Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Toll NC 147, Opening Day

Route
I 40 East, NC 147 South, NC 540 West to NC 55, NC 540 East to NC 54, NC 540 West, NC 55 North, Kitt Creek Parkway East, Davis Drive North, NC 147 North, I 40 West.

Notes
It was about 1 pm on opening day for Toll NC 147. After driving it north to south, I wanted to drive it south to north, but the ramps from NC 540 were closed. The opening ceremony had been on the northbound lanes, so they had let cars onto the northbound lanes and then closed the ramps. After taking both passes on NC 540 to check the ramps, I took Kitt Creek to Davis, the C/D lanes from Davis to Hobson and reentered the highway northbound. This meant that I drove the entire north-south side and half the south-north side. Oh well. There is one screwy sign on the northbound lanes that has "END Toll NC 147/BEGIN NC 147" with actual NC 147 shields. I have never seen a sign with both BEGIN and END banners on it, much less for the same highway.

Results
Reclinched NC 147. 

Monday, October 24, 2011

Asheville

Route
NC 86 North, I 40 West, I 85 South, I 73 North, I 40 East, Catawba Avenue, US 70 West, Old US 70, Mill Creek Road, Yates Avenue, Old US 70 E, US 70 West, BRP North to Folk Art Center.
BRP South, NC 151 North, US 19/23 North, I 40 East, US 25 North, local streets to Biltmore.
Local Streets, US 25 South, I 40 West, I 26 East, NC 191 North.
NC 191 North, I 26 West, I 40 West, Wiggins Road South, US 19/23 West to Candler.
US 19/23 East, Wiggins Road North, I 40 East, US 25 North, local streets to Biltmore.
Local streets, US 25 North, I 40 East, I 240 West, local streets to Grove Park Inn.
Local streets, I 240 West, NC 191 South, I 26 West, I 40 West, Wiggins Road South, US 19/23 West to Candler.
US 19/23 East, I 40 East, I 240 East, Exit 6, US 70/74A West, I 240 West, NC 191 South, I 40 East, US 74A East, US 74 West, I 85 North, NC 24 East, US 220 North, US 64 East, US 15/501 North, NC 86 North to Chapel Hill.

Notes
We visited Andrews Geyser, just north of old NC 10/US 70 (Point Lookout).

Results
Clinched NC 151. Mileage on US 19, US 23, US 70, US 74 A, US 64, NC 9, NC 24, NC 27.

Monday, September 19, 2011

US 311 North Terminus

Route
NC 86 North, I 40 West, I 840 North, US 70 West, US 29 North, NC 14, US 11 South, NC 770, Local Roads, NC 87 North, VA 87 North, US 220 Business North, US 220 North, US 58 West, US 58 Business Stuart West, US 58 West, US 58 Business Meadows of Dan East, US 58 West, I 77 South, VA 148 East, US 52 South, NC 89 East, NC 66 South, NC 268 East, NC 89 South, US 311 South, NC 65 East, US 158 East, NC 66 South, Bryan Boulevard, I 73 South, I 85 North, I 40 East, NC 86 South

Notes
US 311 is finally signed to Eden, after almost 10 years after being approved.
US 58 now bypasses Hillsville VA, with a new US 58 Business along the old mainline.

Results
Clinched US 220 Business Ridgeway, US 58 Business Stuart, US 58 Meadows of Dan. Mileage on US 58, NC 89. Clinched all state highways in Stokes county.

Aiken SC Wedding

Route
I 40 West, I 85 South, I 77 South, SC 277 South, I 20 West, local roads, US 176 North, SC 60 West, I 26 East to Columbiana Mall, I 26 East, US 1 South, local roads to Columbia Airport, local roads, SC 602 West, SC 6 North, I 20 West, I 520 West, GA 56 Spur South to Augusta Airport, GA 56 North, I 520 West, I 20 East, GA 104 West to Augusta
GA 104 East, I 20 East, SC 19 South to Aiken
SC 19 North, I 20 West, GA 104 West to Augusta
GA 104 East, I 20 West, I 520 East, GA 56 Spur South to Augusta Airport, GA 56 North, US 1/25/78/278 North to downtown Augusta, local roads, GA 104 West to Evans, GA 104 East, GA 232 South, I 20 East, US 1 North, local roads to Columbia Airport, SC 602 East, Local Road, US 1 North, I 20 East, I 77 North, I 85 North, NC 24 East, US 29 North, Local Roads, NC 49 East, US 64 East, US 15/501 North to Chapel Hill
Notes The I 85 Yadkin River bridge is beginning to really look like a bridge.
Results
Mileage on US 1, US 25, US 76, US 78, US 278, US 378, GA 56 Spur, SC 6, SC 19, SC 602.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Villanova/Dover/Annapolis/DC

Route
US 15/501 North, I 85 North, I 95 North, I 495 North, I 95 North, I 476 North, US 30 East, PA 320 North to Villanova PA
PA 320 South, US 30 West, I 476 North, I 76 West, US 202 West, PA 401 North, PA 113 South to Lionville PA
PA 100 South, US 202 South, I 95 South, DE 1 South, Scarborough Road, US 13 South, Court Street to Dover DE
Court Street, US 13 South, DE 10 West, MD 287 West, MD 313 North, MD 312 West, MD 304 West, US 301 South, MD 70 South to Annapolis MD
MD 450 North, MD 435 West, MD 70 North, US 50 West, DC 295 South, I 295 North, I 395 South, VA 27 West, Washington Boulevard to Arlington VA
I 66 West, I 495 East, I 95 South, I 85 South, US 1 South, VA 40 South, I 85, US 15/501 South

Notes
There is a nice welcome center near Smyrna DE at US 13 and DE 1. The rest area is on US 13, so you have to exit to get to it, but there is a ramp directly onto the onramp for DE 1. The toll for exit 104 to Dover is 50 cents.
We were waiting for a stoplight in front of the visitors center when the rear of the car started going up and down. I thought we had been rear-ended, but it was the earthquake. Traffic going into DC was ridiculous. The local news labeled it as the worst since 9/11. Going into DC on US 50 was fine. I 495 was stopped in both directions. So we continued in on US 50 and DC 295. Pennsylvania Ave was completely locked up. We did the U-turn at Howard Street to get onto I 295 North to cross the river to I 695/395. I 395 was fine until the US 1 merge from the Mall. Eventually we got to the Pentagon and exited onto VA 27/Washington Boulevard. The surface streets were fine.
The only earthquake damage we saw on I 95 was to a barrier fence north of Fredericksburg.
On I 85 south just north of US 1 in Petersburg, there was a warning for construction 14 miles ahead. After gassing up on US 1 (where the lines were horrid for hurricane panic), we continued south on US 1 to VA 40 and missed almost all of the construction.

Results
Counties - Kent DE (all counties in DE), Caroline MD
, for a new total of 1006.
VA - Mileage on VA 27, VA 40, US 1.
DC - Clinched I 295.

MD - Clinched MD 287. Mileage on MD 70, MD 304, MD 312, MD 313, MD 435, MD 450.
DE - Mileage on DE 1, DE 10, US 13.
PA - Mileage on PA 401, PA 113.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

US 52 Bypass Albemarle


Route
I 40 West, I 85 South, US 220 South, NC 49 South, NC 8 South, US 52 South, US 52 Business South to Albemarle
US 52 South, NC 731 North, local road detour, NC 109 North, NC 24/27 East, NC 22 North, NC 903 East, local road, US 64 East, US 15/501 North.

Notes
The US 52 Bypass south of Albemarle is open. NC 138 has been truncated from the US 52/NC 24/27/73 intersection to a new intersection a half mile south. US 52 Business is now signed along NC 24/27/73 from US 52 to the Second Street interchange.

Results
Clinched US 52 Business Albemarle. Mileage on US 52, NC 731, NC 109.

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Baltimore MD/VIllanova

Route
US 15/501 North, I 85 North, I 95 North, VA 10 East, I 295 North, I 95 North, US 1 North, I 95 North, MD 32 East to Fort Meade
MD 32 West, US 29 North, US 40 East, Local Roads to Ellicott City MD.
Local Road, US 40 West, US 29 North, I 70 East, I 695 North, I 95 North, MD 152 South, US 40 East, MD 24 North, I 95 North to Aberdeen MD.
I 95 South, MD 43 South, US 40 West, Local Roads to Baltimore MD.
Local Roads, MD 295 South, I 695 East, I 95, MD 24 South, US 40 East, MD 7 East to Havre de Grace MD.
MD 7 East, US 40 West, MD 22 North to Aberdeen MD.
I 95 North, DE 1 South, US 40 East, US 201 North, DE 92 East, I 95 North, I 476 North, US 30 East to Villanova.
US 30 West, I 476 South, I 95 South, I 495 South, I 95 South, I 895 South, I 95 South, Local Road, US 1 South, I 295 East, I 85 South, US 1 South, US 460 Bus West, I 85 South, US 15/501 South.

Notes
On I 95 south of VA 10, there was advisory sign for downtown Richmond, so we hopped over to I 295 and hit the construction through the I 64 interchange. Traffic through the construction was being herded by a police car and VADOT truck side by side at 5-15 miles per hour.
On I 95 south of the US 1 exit south of Springfied, there was an advisory sign that all lanes were closed at the exit before the US 1 exit at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, so we took US 1 near Mount Vernon. All was okay until we got to the last stoplight before getting onto I 95/495. It took forever to get through that light.

Results
VA - Mileage on US 1.
MD - Mileage on I 70, I 695, US 29, US 40, MD 2, 7, 22, 32, 24, 32, 43, 152, 295.
DE - Clinched US 202. Mileage on US 13, 40, DE 92, 141.