Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction

[KJHburg]

I was suprised to see so much traffic on the Interstates today locally it was like a NASCAR race.  Lots of high speeds and passing and weaving.  (I-485, I-85)  Lots of cars from the Carolinas and Georgia.  And they were hauling arse. 

[FLOSC843]

15 hours ago, KJHburg said:

I was suprised to see so much traffic on the Interstates today locally it was like a NASCAR race.  Lots of high speeds and passing and weaving.  (I-485, I-85)  Lots of cars from the Carolinas and Georgia.  And they were hauling arse. 

I feel like this has become the norm for 485. So much so that at times it's a bit scary in terms of the speeds some cars are reaching. I often refer to it as the track that's too tough tame! 

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

On 11/12/2023 at 12:40 AM, Take2 said:

GA is by no means ahead of NC. 85/40 is 3+ lanes from Durham to 74 in Gaston County. We'll over 150 miles of 6 or more lanes which is amazing. What town in NC doesn't have a belt around it these days? Don't get me started on Asheboro. 

GA is improving but outside of Atlanta it is horrid. And even in Atlanta, outside of the majors it's pretty bad....

Georgia is 3 lanes from Atlanta to the Florida border on 75, I-95 from SC to FL and 85 is soon to be 3+ lanes from SC border to Alabama (4 from ATL to almost the AL border). Georgia has much better roads and construction is much faster than NC. Atlanta has bad traffic, but the improvements come quickly and the infrastructure is much more built out than NC. 

[ArchiCLT]

Drove to Orlando last week via 77-26-95-4. In SC along 26 and 95, there are miles and miles of trees being removed from the medians and shoulders, including widespread clearing at the 26/95 interchange. Is there a widening project on the distant horizon? On the southbound ramp from 26 to 95, the pavement is so bad it might as well be cobblestone. How difficult is it to resurface a small stretch of pavement for general maintenance, instead of waiting decades for a larger project to come along and take care of it?

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, ArchiCLT said:

Drove to Orlando last week via 77-26-95-4. In SC along 26 and 95, there are miles and miles of trees being removed from the medians and shoulders, including widespread clearing at the 26/95 interchange. Is there a widening project on the distant horizon? On the southbound ramp from 26 to 95, the pavement is so bad it might as well be cobblestone. How difficult is it to resurface a small stretch of pavement for general maintenance, instead of waiting decades for a larger project to come along and take care of it?

SC is phasing in a widening from existing 6 lanes outside Columbia to Charleston but first to I-95 interchange.  This is way overdue due to the volume and frequent backups.  

[Hushpuppy321]

On 11/24/2023 at 11:50 AM, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

Georgia is 3 lanes from Atlanta to the Florida border on 75, I-95 from SC to FL and 85 is soon to be 3+ lanes from SC border to Alabama (4 from ATL to almost the AL border). Georgia has much better roads and construction is much faster than NC. Atlanta has bad traffic, but the improvements come quickly and the infrastructure is much more built out than NC. 

I agree with your assessment.  NC is way behind GA with road widening and transportation infrastructure improvements.  NC has for decades put too much emphasis on Rural Transportation efforts and not enough on Population Centered Improvements, I.E. the Asheboro Bypass.

[tozmervo]

I don't understand the mentality of the lane-measuring contest going on here. Is someone keeping score of how much 6-lane interstate exists? 

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

34 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

I don't understand the mentality of the lane-measuring contest going on here. Is someone keeping score of how much 6-lane interstate exists? 

No, and I generally think lane widening isn't a positive, but with the amount of 18 wheelers traveling the I-85 corridor, the structural issues of I-85 west of Charlotte are decades behind other states in the region. 

South Carolina is trying to improve this corridor, even if it is taking a decade to complete the widening. North Carolina's lack of progress on the highway between the largest 2 cities in the region is pathetic. 

[kermit]

2 hours ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

No, and I generally think lane widening isn't a positive, but with the amount of 18 wheelers traveling the I-85 corridor, the structural issues of I-85 west of Charlotte are decades behind other states in the region. 

South Carolina is trying to improve this corridor, even if it is taking a decade to complete the widening. North Carolina's lack of progress on the highway between the largest 2 cities in the region is pathetic. 

At some point (not saying its now) the financial cost of expanding I-85 becomes infeasible. This is exactly why Virginia is planning to spend $1billion + on rail, VADOT decided that adding lanes to I-95 north of Richmond is no longer possible and rail is a much more practical alternative.

Edited November 29, 2023 by kermit

[Crucial_Infra]

3 hours ago, tozmervo said:

Is someone keeping score of how much 6-lane interstate exists? 

It me 

[DCMetroRaleigh]

7 hours ago, kermit said:

At some point (not saying its now) the financial cost of expanding I-85 becomes infeasible. This is exactly why Virginia is planning to spend $1billion + on rail, VADOT decided that adding lanes to I-95 north of Richmond is no longer possible and rail is a much more practical alternative.

It may not be feasible to add lanes North of Quantico because of the sheer density of development and cost, but certainly is physically possible to do so South of there to Ashland.  VDOT foolishly agreed to have Transurban build and profit from HOT lanes while forbidding Virginia from building general travel lanes where Transurban operates high-occupancy toll lanes.  Those lanes now extend to Fredericksburg.   And if NC, Georgia, and Florida can afford to expand roads, wealthy Virginia should be able to. The problem is the state has been unwilling to raise the gas tax since at least the 90s to keep up with transportation needs.

Edited November 30, 2023 by DCMetroRaleigh

[Take2]

NCDOT needs to add an additional lane on 85 in each direction from the 285 split up to GSO for sure. I drive to High Point frequently and it reminds me of how 95 was b4 the HOT lanes from Fredericksburg to DC. It's fast and curvy with Elevation changes and blind spots and at one point NB and SB switch sides its just strange. 

  Driving back to Concord you start seeing slow downs and lots of brake lights from about Exit 103 (Thomasville) until 285 and that 4th lane connect. 

I don't want 85 to ever look like 85 in Gwinnett County though. If NC can't learn from the horrific mistake that is Atlanta development, then we deserve to sit in traffic imo.

[15895]

8 hours ago, Take2 said:

NCDOT needs to add an additional lane on 85 in each direction from the 285 split up to GSO for sure. I drive to High Point frequently and it reminds me of how 95 was b4 the HOT lanes from Fredericksburg to DC. It's fast and curvy with Elevation changes and blind spots and at one point NB and SB switch sides its just strange. 

  Driving back to Concord you start seeing slow downs and lots of brake lights from about Exit 103 (Thomasville) until 285 and that 4th lane connect. 

I don't want 85 to ever look like 85 in Gwinnett County though. If NC can't learn from the horrific mistake that is Atlanta development, then we deserve to sit in traffic imo.

How is Charlotte development (in context of general build / highways)  different from Atlanta in general?

(Texas highways though. Good lord. Atlanta is so much better than Dallas, Houston & Austin’s highways.)

[KJHburg]

New Dutch style intersection causing confusion in NoDa at Jordan and N Davidson St.

NoDa intersection confusing drivers | wcnc.com

[videtur quam contuor]

23 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

New Dutch style intersection causing confusion in NoDa at Jordan and N Davidson St.

NoDa intersection confusing drivers | wcnc.com

Watching that clip I wonder what the pronunciation is. No-Duh or No-Dah. It sounds odd to hear No-Duh.

[Hushpuppy321]

22 hours ago, Take2 said:

NCDOT needs to add an additional lane on 85 in each direction from the 285 split up to GSO for sure. I drive to High Point frequently and it reminds me of how 95 was b4 the HOT lanes from Fredericksburg to DC. It's fast and curvy with Elevation changes and blind spots and at one point NB and SB switch sides its just strange. 

  Driving back to Concord you start seeing slow downs and lots of brake lights from about Exit 103 (Thomasville) until 285 and that 4th lane connect. 

I don't want 85 to ever look like 85 in Gwinnett County though. If NC can't learn from the horrific mistake that is Atlanta development, then we deserve to sit in traffic imo.

Dude - before NCDOT does anymore I-85 Widening from the I-285 Split (through) Davidson County to Greensboro,  they absolutely need to widen I-85 from I-485/Catawba River Crossing to the SC Border.  Just queuing from the I-485 ramp to get onto I-85 (West Charlotte) towards the River Crossing can take 20/30 mins or longer during rush-hours, It’s totally inadequate currently and has been for 10+ years.

Davidson County I-285 North to Winston is small (4 Lanes) but moving and I-85 (6 Lanes) heavy with slow spots.  Metro Charlotte has totally gotten shafted/screwed for decades and the rest of the State seems to have no clue exactly how bad it is out here, but I can tell you it’s orders of magnitude larger than any other problem spots in the State.  During any typical rush hour (which used to be devastatingly bad for years along  I-85 China Grove to Concord before the 8 Lane Widening).  Typical Charlotte Interstates are usually packed and slow moving from about 2:45pm/3:30pm  until 7pm.  Takes me approximately a 90 mins to make the all interstate drive (50 miles) to Statesville  from South Charlotte - and that’s with me riding the Toll Lanes to the end.

Living in Charlotte makes me long for the days of backups I’ve endured in Wake & Durham County because I thought it couldn’t get any worse but it has.  (Special mention to the I-40WB bottleneck @ Durham/Orange Line and I-40 EB/WB through RTP toward Cary, those are quite bad too).  Rant over…

Edited December 1, 2023 by Hushpuppy321

[KJHburg]

Not sure I am on board with this.  Steph is a great player and young but to name an interchange after him.  What if some personal scandal comes out and you are stuck with the name?  I can only think of Bob Walton Plaza.  Lets honor him on the campus in another way than doing this.

Exception could be made so I-77 exit can be named after NBA star Steph Curry – WSOC TV

[tozmervo]

11 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

Dude - before NCDOT does anymore I-85 Widening from the I-285 Split (through) Davidson County to Greensboro,  they absolutely need to widen I-85 from I-485/Catawba River Crossing to the SC Border.  Just queuing from the I-485 ramp to get onto I-85 (West Charlotte) towards the River Crossing can take 20/30 mins or longer during rush-hours, It’s totally inadequate currently and has been for 10+ years.

You're getting your wish next year. Dirt should start moving to widen 85 to a full 8 lanes all the way to 321. NCDOT: I-85 Widening - Gaston County

[Hushpuppy321]

3 hours ago, tozmervo said:

You're getting your wish next year. Dirt should start moving to widen 85 to a full 8 lanes all the way to 321. NCDOT: I-85 Widening - Gaston County

Sweet relief!!

[DownEast]

6 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Not sure I am on board with this.  Steph is a great player and young but to name an interchange after him.  What if some personal scandal comes out and you are stuck with the name?  I can only think of Bob Walton Plaza.  Lets honor him on the campus in another way than doing this.

Exception could be made so I-77 exit can be named after NBA star Steph Curry – WSOC TV

Eh. it's an interchange.  probably more benign than anything on campus, really.  There's a freeway portion named after Jordan in Chicago.  Steph is all class and a native.  What if whatever...?

[tozmervo]

I mean, there's a reason the post office virtually never puts living people on stamps. Lots of skeletons in lots of closets.

[Take2]

19 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

Dude - before NCDOT does anymore I-85 Widening from the I-285 Split (through) Davidson County to Greensboro,  they absolutely need to widen I-85 from I-485/Catawba River Crossing to the SC Border.  Just queuing from the I-485 ramp to get onto I-85 (West Charlotte) towards the River Crossing can take 20/30 mins or longer during rush-hours, It’s totally inadequate currently and has been for 10+ years.

Davidson County I-285 North to Winston is small (4 Lanes) but moving and I-85 (6 Lanes) heavy with slow spots.  Metro Charlotte has totally gotten shafted/screwed for decades and the rest of the State seems to have no clue exactly how bad it is out here, but I can tell you it’s orders of magnitude larger than any other problem spots in the State.  During any typical rush hour (which used to be devastatingly bad for years along  I-85 China Grove to Concord before the 8 Lane Widening).  Typical Charlotte Interstates are usually packed and slow moving from about 2:45pm/3:30pm  until 7pm.  Takes me approximately a 90 mins to make the all interstate drive (50 miles) to Statesville  from South Charlotte - and that’s with me riding the Toll Lanes to the end.

Living in Charlotte makes me long for the days of backups I’ve endured in Wake & Durham County because I thought it couldn’t get any worse but it has.  (Special mention to the I-40WB bottleneck @ Durham/Orange Line and I-40 EB/WB through RTP toward Cary, those are quite bad too).  Rant over…

 I concur. Sorry you ranted about that part of 85 because that's an absolute given my friend! I drove that section to Caldwell mountains last month and it felt like a gauntlet that I would never escape meandering from Catawba river to 74. It's bad... so bad. I absolutely cannot imagine the CF coming with the widening project starting next year. But glad it's starting. 

8 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Not sure I am on board with this.  Steph is a great player and young but to name an interchange after him.  What if some personal scandal comes out and you are stuck with the name?  I can only think of Bob Walton Plaza.  Lets honor him on the campus in another way than doing this.

Exception could be made so I-77 exit can be named after NBA star Steph Curry – WSOC TV

I'm on board with naming the interchange after Steph. The somewhat breakout stardom and influence Steph Curry has achieved is something Davidson College and this part of the State don't experience as a rule. Then there is the role model he is for so many young boys and girls and adults for that matter. I like it.

[Windsurfer]

11 hours ago, Take2 said:

 I concur. Sorry you ranted about that part of 85 because that's an absolute given my friend! I drove that section to Caldwell mountains last month and it felt like a gauntlet that I would never escape meandering from Catawba river to 74. It's bad... so bad. I absolutely cannot imagine the CF coming with the widening project starting next year. But glad it's starting. 

I'm on board with naming the interchange after Steph. The somewhat breakout stardom and influence Steph Curry has achieved is something Davidson College and this part of the State don't experience as a rule. Then there is the role model he is for so many young boys and girls and adults for that matter. I like it.

Where are the "Catawba Mountains"?

[Take2]

On 12/2/2023 at 4:52 AM, Windsurfer said:

Where are the "Catawba Mountains"?

I have no idea about the "Catawba Mountains". I mentioned the Caldwell Mountains in my post, and they are in Caldwell County and the town of Lenoir. There is a very remarkable Elevation change within Caldwell County which makes it super neat to visit during the fall leave show. On the low end its around 950ft above sea level but at its highest the Elevation reaches to almost 6000 ft.

 

[KJHburg]

From the special section in the Biz Journal about Gaston County these updates on the widening of I-85 for 10 miles and widening of the old 1933 Catawba River Bridge on US 74.

sorry I was too lazy to type all this information on these projects into UP so just read my underlined hard copy photos from the Biz Journal special segment on Gaston County. 

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by KJHburg