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Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,666,340 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LM117
Thanks for the background on the bypass. I knew that it was planned for a long time, but I didn't know the full story, nor it's original routing.
I wasn't implying that you didn't know anything about the roads in the area. I was just pointing out that the shoulders in some areas will need widening before US-74 can get those famous red, white & blue shields. You're right, that would be a very easy fix for NCDOT to do. Even the substandard bridges shouldn't be much of a problem to widen...or replace, which seems to be NCDOT's preferred method.
The northern bypass has been in the works for at least 30 years. I haven't been here that long. Before the Kings Mountain Blvd version they planned to dump the bypass off near the Kings Mountain Ingles. Who knows how many versions preceded that.
West of Ingles, 74 is not interstate standard. There are some businesses on the side of the road. I suspect that that's why the plan for the Kings Mountain Blvd extension was concocted.
321, north of Gastonia is almost interstate standard, to Hickory except the shoulders are practically nonexistent. When I 85 is widened through Gaston County the northbound onramp for 321 (exit19) will be reconfigured. Since 321, like 74, is local through Gastonia, I doubt that 321 will ever get an interstate designation. US 74 does get enough traffic that they might consider elevating through traffic.
Although a different route, another route that needs an interstate highway designation is United States Route 321 from Gastonia to Hickory.
Little chance of that happening, IMO. FHWA has certain criteria that a route has to meet before it can become an interstate. The biggest issue with US-321 is that it doesn't connect anything of regional or national significance. US-74 between I-26 and I-85 does, since it would connect Charlotte and Asheville, as well as cross-country. US-321 primarily serves local traffic. If either Hickory, Lincolnton or Gastonia had a military base, then US-321 could easily become an interstate.
Goldsboro, while a small city, has I-795 because of Seymour Johnson AFB, as well as it's planned extension to I-40, which will serve as a shortcut between Wilmington & I-95. Future I-42 in eastern NC connects military bases, as well as the Port of Morehead City, to I-95 and I-40, Future I-87 links Raleigh and Norfolk, Future I-587 links Greenville (economic center of eastern NC) & ECU to Raleigh & I-95, Future I-285 will link Winston-Salem to Charlotte and points south along I-85 and vice-versa.
Nothing against Hickory or Gastonia, but I doubt FHWA will consider those two cities important enough to be linked by an interstate. Gastonia won't benefit much, if any, from US-321 becoming an interstate since it's already linked to I-40 West via US-74 and I-26, not to mention already having I-85. Hickory doesn't really have anything that would warrant having an interstate connection to I-85.
United States Route 321 from Gastonia to Hickory is the same as United States Route 52 (future Interstate 285) from Interstate 85 to Winston-Salem. The problem with United States Route 321 is the presence of many at-grade intersections at Interstate 85 in Gastonia.
United States Route 321 from Gastonia to Hickory is the same as United States Route 52 (future Interstate 285) from Interstate 85 to Winston-Salem. The problem with United States Route 321 is the presence of many at-grade intersections at Interstate 85 in Gastonia.
Even if US-321 was upgraded to interstate standards, chances of it becoming an interstate (should NCDOT request it), are very slim, for reasons I mentioned in my previous post. It would probably require an act of Congress and, no offense to Hickory and Gastonia, I doubt Congress cares about connecting those two cities.
US-74 should be the top priority in the Charlotte metro, as far as future interstates are concerned, not to mention the improved safety of an upgraded US-74. I still think NCDOT will seek a future interstate designation once the Shelby Bypass is completed. I would be very surprised if they don't.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,666,340 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina Knight
I think United States routes 74 and 321 could become auxiliary interstate highways if they are proposed together.
What is United States Representative Patrick McHenry's position of seeking an interstate highway designation?
McHenry - ROFLMAO! Let's see, he helped Rutherford County with getting the Facebook data center. He's done nothing for Cleveland County. Since neither road goes through his hometown of Cherryville, he would have absolutely no interest. A few years ago he couldn't get space for a town hall in Shelby & had to hold the town hall in Kings Mountain. The city hall room was filled with all available KMPD, as the city expected a ruckus.
The N.C. Department of Transportation will close N. Lafayette Street in Shelby on Monday, Nov. 13, to continue working on the Shelby Bypass.
The closure is needed to build a bridge and tie the existing roadway back to a future section of U.S. 74. Once the bridge is open, bypass construction will continue under the new structure.
The contract calls for the new bridge to be open within 270 days. The offsite detour uses East Ross Grove Road, McBrayer Springs Road and Blackwood Place.
The bypass is an 18.5–mile four-lane divided highway from east of Mooresboro to west of Stony Point Road at U.S. 74 Business in Kings Mountain.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.
I haven't seen it mentioned, but I'd like to point out that the entire bypass won't be finished until 2024 or later based on the current funding schedule. The next two sections won't even start construction until 2020-2021. Heck, the first section was let in 2013 and they aren't even paving it until next year. Five years to build five miles of highway. NCDOT has shown no interest in expediting the bypass, despite other efforts across the state to accelerate projects. I suspect if the folks in Raleigh had to drive through Shelby on a regular basis they'd quickly change their mind.
And now, a list of highway projects that began construction after the Shelby Bypass started and will be finished before it:
US 17 Pollocksville & Maysville Bypass (no link, but 2015-2020)
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