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I-85/I-385 widening proposed


gman430

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:yahoo: Best news I've heard in weeks. This stretch of 385 has become hazardous to drive due to the size of the potholes.

However, your attached article shows what total idiots the SC-DOT is. This comment from a DOT employee has me rolling on the floor:

"It's gotten to the point where we really have no choice," Dannelly said

So that is how the DOT idiots operate? Let infrastructure crumble to a point that they "really have no choice"? Simply amazing......sad and funny at the same time. What a load of goons!

Yes that is how they operate. The DOT in this state has proven to be useless time and time again. It is a government agency though so I shouldn't be suprised. :whistling: I thought this stretch of I-385 was the worst. That was until I drove on I-85 between Exit 1 and Exit 19 in Anderson County. :ph34r: I couldn't believe how many potholes there were there. Good thing they repaved that section recently. Another section of interstate that needs repaving badly is I-185 north of I-85. I'm suprised none of the stimulus money was included for these two sections of interstate to get repaving. I wouldn't think there would be interstates in the rest of the state worse than I-385 in Mauldin and I-185 north of I-85 but I could be wrong. :dontknow:

Edited by citylife
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Another section of interstate that needs repaving badly is I-185 north of I-85.

I completely agree with you. I drive this section of road on my way to work and can't believe the condition. There are literally piles of gravel/blacktop building up against the concrete barrier between north and southbound traffic, and the sad part is I can't remember when the road WASN'T like this. I laugh at the "Loose Gravel" warning signs on a regular basis and wonder why the city hasn't gotten this fixed, after all it is a major road into/out of the city.

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I heard from a pretty reputable source that i have that both I-185 and I-385 are supposed to be resurfaced this summer. Guess we will see what happens.

How much does general resurfacing cost per mile? This seems like an example of our poor planning and lack of thinking ahead. The DOT should have anticipated that resurfacing would be needed about this time. Why haven't studies been conducted over the past couple of years so that this money would go towards the widening of the remaining section of 385 and interchange redo, as well as widening of sections of 85? Sure those would cost more than resurfacing alone, but it would cost a lot less than resurfacing now and then widening in a few years. Why not look ahead and do them at the same time?

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How much does general resurfacing cost per mile? This seems like an example of our poor planning and lack of thinking ahead. The DOT should have anticipated that resurfacing would be needed about this time. Why haven't studies been conducted over the past couple of years so that this money would go towards the widening of the remaining section of 385 and interchange redo, as well as widening of sections of 85? Sure those would cost more than resurfacing alone, but it would cost a lot less than resurfacing now and then widening in a few years. Why not look ahead and do them at the same time?

Im sure that is not that cheap to resurface the road either. Your right about the poor planning, and yes the money should be going towards the widening instead of another resurface. I dont understand why you would want to spend a good deal of money on resurfacing when you are going to be widening the road in probably a few more years. I also dont think we get the level of road funding that other areas in the state get. As the most populated area in the state I think more care should be applied to our region because if it is not things could get pretty nasty with our traffic situation(as if it not already is).

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Most of the interstates in SC are in pretty bad shape. I-95 is a great example. Supposedly SCDOT is going to do a lot of resurfacing with the stimulus money, which will be a good thing. South Carolina is a donor state, so more revenue from this state goes into the federal Highway Trust Fund than is returned. Currently, the state receives 92-cents for every dollar of federal fuel tax paid.

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I know we have like the 4th largest highway system in teh country in terms of total mileage, so it is a large task for our state to maintain all of it's roads. And others have brought up increasing the gas tax. I know most people get angry any time there is talk increasing any tax, but does anyone have any estimates on how much would be raised per penny increase? I mean it seems like even a small raise like 3 cents could raise quite a bit of money yet no one would even notice an increase of that small amount.

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I know we have like the 4th largest highway system in teh country in terms of total mileage, so it is a large task for our state to maintain all of it's roads. And others have brought up increasing the gas tax. I know most people get angry any time there is talk increasing any tax, but does anyone have any estimates on how much would be raised per penny increase? I mean it seems like even a small raise like 3 cents could raise quite a bit of money yet no one would even notice an increase of that small amount.

I remember hearing on the news last year that a two cent raise in the gas tax would pay for the entire I-85/I-385 widening project. $900 million worth. I myself am for raising the gas tax especially with gas prices being where they are at today.

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK, everywhere I'm reading, I'm seeing that only the northbound (inbound) side of 385 will be resurfaced. Does anyone know if this is true?

If so, what a joke. What idiot at the DOT came up with this half-*ss idea? Of a more political nature, I have to rant a minute, this is the problem with our ineffective government......the road didn't get resurfaced when times were good and tax dollars were rolling in.....it takes a national economic crisis to get Federal dollars from a spending package that will put our children in debt for years to come.....and THEN, even then, only one side of the highway will be resurfaced!!!!! How eff'd up is that???? Amazing.....and some out there call for more government! End rant.

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OK, everywhere I'm reading, I'm seeing that only the northbound (inbound) side of 385 will be resurfaced. Does anyone know if this is true?

If so, what a joke. What idiot at the DOT came up with this half-*ss idea? Of a more political nature, I have to rant a minute, this is the problem with our ineffective government......the road didn't get resurfaced when times were good and tax dollars were rolling in.....it takes a national economic crisis to get Federal dollars from a spending package that will put our children in debt for years to come.....and THEN, even then, only one side of the highway will be resurfaced!!!!! How eff'd up is that???? Amazing.....and some out there call for more government! End rant.

I typically don't take the inbound side, but I always got the impression from my own travels that the outbound side was worse!...???

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Only the northbound lanes of I-385 will be paved according to the updated funding list. I-185 and I-385 southbound have been cut. I urge you all to send complaints to the SCDOT over this. I already have. Contact information can be found here: http://www.scdot.org/ArtMan/publish/article_839.shtml

Edited by citylife
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  • 1 month later...

Only the northbound lanes of I-385 will be paved according to the updated funding list. I-185 and I-385 southbound have been cut. I urge you all to send complaints to the SCDOT over this. I already have. Contact information can be found here: http://www.scdot.org/ArtMan/publish/article_839.shtml

Anyone know if the resurfacing of 385 between 85 and Simpsonville is about to start? I was out on Woodruff Road this morning, and there were several (as in 8 to 10) paving vehicles gathered in the grassy area of the Woodruff / 385 interchange. All sorts of paving vehicles, trucks, trucks with cones, etc. Looked like more vehicles than would be needed for some small patch job. :dontknow:

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Anyone know if the resurfacing of 385 between 85 and Simpsonville is about to start? I was out on Woodruff Road this morning, and there were several (as in 8 to 10) paving vehicles gathered in the grassy area of the Woodruff / 385 interchange. All sorts of paving vehicles, trucks, trucks with cones, etc. Looked like more vehicles than would be needed for some small patch job. :dontknow:

Not sure. Will have to drive by there and see if construction signs are up or not. That will say whether it's for that or not. Oh and some good news to report. I-185 northbound paving has been added back to the list along with the new addition of I-85 southbound between mile markers 43 and 48:

http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/public_co...tional_5-09.pdf I-185 and I-385 southbound paving will probably be re-added soon due to construction estimates for other state projects coming in lower than expected.

Edited by citylife
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  • 2 weeks later...

I-385 paving in the Mauldin area is scheduled to start in August or September.

I-85 paving from Highway 29 in Anderson to White Horse Road in Greenville is scheduled to start by the end of this month. Signs are going up for the project currently.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's going to be interesting to see how they solve that grouping of interchanges. :scared:

I hope the County and Mauldin will follow Greenville's lead and landscape the median. Right now, in so many places, it extremely obvious when you enter the City of Greenville. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but I'd like to see the 385 landscaping continued South.

Edited by GvilleSC
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I hope the County and Mauldin will follow Greenville's lead and landscape the median. Right now, in so many places, it extremely obvious when you enter the City of Greenville. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but I'd like to see the 385 landscaping continued South.

I hope so too. :thumbsup: I was just noticing this past week how green and lush the 385 median is this year. The trees and shrubs have really taken off, I guess due to all the rain. Remember the first year the trees in the median were planted and several were dying.....remember all the fretting post on U.P? :lol: Just look at it now.

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It's going to be interesting to see how they solve that grouping of interchanges. :scared:

My guess would be with a few flyovers. Probably make into a spaghetti interchange. This is going to be a waste of money though paving I-385 in Mauldin later this year than going back in late 2010, widen it, and having to repave it again. <_< They should have made a plan to widen it beginning this year. That's the SCDOT for you though.

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My guess would be with a few flyovers. Probably make into a spaghetti interchange. This is going to be a waste of money though paving I-385 in Mauldin later this year than going back in late 2010, widen it, and having to repave it again. <_< They should have made a plan to widen it beginning this year. That's the SCDOT for you though.

This is true. If only it weren't so bad and they could wait to pave with the widening, or like you said, widen now with the paving... go figure...

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  • 4 weeks later...

I-385 widening is now slated to start in early spring of 2010 according to this article: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20...ONTPAGECAROUSEL It's good to see the SCDOT move up the date. Originally construction wasn't supposed to start until fall 2010. I don't mind that they wait to pave until next year seeing how it will save money just as long as they are able to keep the current potholes filled in nicely.

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I too think this is a good idea. This is sorely needed I think, and should have even been done a few years ago when the other sections were widened, but better late than never. I wonder what the DOT will do with 85. Remember the predictions we heard a couple of years ago about traffic there doubling by 2030? Something will need to be done within the next few years to keep up with the demand there.

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This is a great move, and will save money, which is why I'm a little shocked to see something move up on the timeline and not farther away... This is the SCDOT, isn't it??

I'm still very intrigued to see how the engineers will rework I-385/I-85/Woodruff Rd scenario.

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