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I-85/I-385 widening proposed

gman430

By gman430
in Greenville

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ausrutherford Burg

ausrutherford

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7 hours ago, mallguy said:

Thanks to unannounced lane closings on I-85 last weekend, a trip from Greenville to Charlotte last weekend took 3 hours.  The SCDOT should consider doing a temporary extension of some of the Raleigh-Charlotte trains, all the way to Greenville or even Atlanta, while this construction is going on. 

Use Wade Hampton on weekends...trust me. 

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mallguy Town

mallguy

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16 hours ago, ausrutherford said:

Use Wade Hampton on weekends...trust me. 

Thanks- will do.

Separately, how long will these unannounced lane closures be going on along I-85?  I go between Greenville and Charlotte regularly and will not drive on I-85 as long as they are.

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cabelagent Hamlet

cabelagent

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6 minutes ago, mallguy said:

Thanks- will do.

Separately, how long will these unannounced lane closures be going on along I-85?  I go between Greenville and Charlotte regularly and will not drive on I-85 as long as they are.

I feel for you...gonna be rough traveling 85/385 for a while. Allow yourself extra time...be 

patient...safe travels!

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mallguy Town

mallguy

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Posted (edited)

Thanks.  Not only do I find it astounding that I-85 was allowed to deteriorate so much in the first place, but I find management of effects on drivers very poor. 

The SCDOT webpage should have a list of times and places of upcoming lane closures, but unless I'm missing something, it does not.  I've started using Roadnow.com, which helps, though.

Road signs should give detailed information about lane closures and alternate routes, but they do not.  I was stuck along I-85 in Spartanburg for an hour due to lane closures, despite business 85 being an easy-to-use, parallel route, because the road signs just said, "Heavy Traffic Ahead" and "Prepare to Stop". I appreciate the head's up, but the signs should have said, "Avoid I-85; Hourlong Construction Delays; Use Business 85 (Take Exit XX)".

Further, since I read that stopped traffic due to merging lanes can be eliminated (and traffic will continue at good rates of speed) if even a few people keep spaces in front of their cars to allow others to merge in front of them.  Why not put up signs saying the following near where lanes merge on I-85: "KEEP 2 CAR SPACES CLEAR IN FRONT OF YOU SO OTHERS CAN MERGE; OTHERWISE $200 FINE.", or have a few police cars drive back and forth on I-85, spaced at intervals and keeping large spaces in front of them so that lanes can merge in front of them? (See http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/traffic-jams.html)

Finally, the DOT should have an alternate method of transportation; additional train service is one way that other metropolitan areas handle long-term highway construction.  Connecticut started the Shore Line East trains during a highway construction project, for example.

In short: a critical economic lifeline for the Upstate cannot and should not just be effectively shut down at unannounced times; people need to be given information and alternatives to mitigate the shutdowns, and better traffic enforcement can help.

 

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sc smitty Whistle-Stop

sc smitty

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On 5/15/2016 at 9:23 PM, mallguy said:

Finally, the DOT should have an alternate method of transportation; additional train service is one way that other metropolitan areas handle long-term highway construction.  Connecticut started the Shore Line East trains during a highway construction project, for example.

It would be great if they would start thinking of the bigger picture, but after personally working on several projects involving the DOT, it seems that common sense goes out the window in that office. I think the DOT needs to change their name to the DOA, Department of Automobiles, since they don't seem to place much importance on other means of transportation than that. Even the former DOT commissioner Johnny Edwards, now running for state senate, helped kill adding bicycle lanes on Old Buncombe Rd, stating: “I think we’re tasked with keeping the roads to move people, and trucks and cars. I don’t think it’s a place for bicycles because I think it’s dangerous.”  We need to be rid of short-sighted attitudes like this in our government to have any hope for anything other than the continued mismanagement and waste in this department.

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vicupstate Metropolitan Area

vicupstate

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43 minutes ago, sc smitty said:

 

It would be great if they would start thinking of the bigger picture, but after personally working on several projects involving the DOT, it seems that common sense goes out the window in that office. I think the DOT needs to change their name to the DOA, Department of Automobiles, since they don't seem to place much importance on other means of transportation than that. Even the former DOT commissioner Johnny Edwards, now running for state senate, helped kill adding bicycle lanes on Old Buncombe Rd, stating: “I think we’re tasked with keeping the roads to move people, and trucks and cars. I don’t think it’s a place for bicycles because I think it’s dangerous.”  We need to be rid of short-sighted attitudes like this in our government to have any hope for anything other than the continued mismanagement and waste in this department.

I didn't know he was involved with that, so thanks for the heads-up.  He is now running for the SC Senate. The incumbent he is running against, Mike Fair, also helped stop the bike lane.  Fortunately there is a third choice in that race.  

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gman430 Megalopolis

gman430

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Posted (edited)

Update on project: http://www.greenvillebusinessmag.com/View-Article/ArticleID/10718/2016-mid-year-construction-update-for-the-85-385-Gateway-Project.aspx Also, pacing operations in conjunction with the Highway Patrol begin Monday. Traffic will be slow rolling but not completely stopped during the pacing operations.

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apaladin Burg

apaladin

Posted
Posted (edited)

I think the whole project's goal was to relieve traffic congestion, correct? If you look as it takes shape there are some big curves and in some cases, somewhat sharp curves. I can see some people driving 30 mph on these bridges, especially during rush hour and backing up traffic. It only takes one or 2 slowpokes to back up traffic. Anyone else see this potential problem or is it just me? I just don't see a lot of people keeping up their speed and taking these curves at 60 mph or faster. Right now coming south and exiting to downtown is an easy maneuver but people still slow way down causing a backup. 

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Den2Gvl Whistle-Stop

Den2Gvl

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10 hours ago, apaladin said:

I think the whole project's goal was to relieve traffic congestion, correct? If you look as it takes shape there are some big curves and in some cases, somewhat sharp curves. I can see some people driving 30 mph on these bridges, especially during rush hour and backing up traffic. It only takes one or 2 slowpokes to back up traffic. Anyone else see this potential problem or is it just me? I just don't see a lot of people keeping up their speed and taking these curves at 60 mph or faster. Right now coming south and exiting to downtown is an easy maneuver but people still slow way down causing a backup. 

That's what happens every day coming from Simpsonville to Downtown Gvl just before 85 where Woodruff merges in. Everybody slows down to at least 10 under the speed limit around that curve. But I think this specific road will experience less traffic once the project is finished, since it is an exit I believe. But I agree with you, the curves and blind spots created by  some of the bridges/retaining walls concern me. 

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