Goldsboro-Wilmington line. This gap in the route was abandoned by CSX and is now owned by NCDOT. It would be best if they could somehow take the opportunity to introduce competition. Even give the railroad to NCRR who would then lease it out. The still-operating portion of the line is owned by CSX so there's little chance of overcoming this obstacle. 

 

The bill specifically mentions spending the recently-claimed NCRR dividends on this project which I think is not a bad idea.

[NcSc74]

Yeah proper link to Wilmington would be nice but I think a project to improve the current commuting times would be more appropriate. How about the NCDOT make Charlotte the start of their redemption tour and rid the city of all the outdated interchanges and stop building bypasses in areas that are losing population.

[SentioVenia]

Anyone notice how bumpy the new concrete lanes are on I-85 between exit 49 and 55?  Now that traffic has been shifted over to the new pavement, the quality of the concrete is pretty bad.  I'm on there daily and the speed limit is only 55 because of the work zone.  It's bad enough at that speed.  Not a quality job at all.

[Dale]

Anyone notice how bumpy the new concrete lanes are on I-85 between exit 49 and 55?  Now that traffic has been shifted over to the new pavement, the quality of the concrete is pretty bad.  I'm on there daily and the speed limit is only 55 because of the work zone.  It's bad enough at that speed.  Not a quality job at all.

That's what I'm talking about. I'm surprised how bumpy (and cracked) the roads are up here.

[Third Strike]

After a very long delay, construction on converting Independence Blvd between Sharon Amity and Conference Drive will start tomorrow night. Construction should be completed by October 2016. With how traffic is already bad on this stretch, I wonder how bad it's going to be like during this construction phase?

 

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/traffic/independence-blvd-widening-project/nXM9K/