Painter Boulevard Southwest

Route
I 40 West, I 40 Business East, US 220 South, I 85 Business South, Groometown Road, I 40 East
Notes
First trip through the Maze. Westbound, I went directly on I 40/73. Coming back, I took the Grovetown exit to get another view of the bridges. Took a left across the Groometown bridge and left again onto the ramps for I 40/73/85. The rightmost ramp to I 40/73 is one long ramp.
Results
Reclinch I 40/73.

US 421 Bypass Future, Sanford

Route
US 15/501 South, local roads, US 421 Future West, US 421 Future East, NC 42 West, US 421 East, US 301 North, US 70 Business East, US 70 East, US 117 Alternate North, US 301 North, US 64 West, US 64 Business (Nashville) West, US 64 Alternate West, NC 98 West, US 1 South, I 540 West, I 40 East
Notes
The future US 421 bypass is open (though unsigned) from NC 42 to Colon Road north of Sanford. Neither end connects to US 421. The exits are numbered with US 421 mileage. At the Colon Road exit, there is a sign for the US 1 etc. interchange. It looks like that end is getting ready to open.
At the interchange for I 795 on US 70, the signs for the southbound ramps say US 117. The signs on the northbound ramps say US 117 and TO I 795. This interchange is the south end of I 795. Why does it say TO I 795?
NCDOT had said that they are taking US 117 off of the I 795 freeway and moving it back to current US 117 Alternate. There are no Alternate signs on US 117 Alternate. There used to be signs on US 301 directing US 117 Alternate onto US 264. It looks like US 117 Alternate has been shortened back to US 301. As the signs change, we will see what's going on.
There are new numbered exit signs on US 64 through Rocky Mount up to I 95.
Results
Clinch US 1117 Alternate, US 64 Business (Nashville), US 64 Alternate (Spring Hope). Mileage on US 421, US 301.

US 220 Reclinch

Route
US 15/501 South, US 64 West, Local Roads, US 220 Alt South, NC 705 North, US 220 South, US 220 Business Ellerbe North, US 220 Alt North, US 220 North, US 64 East, US 15/501 North
Notes
Old US 220 is still not resigned through Ellerbe and Norman. The only signs for US 22o Business are at the interchange. US 220 north of Norman has streets signs that say US 220 Alt, indicating that US 220 Alternate is being extended south, but the extent is unclear.
Results
Reclinch US 220.

Meinecke Car Care Bowl - Charlotte NC

Route
I 40 West, I 85 South, I 77 South, I 277 North, College Street
I 277 South, I 77 North, NC 16 North, I 85 North, I 40 East to Chapel Hill
Notes
Hit bad traffic twice on the way home from the stadium. First was on I 77 North. Took NC 16 over to I 85 to avoid stopped traffic. The second was from I 485 to Speedway Boulevard on I 85.
Results
Mileage on NC 16.

Augusta GA - Winthrop University

Route
I 40 West, I 85 South, I 77 South, US 1 South, I 20 West to Augusta
GA 28, I 520, GA 104, Local Roads
I 20 East, SC 277 North, I 77 North, US 21 North, US 21 Business Rock Hill North, US 21 North, I 77 North, I 85 North, I 40 East to Chapel Hill
Notes
All of the BGS's at the Maze have I 73 along with I 40, except for the US 220 exit. The US 220 exit from I 40/73 is exit 220 on I 40. Nice coincidence. This will be I 73 sometime, but is not signed yet.

The US 311/I 74 interchange on I 85 has bridge construction starting. The exit with NC 62 is partially blocked for construction of approach lanes.

The construction on I 85 from the Yadkin River to Salisbury continues. The picnic building at the Baptist Church that was damaged during the highway widening is gone.

Construction has started on the I 520 interchange with I20 in South Carolina. The westbound ramp to US 25 has been closed and replaced with a very tight cloverleaf. This will be reverted when the I 520 interchange is complete.

There is a new half interchange on I 20 in Georgia (exit 197) for Walton Way Extension - westbound exit and eastbound entry only. Construction has started on building flyovers from I 520 to I 20 on exit 196. The existing exits have been closed on exit 196, so there is a detour north on GA 232 to Scott Nixon Road, then south on Walton Way Extension to exit 197 (and the reverse).

Results
Clinch US 25 Business Rock Hill. Mileage on US 21.

I 795 and I 74

Route
I 540 East, US 64 East, NC 39 South, US 264 East, I 795 South, NC 222 East, US 117 Alt South, US 117 Alt North, NC 222 West, I 795 South, US 117 South, US 13 South, I 95 South, NC 711 North, NC 710 East, I 74 West, US 74 West, US 1 North, US 220 North, NC 211 East, NC 705 North, NC 24/27 East, US 15/501 North, US 1 North, I 440 East, US 70 West
Notes
This was the most productive roadgeek trip that I have been on in ages. Adam Prince, Robert Malme and sent out to see if I 795 is signed yet and to check out the new section of US 74 ( Future I 74 ) just opened south of Pembroke and the US 220 ( I 73/74 ) Ellerbe Bypass.

The signs on I 795 were put up on November 28 2007. All of the US 117 shields on the highway proper have been replaced with I 795 shields. The shields on the NC 42 interchange were also replaced. However, farther south, the US 117 shields on interchanges were not replaced yet. The BGS on US 264 still shows US 117, so you have to know to take the US 117 exit to stay on I 795.

We were surprised to find that the new section of US 74 is signed as I 74. In fact, all of the signage and exit numbers on US 74 on the Maxton and Laurinburg bypasses have been changed to I 74. Just after exit 207, there is an END I 74 sign. The new exits are:

• 207 - US 74 Business - West Laurinburg
• 208 - NC 79
• 209 - US 15/501/401 North
• 210 - US 15/401 South
• 211 - US 501 South
• 212 - Highland Road
• 213 - US 74 Business
• 216 - Airport Road
• 217 - NC 71
• 220 - US 74 Alt/Bus
• 223 - Cabinet Shop Road
• 226 - NC 710

The six mile stretch from 220 to 226 is a bit restricted. For eastbound travel on US 74, all traffic is forced to exit at exit 220. The exit is a partial cloverleaf. Exit 220A exits onto US 220 Business, west to Maxton. Exit 220B exits onto US 220 Alternate, east to Pembroke. There is an on-ramp from US 220 Business onto I 74/US 74 East. The ramp has a light board sign saying " Local Traffic Only - Open to NC 710". Thus, eastbound traffic must exit on 220A , cross Business US 74 and take the ramp back onto the Interstate. Continuing east on US 74 Alternate, there is one US 74 Alternate sign, then the road is signed US 74 mainline. Thus there are two US 74 mainlines, the old road, which will be US 74 Alternate when I 74/US 74 is finished to I 95, and the new multiplex with I 74.

For westbound travel on old US 74, there is no signage for the new freeway, until you get to exit 220. On NC 710 East from Pembroke, the old US 74 intersection is marked US 74 mainline. On NC 710 West from Rowland, the interchange is signed I 74/US 74 West, with no signage for US 74 East.

Construction on the US 220 Ellerbe Bypass is proceeding apace. We were able to get close enough to see some signage on the highway. The first quirk is that the exit from US 220 into Ellerbe on current US 220 is signed US 220 Business. Old US 220 north of the new freeway is signed US 220 Alternate. It was assumed that US 220 Alternate would just be extended south to Rockingham. In fact, at Tabernacle Road, which is the first exit south of the end of the current freeway, there is a street sign for US 220 Alternate. The signage indicates that current US 220 will be US 220 Business through Ellerbe and US 220 Alternate north of that. This means that the old US 220 will be Business through Ellerbe, Alternate from Norman to south of Asheboro and Business through Asheboto to Randleman. Why can't it all be Alternate US 220?

The second quirk is that the new freeway, which is an extension of I 73/74 / US 220 is signed as US 220/ Future I 73 / Future I 74. The new freeway is identical to the current freeway, in that it ends at US 220, which is NHS. Is this an admission that the current signage of I 73/74 is incorrect?

The following exits are signed on the bypass:

• 8 - Business US 220 - Ellerbe
• 13 - Hayward Parker Road
• 16 - NC 73
• 18 - Norman
• 22 - Tabernacle Church Road
• 24 - Alternate US 220
  

Results
Clinched I 74 in NC, NC 711. Mileage on US 74, US 13, US 117.

The return of NC 15

There is no North Carolina State Highway 15, since that would conflict with US 15. Somebody in NCDoT has mistakenly made some NC 15 shields with the diamond shield when they meant to make US 15 shields.

About two years ago, these signs were installed at the intersection of US 15/501 and NC 54. What was funny was that sign complexes had both US 15 and NC 15 shields, one for northbound and the other for southbound. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures before the NCD0T realized their mistake and replaced the shields.

This week, one of the NC 15 shields reappeared. It is not quite as ironic as the previous shields, except that NCDot made the same error again.

900 Counties!

Route
US 501 North, US 360 East, VA 307 West, US 460 West, US 460 Business West, VA 45 North to Cumberland County and return, US 15/460 Business West, US 15 North to Buckingham County
US 15 South, US 15/360 Business Keysville, US 15 South, VA 49 South, NC 49 South, US 501 South
Notes
This was primarily a county tagging trip. The only odd thing I saw were the signs at US 360 and VA 360. The regular shields had banners for STATE and US above them, to make sure people would not be confused.
I had counted Lunenburg as having been visited by driving on I 85, but I 85 just misses the county. It appears that US 360 enters the county in the area around Meherrin, but here are no county signs on the highway. I saw some along side roads, so I ducked off on SR630 and found a sign and turned around.
Farmville was a good locus for visiting counties, there are four that I visited within ten miles of town.
Results
Clinched US 15/360 Business Keysville, US 58 Business Clarkesville, US 460 Business Farmville. Mileage on US 15, US 360, US 460, US 15 Business Farmville.
Counties in Virginia: Amelia, Buckingham, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottaway, Prince Edward. For a total of 901.