Monday, December 27, 2004

Xmas in Georgia; Visit to GA Tech

Route
I 40 West, I 85 South, I 77 South, US 1 South, I 20 West to Augusta
GA 28, GA 104, I 520, GA 383, Local Roads
I 20 West, I 75/85 North to GA Tech
Local Roads, I 75 South, I 285 East, I 20 West to Augusta
I 20 East, SC 144 North, US 25 North, US 378 East, SC 39 North, SC 56 North, SC 72 East, I 26 West, I 85 North, I 40 West to Chapel Hill
Notes
Exit 149 on I 85 is now open as University Drive to Elon. Elon has been removed from the exit 141 signs.
When the HOV lane on I 77 South ends, the lane ends and you have to merge right.
I 485 West is still marked on the GBS on I 77 South as Future I 485
I 485 South has Rock Hill as its control city from I 85 South and Pineville as its control city from I 85 North.
Results
One County (Saluda SC), for a total of 863

Monday, December 06, 2004

Mount Rogers

Route
I 40 West, Bus I 40 West, US 52 North, I 74 West, I 77 North, US 52 West, VA 600 North
Notes
Previously, we went to Mount Rogers by way of Sparta NC, but this way is faster.
All lanes are open on I 85/I 40 at the bridge construction at Mile 140 west of Burlington NC, eliminating a bottle neck.
All lanes are open on Business I 40 from Kernersville NC to US 52.
Galax VA is one of smallest Independant Cities in Virginia. I had both of the counties that Galax is between, but not Galax.
In Greensboro NC, the BGSs on Eastbound I 40/Bus 85/US 421 at US 220 and Bus 85 do not mention I 85 at all now. You have to know that to get to I-85 South, you take Bus 85 South or go all the way to the I 40/I 85 split east of Greensboro.
Results
Picked up mileage on US 58. One county (Galax VA) for a total of 861.

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Clinch US 220 in NC

Route
I 40 West, NC 87 North, US 158 West, US 220 North, US 220 Business, NC 135 East, US 220 North, VA 87 South, NC 87 South, US 158 East, US 29 Bypass South, NC 150 East, US 158 East, NC 86 South
Notes
My NC State Highway Map shows US 311 going through Madison on US 220 Business and NC 135 East to Eden. I took the detour to see for myself. There is an End sign at US 311 and US 220 Business as before. The new route has not been signed.
US 220 is signed as Future I 73 Corridor in both North Carolina and Virginia.
US 28 Bypass has had its mileposts renumbered. The exits show the old exit numbers and new exit numbers, differing only by a mile or two. What was the point?
Results
Clinch US 220 in NC, VA 87

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Sandhills

Route
US 15/501 South, US 1 South, US 15/501 South, US 15/401 South, SC 381 West, NC 381 West, NC 79, NC 381 West, US 74 Business West, NC 38 South, Local Roads, US 1 N to NC 177
US 1 South, US 220 North, US 220 Alt North, NC 705, US 220 Alt North, NC 159 North, Local Roads, NC 42 East, NC 22 North, NC 62 East, US 421 North, I 40 East, I 840 North, US 70 East, I 40 East
Notes
Construction continues at a snail's pace on US 15/501 from Chapel Hill to Pittsboro and the US 1 Vass Bypass.
Crossed the South Carolina border on US 15, NC 75 and US 1. On each there are several dead Video Poker parlors. They look pathetic.
Lots of construction south of Candor on the US 220/I 73/I 74 extension to Rockingham. Nice view of bridge construction west of US 220.
The only exit on Future I 840 is numbered 19, which should count around the future loop from the other end at current I 40.
Results
Clinched US 1, US 15, NC 381, NC 38, NC 705, NC 159, NC 22. Almost clinched US 220, need the northern end.
Photographed NC 79 Southern Terminus and NC 177 Northern Terminus

Saturday, October 23, 2004

College Visit to JHU

Route
US 15/501 North, I 85 North, I 95 North, I 295 (Md/DC) North, DC 295 North, Baltimore-Washington Parkway North, MD 295, Local Roads to JHU
Local Roads, I 83 South, Local Roads, I 395 South, I 95 South, VA 7100 South, US 1 South to Stafford, I 95 South, I 85 South, US 15/501 South to Chapel Hill
Notes
Going north, no delays at Springfield or the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Night construction is going on the Virginia approach to the bridge.
The Balitmore-Washington Parkway is a strange duck. It is signed like the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Jamestown/Yorktown Parkway , but appears just to be a highway connecting government complexes and the cities.
Going south, significant delays at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge from both directions. However, once you hit the bridge, traffic went to highway speed.
The BGS north of Richmond illustrating that I-295 goes around Richmond has got to be the stupidest BGS in the southeast.
Results
Clinch I 95, I 295, DC 295, I 495 in DC
Clinch I 295, Baltimore-Washington Parkway, MD 295, I 395 in MD
5 counties in MD, total now 858

Sunday, October 10, 2004

Shenandoah National Park

Route
NC 86 North, I 29 North, VA 6 West, VA 151 North, US 250 West to the Skyline Drive
Notes
There is construction of the Sweetbrier interchange at the south end of Amherst bypass, US 29 reduced to both directions on one carriageway. This is the north end of the US 29 bypass of Lynchburg from the existing US 460 freeway.
US 29 has two names, "Seminole Trail", which hearkens back to when roads were named, and "The 29th Infantry Division Memorial Highway".
There is a very tall water spout on the James River west of the US 29 bridge. The US-29 freeway through Lynchburg is awful. Someday I am going to figure out how to get through Lynchburg without hitting the section of US 29 in front of Walmart. Supposedly, taking US 460 to US 501 is better.
A new entrance to the National Park is being built a little south of the current one. The road, curbing and foundation is in. There is parking in both driections, making getting backcountry permits a little easier, if they move the backcountry permit box to the new entry way.
On some bridge north of Lynchburg, I saw little signs "Lift Blade at Joint". It took a little thinking to realize that these were for snowplows to lift their blades over the bridge joints.
Virginia's secondary roads (round signs) appear to number up into the 1000's. I did see one in the 9000's and one which was numbered "F287", which I assume is a farm road.
Shenandoah National Park is beautiful in October. On our way out, there was a line of cars at the entranceway.
There is a small green "Future I 785 Corridor" sign on US 29 S/US 58 W just west of the interchange with US 58 E. This indicates that I 785 will extend around Danville, at least to US 58 W. Continuing around on the US 29 Bypass would make sense.
Results
Picked up mileage on VA 6, VA 151 and US 250.

Friday, October 08, 2004

Clinch NC 96

Route
I 40 East, US 70 East, US 70 Bus East, NC 96 South, NC 55 East, I 40 West, I 95 North, US 70 Bus West, NC 96 North, US 158 West, I 85 South to Durham NC
Notes
Due to misreading a map, I started out heading for Smithfield to explore the various US 70's there and then head north on NC 96, which I thought ended at US 301 in Selma. When I got to the intersection of US 70 Bus and US 301, I was surprised to see the NC-96 was multiplexed with US 301. Looking at the map, NC 96 continued to NC 55. Oops. I should have taken I 40 to NC 55 in the first place. The US 70's will have to wait.
NC 96 runs through a lot of cotton fields from NC 55 to Zebulon.
Results
Clinched NC 96.
Extended the central section of US 158 around Oxford. I need to connect US 158 from I 85 to the exit north of Henderson to have US 158 continuous from Merchant Millpond to Reidsville.

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Drive the U-Haul from Dearborn MI to Chapel Hill NC

Route
US 24 South, I 94 West, I 275 South, I 75 South, I 280 South, I 80/90/Ohio Turnpike East, I 77 South, I 74 East, US 52 South, I 40 Bus East, I 40 East, NC 86 South to Chapel Hill NC
Notes
In a truck, stick to Interstates.
The interchange between US 24 and I 94 is under reconstruction into a SPUI. The unusual left exits from I 94 are gone and the bridges that carried them across US 24 are gone. Currently there is a detour for both exits.
The southern approaches to the new I 280 bridge look complete.
In the new Ohio Turnpike service areas, the diesel pumps are before the truck parking area. You have to fuel first.
Ohio Turnpike treats the truck as a car. West Virginia calls it a Class 5 vehicle with a $2.00 toll per plaza.
Results

Thursday, July 22, 2004

College Visit to VPI and CMU

Route

NC 86 North, US 58 West, VA 8 North, I 81 North, US 460 West to VA Tech
US 460 West, I 77 North, US 19 North, I 79 North, I 279 North, I 376 East to Carnegie-Mellon
I 579 North, I 279 South. I 79 South, US 19 South, I 77 South, I 74 East, US 52 South, I 40 East, US 220 South, I 85 East, I 40 East, NC 86 South to Chapel Hill NC

Notes

The 2004-6 Virginia map still shows the Danville and Stuart bypasses as being under construction. I know that the Danville bypass opened this spring, but the Stuart bypass has been done for a while.

On US-460 between Christiansburg and Blacksburg are BGS’s and exits for Smart Road support facilities.

US 460 is in the I 73 corridor. It would not take too much to upgrade it to Interstate.

US-19 is signed as the “Robert C. Byrd Appalachian Highway System”. It appears to be interstate grade except between Summersville and the New River Gorge.

The mess of construction on the I-279 bridge over the Mon is almost all complete.

When leaving the Pitt campus area, there are ramps for both I 279 and I 579. The ramp for I 579 is over the other following the river, when it takes a right turn downtown and becomes the interstate proper.

There is no ramp from I 579 N onto I 279 S. You have to find an exit and make a U-turn.

US-52 is marked “Future I-74 Corridor” into Winston-Salem, even past where the I-74 bypass is supposed to leave US-52.

I-74 and I-73 are signed as such on I-74 and US-220 where the road is interstate grade. If the road is not interstate grade, the route is sighed with a “Future I-7X Corridor” or with Future I-7X shields. Is there a reason for the two different signages?

US-220 between I-40 and I-85 is sighed with Future I-73 shields, even though I-73 is now to be routed along the to be built new I-40.

On I-85 just east of US-220, there is a I-40/I-85 shield pair. Not “TO I-40”. This is jumping the gun by years.

Results

Clinched I-279, I-579 in Pennsylvania
10 counties, 2 in VA, 2 in PA, 6 in WV, total now 853

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

NC Beach Trip

Route
Chapel Hill to Oak Island: I 40 East, NC 133 South, NC 87 South, NC 133 South
Day Trip to Fort Fisher: NC 133 North, NC 210 South, Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry, US 412 North, River Road, US 117 North, US 421 North, US 17 South, NC 133 South
Day Trip to Myrtle Beach and Calabash: NC 133 North, NC 210 North, US 17 South, US 17 Business South, Ocean Boulevard, SC 73 East, US 17 Business North, US 17 North, SC 179 East, NC 179 East, NC 179 Business East, NC 179 East, US 17 Business North, US 17 North, NC 210 South, NC 133 South
Oak Island to Chapel Hill: NC 133 North, NC 87 North, NC 133 North, I 40 West

Notes
Getting There - Chapel Hill to Oak Island

There is a blank BGS on I 40 at Exit 414. There appear to be fewer signs on the route through Castle Hayne for the North Carolina Battleship Memorial. The battleship is supposed to be going to Norfolk for a refit. Perhaps they are taking signs down now.

US 117 and NC 133 used to go right at a Y in Castle Hayne, with NC-132 going left. Now US 117 goes left with NC 132. This is part of the 2002 rerouting of US 117. There is major construction on NC 133 for the I 140 bridge. NC 133 is widened to four lanes with at at least a half cloverleaf with the I 140 bridge which is starting to elevate there. There is a factory exit running into the interchange from the northwest. There are stoplights hung for both sets of ramps. The bridge is a long way from being complete. Perhaps the road from I 40 to NC 133 will be done before the bridge. Where NC 133 crosses the Cape Fear ( and US 117 continued into downtown ) , NC 133 has been rerouted onto a new bridge at right angles to the bank and intersecting with the old bridge at a forty degree angle. The roadway turns onto the north two lanes of the old bridge and crosses. The south two lanes and the entire bridge to the left of the new bridge is under construction. The new bridge aligns with the path of the Smith Creek Parkway, which will eventually connect from the east. It is not clear what the final configuration of the bridge will be.

Day Trip to Fort Fisher

Checked out the end of Independance Boulevard at River Road, which is where the new toll bridge is going to be built. This area is very low, so the bridge is going to have to be very high to get over the State Port Ship traffic and the approaches are going to be miles long. There are reassurance signs for US 117 at the entrance to State Port, but I did not see Begin or End signs.

Next to US 17/74/76 bridge over NC 133 South is a Begin NC 133 South sign. This is an error, because NC-133 starts at NC 120 north of Castle Hayne. NC 133 South exits from US 17/74/76 there and turns left under the bridge. They must have meant that this was the start of this nonmultiplexed section of NC 133 South. The Visitor Center at Brunswick Town State Historic Site has an new walkthrough display similar to one at Fort Fisher.

Day Trip to Myrtle Beach and Calabash

The Visitor Center on US 17 is under construction. There is a trailer in front for travel info.

NC 179 has been rerouted from Calabash to Sunset Beach. The old NC-179 to the Sunset Beach Bridge is now NC 179 Business. NC 179 proper multiplexes with NC-905 for a few miles more now and meets NC 179 Business at the intersection where the true business section of Sunset Beach is. NC 179 Business must be only Business Route that does not serve any significant business. There are a couple of businesses at the Sunset Beach bridge, but there isn’t much. At least that hard left turn that will take you into the Intercoastal if you miss the turn is on the Business route instead of the main road.

Results
Clinched NC 179 Business