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10 years from now, I bet I-85 between exit 19 and the Georgia state line will look exactly the same as it does today.
Sad but true!
At least SC is finally widening the northern most section on I-85 in the state. I just feel the state's priorities by going to be widening I-26 between Columbia and Charleston, maybe widening some sections of I-95, or at least redoing the I-26/I-95 interchange with fly-over ramps and possiblly creating the new I-73.
At least NC does have a plan to widen their southern most section of I-85 in the next 10 years (I believe) to tie in nicely with the newly widen part of I-85 in SC.
Georgia is moving slowly northward with their widening of I-85, but that's definitely not a priority in that state, they have too many other interstate issues, especially around the Atlanta Metroplex.
Anyone else noticed that since the 385 bottleneck at 385/85 has broken, traffic instead is backing up off the exits towards Simpsonville?
Every night at rush hour, traffic flows smoothly unless you try to get off at West Georgia, Fairview or Harrison Bridge.
Before it was hit or miss for backing up, but now it's commonplace to come to a complete stop in the right lane because traffic is backed into the interstate at the exits.
Seems it's the law of unintended consequences. Somehow I felt safer needing to stop at the split everyday since everyone else had to stop, as opposed to waiting on the interstate to exit while cars fly by doing 80.
Anyone else noticed that since the 385 bottleneck at 385/85 has broken, traffic instead is backing up off the exits towards Simpsonville?
Every night at rush hour, traffic flows smoothly unless you try to get off at West Georgia, Fairview or Harrison Bridge.
Before it was hit or miss for backing up, but now it's commonplace to come to a complete stop in the right lane because traffic is backed into the interstate at the exits.
Seems it's the law of unintended consequences. Somehow I felt safer needing to stop at the split everyday since everyone else had to stop, as opposed to waiting on the interstate to exit while cars fly by doing 80.
I have noticed this but I didn't put 2 and 2 together until you mentioned it. 385-S Exit 34 traffic light is often backed up onto the interstate now and it's dangerous to even be in the third-from-left lane going past that.
I'm not seeing how the two are related at all. Seems to me traffic backing up at the Simpsonville exits has more to do with fast growth (residential-apartments) in the area, holiday shopping etc.
I'm not seeing how the two are related at all. Seems to me traffic backing up at the Simpsonville exits has more to do with fast growth (residential-apartments) in the area, holiday shopping etc.
People used to get backed up at the Gateway interchange. Now they flow through that faster so more people get to the exits quicker and queue there instead. Plus the holiday traffic. I think people should wait until after the new year to get an idea of what it will normally be like.
SC will have I-85 widened through the entire state before NC and GA. Lol.
SC only has 19 miles to pave, but I don't see it being done anytime soon. Georgia will probably go ahead and get it over with and pave the rest between Braselton and the state line. They're already widening 14 miles, just 5 more than Anderson and Oconee need.
SC will start when Georgia is finished, and will start by doing a 9 year study first.
SC only has 19 miles to pave, but I don't see it being done anytime soon.
It's a lot more than "19 miles to pave". Adding a third or forth or etc. lane seems quite simple, but you have to remember all of the bridges, either mainline or overhead that need to be widened and also redoing all of the drainage when adding new lanes to the median.
West of Columbia, that have been widening 11 miles of I-20 from 2 lanes to 3 by adding a third lane in each direction to the median. They started in 2016 and won't be done until 2021!
Whoever that contractor is for that job, SCDOT needs to ban them from ever getting a contract again in the state.
A project like that should have taken 2 years, maybe 3 years at the MOST, not 4 and a half to 5 years!
It's a lot more than "19 miles to pave". Adding a third or forth or etc. lane seems quite simple, but you have to remember all of the bridges, either mainline or overhead that need to be widened and also redoing all of the drainage when adding new lanes to the median.
I know that, I have to take that route all the time. I hate it (and the portion in Georgia), especially considering that I-75 in middle of nowhere Georgia is 6 and even 8 lanes. The largest city on the whole stretch is Macon, and Macon isn't large. The biggest issue is obviously rebuilding 4 bridges across Hartwell Lake, but still. It's 19 miles of road work, out of 106 miles of road. With the right push for funds it could be done.
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