Friday, October 31, 2008

Concord NC

Route
I 40 West, I 85 South and return

Notes
This was a quick shopping trip to Concord Mills along the I 85 corridor that I travel frequently.

There is no indication of sign changing on I 40/85/73 in Greensboro. The USRN meeting muddied this by referring to Future 73.

The construction at the I 74/US 311 interchange with I 85 continues apace. There is a new traffic pattern. The I 85 main lanes have been rerouted onto new C/D lanes which pass over new bridges over the I 74 main lanes. The east ramps for NC 62 connect to the C/D lanes. The close proximity of the NC 62 interchange with the new interchange is going to cause interleaving on the C/D lanes.

There is signage on I 85 for oversized truck detours between US 311 and US 64. The signs have two shields: one for I 85 Business and one for US 29/70, which have both numbers, one above the other, on one shield.

Results
None.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

I 74 - Lumberton

Route
US 15/501 South, US 64 West, NC 87 South, NC 902 West, Local Road, US 421 West, US 1 South, US 15/501 South, US 74 Business West, I 74 East, US 74 Business Maxton East, US 74 Alternate East, NC 710 South, I 74 East, US 74 Alternate West, NC 710 North, NC 210 West, US 1 North, NC 78 East, NC 42 East, US 1/NC 42 Connector (US 421 Future) North, US 15/501 North

Notes
I 74/US 74 now connects to I 95. The current segment from Laurinburg to Lumberton runs from US 74 Business west of Laurinburg to NC 41, two exits east of I 95. NC DOT made an error in the mile markers on the segment from Laurinburg to NC 710. The segment from NC 710 to NC 41 is signed correctly, but several exit numbers on this segment duplicate the (incorrect) exit numbers on the western segment. NC DOT has covered over the exit numbers on the signs for the incorrectly numbered exits. It looks like they are going to fix it all, though it may take a while. From the interchange the east end of US 74 Alternate to NC 41, I 74/US74 is still being worked on. The main work is for widening of the shoulders. NC 41 needs to be resigned. Even though the road is not currently interstate standard, so that technically the road would be Future I 74, but there are some signs on the segment labelling it as full I 74, so, for all practical purposes, I 74 not runs to NC 41 and obviously ends there. US 74 continues on as non-interstate grade freeway (Future I 74).

The US 74 Alternate bridge over I 95 is closed for construction dealing with the removal of the I 95 interchange and connection to the new interchange with I 74/US 74. The westbound exit is open to US Alternate from I 74/US 74. However, there is a detour on the service drive of I 95 up to NC 71, west across I 95 and down the other service drive.

Results
Reclinch I 74 in NC. Clinch US 74 Business Laurinburg/Maxton, US 74 Alternate. Mileage on NC 710, NC 71, NC 210.

Monday, September 08, 2008

US 1/NC 42 Connector, Sanford


Route
US 15/501 South,US 1/NC 42 Connector (US 421 Future) South, NC 42 West, US 421 West, Cumnock Road North, local roads, NC 87 North, US 64 East, US 15/501 North

Notes
The future US 421 bypass is now open from NC 42 to US1/15/501/NC 87 north of Sanford. Neither end connects to US 421. From the US 1 freeway, the road is signed TO NC 42. On NC 42, the road is labeled as US 1/NC 42 Connector.

Where Cumnock Road crosses the Deep River, there is an old camelback trestle bridge that is in a small park. The bridge is well worth a stop. You can cross the bridge and see the construction detail. The planking sticks out from under the asphalt in places. There is a strange canoe/kayak launch beneath the bridge with a pair of steel pipe railings to slide your boat on next to a concrete steps that go down into the river.

Results
Reclinch US 421 Future.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Augusta GA

Route
I 40 West, I 85 South, Bruton Smith Parkway, US 29 South, US 29 Connector, I 85 South, NC 16 North, I 485 South, I 85 North, Billy Graham parkway, US 74 East/West, I 85 South, US 29 South, I 85 South, I 85 Business, I 585 North, US 178 North, US 178 South, I 585 South, US 178 South, SC 49 West, I 26 South, SC 72 West, US 25 South, I 20 West to Augusta
GA 104 North, Ga 47 North, US 378 East, GA 79 North, GA 44 W/E to Wilkes County, GA 72 East, SC 72 East, SC 81 North, I 85 North, I 185 North, US 29 North, I 385 Business South, I 385 South, I 85 North, I 85 Business, I 85 North, US 221 North, US 74 East, I 85 North, NC 3 South, NC 49 North, US 65 East, US 15/501 North to Chapel Hill
Notes
I 485 north of I 85 is no longer signed Future. On NC 16, the first BGS for I 485 has "TO" over the I 485 shield, but the next BGS shows just the shield. The BGS for I 485 at US 74/29 labels the southbound lanes as both "OUTER" and "SOUTH", showing a little split personality.
I 585 is signed both north and south of I 85 Business in Spartanburg, but the freeway ends at the first exit north. The interstate should only go south or all the way to connect to I 85, eliminating the hanging I 585.

Results
Clinch I 495 (NC), I 585 (SC), I 395 Business Greenville, I 595 Business Spartanburg. Mileage on I 385, I 185, US 29, US 221, US 74, US 378, US 176 and NC 3, NC 16, SC 49, SC 72, SC 81, GA 104, GA 47, GA 79, GA 72, GA 44. Five counties: Union and Abbeville SC, Lincoln, Willkes and Elbert GA for a total of 906.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Carolinas Roadmeet, Cleveland NC

Route
NC 54 East, I 40 East, US 70 East, I 40 East, NC 42 West, NC 50 South, NC 210 East, I 40 West, NC 42 West
NC 42 East, Local Roads, US 70 Business West, US 70 West, NC 42 West
NC 42 East, I 40 West, NC 540 West, NC 55 North, Local Roads, NC 54 West
Notes
On the way to the roadmeet, I needed gas, so I took US 70/NC 50/US 401 to get gas at $3.85. When I got to the Cleveland Draft House, I had a little time to kill, so I went down NC 50 to McGhee's Crossroads to check out a BBQ restaurant and get a little more NC 210 mileage.
There is a BGS in error on US 70 East indicating that the I 40 West ramp is for US 70 West. This hearkens back to the early 1990's when US 70 went up I 40 and around the Beltline.
Smithfield is shown on a mileage sign on I 40 between US 70 and the new US 70 interchange. This is in preparation for when US 70 East will be routed there next week.
There is a US 70 reassurance shield on I 40 West north of the new interchange also in prep.
The BGS's on I 40 West for US 70 East now have covered banners for the change to Business.
The US 70 reassurance shields through Clayton all have covered Business banners.

We drove around looking at the new US 70 freeway from various dead ends. The first stop featured a dead cat in a shopping bag. A later dead end was for a busy road now permanently cut by the freeway. Between the Road Ends 1000 yards and 500 yards, there is a Speed Limit sign reducing the speed limit to 45 mph. At the dead end, right next to the barrier is a a Speed Limit sign restoring the 55 mph speed limit. If you can't speed up, you won't be able to make the jump across the freeway.
Results
Mileage on NC 210.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

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.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

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.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

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.