Inner and Outer (Charlotte, Raleigh, Concord: living in, best, money)
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My hubby says 3 number interstates are always beltloops, so I-85 is the main interstate and I-485 is a beltloop.
No!!! 3-digit interstates are not always beltloops. They are spurs off of the main highway, but don't necessarily form loops (i.e. I-270 in Maryland, I-476 in PA). Don't want you getting lost thinking that all the 3-digits will just loop around at some point!
Last edited by jjp4; 07-03-2008 at 10:47 AM..
Reason: poor spelling
No!!! 3-digit interstates are not always beltloops. They are spurs off of the main highway, but don't necessarily form loops (i.e. I-270 in Maryland, I-476 in PA). Don't want you getting lost thinking that all the 3-digits will just loop around at some point!
Draw one circle, then draw another around it. This is what loops look like. The inner lane is the inner loop; the outer lane is the outer loop. They are lablelled like this because you can be going east on 485 and then be going north, so the N, E, S, W signs aren't helpful and confuse people. If you are on the inside circle, you are on the inner; if you are on the outside; you are on the outer.
W/o hijacking the thread; a related question. I work in Pineville. I take 85 South to 485, then across to South Blvd. Coming home, I get on 485 at South, but cant get on 85 until Concord, taking me an additional 10 miles. Is there not an exit from 485 to 85 in Pineville, or am I missing it?
You have to take 485 west, the inner loop, towards the airport and that takes you to 85. It's probably the best way home if you are near Concord. Or you can take 485 west/inner to 77 north to 85 north.
SO why can't you use N E S W? They should- that's the point of having it, so you know which direction you are going. The direction label SHOULD change, since the road changes direction - this is standard on every interstate in the US. The use of inner / outer should augment the direction, not replace it. This is how it is done in DC and Baltimore, the only other cities using inner/outer. Raleigh tried using only inner/outer and it failed - more people were confused than not. Inner/outer should indicate which side, N E S W the direction you are going ...
On a regular interstate that would be find but if you are on a loop and heading at your suggested N.E. direction at some point in the loop you are going to be heading S.E. making this method in effective. If a buisness or someone is trying to give me directions to Carolina Place Mall from 77 no matter if I am coming from SC or Charlotte and they tell me to take the Outer to such and such exit I know where they are talking about or least will not be looping around in the long direction.
I think it really elementary
Outer- counter clockwise
Inner - Clockwise
No!!! 3-digit interstates are not always beltloops. They are spurs off of the main highway, but don't necessarily form loops (i.e. I-270 in Maryland, I-476 in PA). Don't want you getting lost thinking that all the 3-digits will just loop around at some point!
Spurs of the Interstate system are 3 digits and begin with an odd number as in I-540 arcing across northern Raleigh
Once an Interstate spur connects to another (or the same) Interstate on the other end, it changes from beginning with an odd number to beginning with an even one as in I-485 around southern Charlotte.
One might also see the confusing "future" sign associated with spurs or incomplete loop sections. This occurs when the "Interstate" neither ends at another Interstate nor US Highway.
The inner/outer thing just sounds like kids talking about their belly-buttons to me! I have absolutely no idea which is which as they make no sense whatsoever. However, I just chalk it up to Charlotte as a whole which makes no logical sense street-wise and try to memorize where I am going (or use my navigator).
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