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The loop is way ahead of schedule thanks to funding that moved the project up. Once that last section is complete, they will start putting up I-840 shields along the corridor and at interchanges at I-85 and I-40. They have already put up I-785 shields at the I-40/I-85 interchange on the east side of town. The northeastern leg will be designated as I-840/I-785. The northern section will be I-840. The western section I-840/I-73. The southwestern section is already I-73 and the southeastern section is I-85. I-785 will be an interstate spur between Greensboro and Danville, VA along the Hwy 29 corridor. Eventually, it will continue to Washington DC as another interstate designation meaning travelers coming from the south along I-85 would be able to bypass Durham and I-95 entirely shortening travel time to DC quite a bit. Greensboro is becoming a major interstate junction with interstates heading to the west coast, Atlanta, the midwest, Myrtle Beach and eventually Washington D.C. along the I-785 corridor.
While all this sounds great and very encouraging for Greensboro and Guilford County at large, let's not rush the fact that I-785 still remains under construction in North Carolina and is nowhere near going to be complete anytime soon in Virginia in the Danville area. As this recent article below notes, the gap between spending for interstate projects in Northern Virginia compared to that for projects in Southside is so great that "Over the past 20 years, more than $10 billion has been spent in the northern part of the state, compared to $900 million in this region." This also makes it unlikely I-73 will be built in Virginia in the next 10 years at least, I would imagine, so any traffic coming from the midwest likely will continue to use I-77 and/or U.S. 52 in the foreseeable future.
Greensboro does have almost all the elements in place right now to make it a transportation hub via vehicle, but if Virginia doesn't put money behind upgrading 220 and/or 29 into interstates, it's not going to get much more traffic from the midwest or DC coming from those routes even with the local interstate upgrades.
While all this sounds great and very encouraging for Greensboro and Guilford County at large, let's not rush the fact that I-785 still remains under construction in North Carolina and is nowhere near going to be complete anytime soon in Virginia in the Danville area. As this recent article below notes, the gap between spending for interstate projects in Northern Virginia compared to that for projects in Southside is so great that "Over the past 20 years, more than $10 billion has been spent in the northern part of the state, compared to $900 million in this region." This also makes it unlikely I-73 will be built in Virginia in the next 10 years at least, I would imagine, so any traffic coming from the midwest likely will continue to use I-77 and/or U.S. 52 in the foreseeable future.
Greensboro does have almost all the elements in place right now to make it a transportation hub via vehicle, but if Virginia doesn't put money behind upgrading 220 and/or 29 into interstates, it's not going to get much more traffic from the midwest or DC coming from those routes even with the local interstate upgrades.
Greensboro does have almost all the elements in place right now to make it a transportation hub via vehicle, but if Virginia doesn't put money behind upgrading 220 and/or 29 into interstates, it's not going to get much more traffic from the midwest or DC coming from those routes even with the local interstate upgrades.
I agree, while there are a lot of small bypasses around central VA towns, upgrading US-29 from Danville to DC to "interstate quality" would probably take 10's on billions and I just don't see the Commonwealth of Virginia all that excited to spend that kind of money, even with federal government help. Heck the Commonwealth wants nothing to do with I-73 in their state and that route is a lot shorter than upgrading US-29.
Really depends on how much the federal government gets involved which could speed up the timeline. I dont see it happening under the current administration.
I-785 will be an interstate spur between Greensboro and Danville, VA along the Hwy 29 corridor. Eventually, it will continue to Washington DC as another interstate designation
No, it won't continue to Washington. In fact, around 20+ years ago when the Lynchburg city council proposed extending I-83 from Baltimore to Greensboro along US-29, the Piedmont Environmental Council in central VA went nuts to the point that VDOT eventually sent them a letter saying that any attempt to make US-29 an interstate through central VA was not and is not an official plan. The PEC most recently spent a lot of time and money helping to kill the proposed US-29 Charlottesville Bypass. There are spot upgrades planned for US-29, but a full interstate upgrade north of Danville? Not gonna happen.
Back in 2011, there was an attempt to extend the I-785 corridor to Altavista, but it didn't get anywhere and the idea was quickly dropped.
Heck the Commonwealth wants nothing to do with I-73 in their state and that route is a lot shorter than upgrading US-29.
I honestly don't think I-73 will ever be built in VA. The VA General Assembly passed a bill (introduced by lone supporter Bill Stanley) back in February that would transfer funds from the US-58 corridor to I-73 after all of the US-58 improvements are complete, but they added a stipulation that the bill has to be voted on again next year. The bill isn't worth the paper it's printed on, IMO.
VA simply isn't interested in new interstates. Northeastern NC recently discovered that with I-87. Charlie Kilpatrick, a native of Northern VA (Fairfax County) and who is apparently leading VA's "effort" with I-87, is the same guy who helped block a previous attempt at getting I-73 started.
I honestly don't think I-73 will ever be built in VA. The VA General Assembly passed a bill (introduced by lone supporter Bill Stanley) back in February that would transfer funds from the US-58 corridor to I-73 after all of the US-58 improvements are complete, but they added a stipulation that the bill has to be voted on again next year. The bill isn't worth the paper it's printed on, IMO.
Wasn't I-73 in Virginia supposed to follow US-220 up to Roanoke then use I-581, then south on I-81 to where it was going to tie into the Virginia Tech smart road after they tunneled through the mountain?
Regardless, since it's probably never getting built, but doesn't it seem "out of the way" to go all the way up to Roanoke, then back down to almost Christiansburg for the I-73 alignment, just connect Martinsville with Blacksburg directly? I guess it does save money since you are overlaying it onto existing interstates!
Wasn't I-73 in Virginia supposed to follow US-220 up to Roanoke then use I-581, then south on I-81 to where it was going to tie into the Virginia Tech smart road after they tunneled through the mountain?
It will mostly use a new alignment that will parallel US-220 to the east north of Martinsville, but then it will tie in to US-220 shortly before approaching Roanoke. But you're right that the VT Smart Road and part of I-81 was supposed to become part of I-73. However, since WV, OH and MI have backed out of building I-73, I don't see I-73 going any further than Roanoke, if it even gets that far.
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Regardless, since it's probably never getting built, but doesn't it seem "out of the way" to go all the way up to Roanoke, then back down to almost Christiansburg for the I-73 alignment, just connect Martinsville with Blacksburg directly? I guess it does save money since you are overlaying it onto existing interstates!
Yeah, the alignment is messed up, but cheaper to use existing highways. I say designate the US-460 freeway between I-81 in Christiansburg and Blacksburg as an I-81 spur and be done with it.
It will mostly use a new alignment that will parallel US-220 to the east north of Martinsville, but then it will tie in to US-220 shortly before approaching Roanoke. But you're right that the VT Smart Road and part of I-81 was supposed to become part of I-73. However, since WV, OH and MI have backed out of building I-73, I don't see I-73 going any further than Roanoke, if it even gets that far.
I didn't realize how much new ROW/roadway they were planning on building, instead of upgrading US-220. From looking at the imagine, it probably would have been easier to just go west of Martinsville on US-220 and plow through the farms and over the hills/mountains and head northwest and directly into US-460 at I-81! Sure there aren't that many towns/cities/villages in that direction, but it's definitely a more direct route and probably just as much or even a little less of new alignment needed going that way.
You would think Virginia would see the value in it considering it would help boost economic growth in its western cities like Roanoke. Yes I-81 runs on the edge of Roanoke but just think what it could do for the area opening it up to the midwest. Cities that prosper tend to have major interstates going through their cities. It does seem like North Carolina so far is the only state along the planned corridor that has highways designated as I-73. I think within 20 years we will see more progress within other states.
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