Greenville Area Developments (Wilmington, Wilson, Lumberton: equipment, sandwiches, complex)

[frisch]

Verizon ran an ad in the Reflector when 4G was turned on in the upstate that proclaimed we now had 4G, and I believe thy even mentioned Spartanburg. The people doing these high level buys have no clue where they're sending them.

[MrBojangles]

Originally Posted by HP91

I have real doubts that that quad would ever happen...and there is no reason that 264 from Greenville to Raleigh can't be an interstate considering it connects to I-95 and I-795. IMO, they need to drop the quad crap and just focus on the designating the road as an Interstate...then the bypass sections from Ayden to north of Greenville can be an interstate spur. Greenville is the 10th largest city in the state and moving up the list every 10 years, the fact that it isn't listed as having Interstate designation looks to be that someone is not doing their job correctly.

Even if the Quad doesn't become an official planning document, it could still influence future road construction. To make sure the other road projects are taken into account.

There are four roads for this project: US264, I-795, US70, NC11.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has defined a set of standards that all new Interstates must meet unless a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is obtained.

Basically, the median needs to be 36ft wide; inside shoulder width - 4ft; lane width - 12ft; outside paved shoulder width - 10ft.

Vertical clearance - 16ft (rural); 14ft (urban)
Horizontal clearance (like on a bridge) - full paved width of the rest of the road. Bridges longer than 200 feet (61 m) can be narrower, with a minimum of 4 feet (1.22 m) on both sides of the travel lanes

So I do not know the vertical clearance at all, and only can get rough estimates of the road widths.
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US264
From Greenville Bypass to I-795 is 32 miles long and a controlled-access highway. The unknown is what is actually lacks for interstate designation. I can't find an official numbers, but everything I looked at looked good.

I know the Mayor asked the DOT what US264 needed a few months back, but I don't recall if that was reported back publically yet.

This road is Strategic Highway Corridor 45: Raleigh to Washington, which makes it important.

I-795
This section is around 17.4 miles, and already up to interstate standards.

US 70

Goldsboro Bypass
Once completed it will become a 20 mile northern bypass of Goldsboro. Luckily, for this project, they started building eastward first.

The first 3.9 mile section, east of I-795, opened in Dec 2011.

The connecting section to eastward US70 is 12.5 miles long and will connect back east of Promise Land Road. Construction has (or can start) now. But I can't find any article stating breaking ground has occurred. Completion is scheduled for no later than July 1, 2015 (ish).

Promise Land to Washington St via US70
This looks like a fairly good road. The median is over 50ft wide. The only glaring construction needs are wider shoulders. There is one interchange, and nothing else. The length is 3.6miles.

Kinston Bypass

Kinston Bypass is still in the development stage. Routes to the north and south of Kinston, as well as upgrading existing US 70 and US 70 Bypass are being considered as possible options. So having either an official Quad document, could help decide the route. Upgrading US70 or a southern bypass would not be good for the Quad.

All northern routes start at the Washington Rd intersection.

Felix Harvey Parkway is another option. This route seems to be the recently preferred route.

Harvey Parkway currently is 4.4 miles from US258 to NC58. The shoulders look to be not wide enough. It currently has 5 intersections that would need to close or be converted to interchanges.

Construction is currently occurring to extend Harvey/US258 to US 70, which is around 4 miles long.

Washington Rd to Harvey/70 is 4.8 miles. It would need a lot of construction to rehab it up to interstate standards.

An alternative is one of the Kinston Bypass northern routes. It is around 6.4mi from Washington to Harvey/258. That route looks to go through a majority of farmland/undeveloped land. So one would assume it would be a cheaper alternative.

The feasibility study to extend Harvey Parkway to Highway 11 North is still under consideration. The most direct route to the northern point of NC 11 is 5.23 miles. That goes from Harvey/NC58 to the northern intersection of NC11 & Grainger Station Road.

This road is Strategic Highway Corridor 46: Raleigh to Morehead City

NC 11
Finally NC11. The Southwest bypass is funded and will be 11 miles. From that southern terminus (Jacksontown Rd) to NC11 & Grainger Station Road, using NC11, is 9 miles. As far as I know, there is only talk and wishing about this upgrade. No feasibility or nothing. I believe this section is the last one to get funded (if ever).

This road is Strategic Highway Corridor 53: Wilmington to Norfolk, VA
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So to restate everything in table form:

US264 - unknown needed for interstate - not funded - 32mi
I-795 - interstate - 17.4mi
US 70:
Goldsboro Bypass built - Interstate-like - 3.9mi
Goldsboro Bypass under construction - assumed interstate standards - 12.5mi
Segment between Goldsboro Bypass and Washington Rd - marginal rehab to interstate standards - not funded - 3.6mi
Washington Rd to Harvey/258 (Kinston Bypass) - feasibility study/in development - 6.4mi
Harvey Parkway - 4.4mi
Harvey/58 to NC11/Grainger - feasibility study/in development - no funding - 5.2mi
NC11/Grainger to NC11/Jacksontown Rd - no discussion - no funding - 9mi
Greenville Southwest Bypass - future construction - funded - 11mi
Total - ~105mi

Interstate standard - 21.3mi
Near Interstate standard - 32mi
Semi-Interstate standard - 8mi
Current construction - 12.5
Future construction - 11mi
Feasibility - 11.6mi
No discussion - 9mi
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I either used actual numbers or used Google Maps for educated guesses. I didn't realize this would take so long, so I apologize for any errors.

So as of today, around 20% is interstate-grade. If 264 is easily upgraded, then its 50%. Once the funded construction is completed (Goldsboro/Greenville bypass) we are almost 73%.

Going clockwise from Washington Road to the southern terminus of Greenville bypass is over 75%. The major issue is bypassing Kinston to Greenville Bypass. But even over 75% is relatively easy to accomplish.

[Richard Martin]

No portion of US 264 in Pitt County has any paved shoulder. And if I remember correctly from a while back, they were concerned with the bridge heights.

[HP91]

Originally Posted by Richard Martin

No portion of US 264 in Pitt County has any paved shoulder. And if I remember correctly from a while back, they were concerned with the bridge heights.

If that is true and the State of NC did not build 264 to Interstate standards, someone should lose their job. All of the bridges have been built in the past 15 years or so and the road was essentially constructed during the same time.

As well, there are variances that can be obtained (if you try, which apparently before Mayor Thomas requested it, no one else had)...think about some of the Interstate roads in the mountains that have sharp curves, steep inclines and declines....one area that is a concern would likely be the old curve in eastern Wilson Co before the business 264 interchange.

It doesn't appear that DOT ever intended to try to get interstate designation or that many of the local leaders ever pushed for it. Shame on them. I would be very interested in what long time Congressman Jones has to say about this subject, if anyone has a quote from him, please share....

Without Interstate designation and better rail access, eastern NC will never recruit new industry.

[frisch]

Most of that road was finished in the early-mid 90s. Farmville to Wilson was done by '90 or so. Wilson bypass came in '02? I think. Knightdale bypass in '05.

I didn't know there were paved shoulders in the segment signed as 795.

[HP91]

Originally Posted by frisch

Most of that road was finished in the early-mid 90s. Farmville to Wilson was done by '90 or so. Wilson bypass came in '02? I think. Knightdale bypass in '05.

I didn't know there were paved shoulders in the segment signed as 795.

If you recall the DOT systematically added the bridges and exits to the existing road between Wilson and Greenville while the Wilson bypass was being built (except for a few exits between Farmville and Greenville). If those bridges aren't to Interstate standards that makes no sense. Some bridges have been added to 74 between Lumberton and Wilmington and they should also be Interstate standards.

I actually think they are to Interstate standards....as is most all of the road...I can't believe the state would increase the speed limit to 70 without an Interstate quality road.

I think it's just a matter of pushing for it...

[MrBojangles]

Originally Posted by Richard Martin

No portion of US 264 in Pitt County has any paved shoulder. And if I remember correctly from a while back, they were concerned with the bridge heights.

How did I miss the road shoulders? At least the median is larger than 36ft. There looks like there is enough room to add a shoulder to come into compliance. Hopefully it is an "easy" fix.

As for the bridge height, I remember there was speculation about that. But I didn't hear anything official, either way. Having to raise bridges a few feet will make this a no-go for a long while, IMO.

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by frisch

I didn't know there were paved shoulders in the segment signed as 795.

There are paved shoulders from the Pitt County line all the way to at least I-95 and maybe all of the way to the 264-64 split.

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by MrBojangles

How did I miss the road shoulders? At least the median is larger than 36ft. There looks like there is enough room to add a shoulder to come into compliance. Hopefully it is an "easy" fix.

It should be very easy to add paved shoulders. The current dirt shoulder looks like it is already to grade and only needs minor scraping to lay an asphalt shoulder.

[Richard Martin]

Here is the spot where the paved shoulder ends a couple of miles past Farmville. One second you have a paved shoulder and the next second you have grass.

https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=...h&z=20&vpsrc=6