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How many decades has it been since U.S. 74 started being upgraded between Asheville, Charlotte and Wilmington, and half of it still doesn't meet freeway standards? Why the sudden urge to connect Raleigh and Norfolk when we can't even connect the state's major port and the state's largest city with a freeway?
How many decades has it been since U.S. 74 started being upgraded between Asheville, Charlotte and Wilmington, and half of it still doesn't meet freeway standards? Why the sudden urge to connect Raleigh and Norfolk when we can't even connect the state's major port and the state's largest city with a freeway?
Maybe because Norfolk is a larger port than Wilmington and with I-87 they can get goods to I-40 West and I-95 South faster?
With ports, I don't think the goal is to connect the port to the largest city in that state, it's more of getting the goods out of the port as fast as possible and up and down the East Coast.
NCDOT is upgrading parts of US-74, like the Shelby Bypass and Monroe Expressway, after those are complete, a good chunk of US-74 will meet freeway standards.
NCDOT has been chipping away at improving US 74. From Charlotte going east, the slow areas are Monroe and Wadesboro. The Monroe Expressway will fix the worse of those two. And for people and freight moving between Asheville and Wilmington, I-26 and I-20 via Columbia is the better bet anyway.
Maybe because Norfolk is a larger port than Wilmington and with I-87 they can get goods to I-40 West and I-95 South faster?
It's actually shorter to take US-58 from Hampton Roads to I-95 in Emporia. The real motive for I-87's routing is to connect eastern NC to the Port of Virginia.
That said, I-87 has the bonus of avoiding the infamous US-58 speed traps.
It's actually shorter to take US-58 from Hampton Roads to I-95 in Emporia. The real motive for I-87's routing is to connect eastern NC to the Port of Virginia.
That said, I-87 has the bonus of avoiding the infamous US-58 speed traps.
By the time the Shelby bypass is completed seven years from now, it will be thirty years since the last freeway section of US 74 between Asheville and Charlotte was completed. The Monroe Expressway is a toll road, and I'm sure this route will be entirely free.
Sorry for not being enthralled at spending billions of dollars to put up some blue signs and connect tiny towns in one of the most rural parts of the state that people have been fleeing in droves when we can't even have a freeway between some of our largest cities.
By the time the Shelby bypass is completed seven years from now, it will be thirty years since the last freeway section of US 74 between Asheville and Charlotte was completed. The Monroe Expressway is a toll road, and I'm sure this route will be entirely free.
Sorry for not being enthralled at spending billions of dollars to put up some blue signs and connect tiny towns in one of the most rural parts of the state that people have been fleeing in droves when we can't even have a freeway between some of our largest cities.
I agree that I-87 can easily be put on the back burner since US-64 and US-17 as they are now are adequate for the next 20 years.
However, US-70 (Future I-42) between Raleigh and Morehead City has been a nightmare for years. It's a heavily traveled freight corridor as well as being one of the main corridors for tourist traffic as well as serving as a hurricane evacuation route. The sections that have not been upgraded or bypassed yet have safety issues that have led to many horrific crashes over the years. It's upgrade has been long overdue.
If you really want to see a waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere such as US-74, look no further than I-73. NCDOT has been building it northward from Greensboro towards Virginia, who has zero interest in building their part.
I agree that I-87 can easily be put on the back burner since US-64 and US-17 as they are now are adequate for the next 20 years.
However, US-70 (Future I-42) between Raleigh and Morehead City has been a nightmare for years. It's a heavily traveled freight corridor as well as being one of the main corridors for tourist traffic as well as serving as a hurricane evacuation route. The sections that have not been upgraded or bypassed yet have safety issues that have led to many horrific crashes over the years. It's upgrade has been long overdue.
If you really want to see a waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere such as US-74, look no further than I-73. NCDOT has been building it northward from Greensboro towards Virginia, who has zero interest in building their part.
I was referring to the push for I-87. I'm 100% behind the US 70/I-42 upgrades.
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