Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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People have interests in trains, planes and more... you are the first person i met who lives and breathes highways ( nothing wrong with that, just peculiar).
Exaggeration much? It's not like I'm advocating throwing freeways willy-nilly all over the place. I merely suggested upgrading some of the existing ones. I don't have anything against other forms of transportation in areas where it's feasible.
Exaggeration much? It's not like I'm advocating throwing freeways willy-nilly all over the place. I merely suggested upgrading some of the existing ones. I don't have anything against other forms of transportation in areas where it's feasible.
I do have more important interests in life...
Yeah, im sure you do. How many wrecks happen on 64? It does get tight in the mornings occasionally.
How many wrecks happen on 64? It does get tight in the mornings occasionally.
I never drove US-64 that much east of Zebulon, so I can't say firsthand. The majority of my commutes were on US-264, US-70, I-795 and US-117.
However, this recent feasibility study for US-64 between Rolesville Road east of Knightdale and Williamston contains crash data as well as traffic counts.
I'm sure history plays a part. Back then, Raleigh wasn't that big of a city, so I suppose there wasn't a reason for a major interstate. In addition, Raleigh might be a little too far inland for I-95. Most stretches of I-95 are close to the coast, in general. In a way, it would be nice for Raleigh to have that connection, but it might be for the best that it never happened. Raleigh seems to be doing fine without it.
It is a little annoying if you want to reach Virginia or areas further north, though. You would think there would be a better route from Raleigh to Richmond, but I-40 gives Raleigh a stronger connection to areas further west (Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, etc.) and areas further south (Wilmington). On the contrary, I-85 from Durham is better if you want to reach Virginia or the northern part of the state (Oxford, etc.).
The weird thing about I-85 is that it ends (or begins) in Petersburg and not Richmond. You'd think I-85 would connect Durham with Richmond proper, although I know that Petersburg and Richmond are only 20 miles apart and I suppose it's close enough.
Interestingly, there's a historical reason for I-85 terminating in Petersburg. The highway that is now I-95 between Richmond and Petersburg was originally built as the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike back before the interstate highway system was established. So the interstate planners decided there was no reason not to just reuse that (just like the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a bunch of other pre-interstate freeways). Connecting I-85 to the southern portion of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was an easy way to terminate I-85.
Fun fact: That last couple miles of I-85 in Petersburg where the grass median disappears and the highway suddenly becomes much curvier? That's an old stretch of the R-P Turnpike.
Interestingly, there's a historical reason for I-85 terminating in Petersburg. The highway that is now I-95 between Richmond and Petersburg was originally built as the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike back before the interstate highway system was established. So the interstate planners decided there was no reason not to just reuse that (just like the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a bunch of other pre-interstate freeways). Connecting I-85 to the southern portion of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was an easy way to terminate I-85.
Fun fact: That last couple miles of I-85 in Petersburg where the grass median disappears and the highway suddenly becomes much curvier? That's an old stretch of the R-P Turnpike.
Interesting! It makes sense from a historical perspective, as Petersburg served as a transportation link for Southside Virginia and North Carolina, which is part of the reason why it was such an important location during the Civil War. It's crazy how the present-day highways still mirror those old routes to an extent.
Driving around Durham, you see so many signs to Petersburg via I-85 that you'd think Petersburg was a much larger town, although there isn't much between the two cities.
Ive always wondered why these two major arteries missed the capital city. Was it the geographical location or was it "not in my backyard" politics. I also wonder what type of impact it would have had on the size and development of the city. Does anyone know why these two East Coast llifelines were built decidedly around instead of through Raleigh? This area may have rivaled Charlotte or Atlanta if it weren't so far off the beaten path.
Raleigh wouldn't be like it is if I-95 had come through it, and thankfully they said no thanks to it many years ago.
It would be a much more transient, crime-plagued stop like Henderson unfortunately has become.
Be glad Raleigh was insulated a bit from the interstate corridor.
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