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June 30, huh? Well, according to the NCDOT's own history for the project, it broke ground on April 15, 2015. So that would make it nearly 7 years and 11 weeks to build a 4-mile stretch of highway.
Let's do a little math here. Using a five-day work schedule, that would be 260 workdays per year for the project. Of course, there's got to be time off for holidays, vacation, maybe bad weather, so let's make it 200 workdays per year.
And of course, there was the pandemic that in March 2020. Let's say because of its impact in delays and affecting crews that it hurt work on the project by half. So give it 200 workdays total, 100 from March 2020-March 2021 and 100 from March 2021-March 2022.
Continuing and being rather generous with these estimates, before the pandemic we had 5 years (2015-2020) at 200 workdays each year, so that's 1,000 workdays. Add 1,000 to 200 for 1,200. And let's add on 10 workweeks from April 15 to the week before June 30, again being generous. That's 50 workdays.
So, it's taken 1,250 workdays to build 4 miles. Now, there are 1,760 yards in a mile, so 4 miles would be 7,040 yards total. Divide 7,040 by 1,250, and we see that the workers on the project averaged paving roughly less than 5.7 yards per day. That's 17 feet long, shorter than the length of my driveway.
I'm so tempted to come to that ribbon-cutting just to see how the crew members have withstood the hassle of having to work so hard on this project. And thank members of the NCDOT for holding their feet to the fire so that the project has only run a mere four years or so over its original deadline. This is pathetic.
Wow, glad to hear it may actually open around June 30th-- a ribbon cutting usually makes things official. Will look forward to driving on it for work in early July!
So, I drove north through Durham this morning and the final striping is down. Whooo boy this is going to be something. This is an absolute travesty the way they have striped this out. Totally ridiculous and if unless at least 75% of people stop using 147 into downtown and instead go over to 85, there will be massive daily backups, traffic incidents and wasted fuel.
June 30, huh? Well, according to the NCDOT's own history for the project, it broke ground on April 15, 2015. So that would make it nearly 7 years and 11 weeks to build a 4-mile stretch of highway.
They just finished a simple widening project (going from 2 lanes to 3 lanes) on I-20 west of Columbia, SC, it was 11 miles long and was supposed to be done in 3 years, it took 6 years to finish!
Well, I guess they didn't get that completion bonus for finishing the project early.
Google Maps was already giving directions via the East End Connector as of early this morning, if not earlier, so some people may have been in for a surprise.
So, I drove north through Durham this morning and the final striping is down. Whooo boy this is going to be something. This is an absolute travesty the way they have striped this out. Totally ridiculous and if unless at least 75% of people stop using 147 into downtown and instead go over to 85, there will be massive daily backups, traffic incidents and wasted fuel.
How is it striped? Does it favor I-885 and and treat NC-147 as an exit? If so that's going to be problematic I agree. I get the desire to push I-885 but they're kidding themselves if they don't understand the entire point of people driving up what "was" NC-147 from I-40. They want to get to Downtown Durham and not I-85.
So, I drove north through Durham this morning and the final striping is down. Whooo boy this is going to be something. This is an absolute travesty the way they have striped this out. Totally ridiculous and if unless at least 75% of people stop using 147 into downtown and instead go over to 85, there will be massive daily backups, traffic incidents and wasted fuel.
I make regular (mid-day) trips to Durham VA Medical Center via NC-540 and 147 (from Cary); any tips on what to avoid, lane to stay in?
How is it striped? Does it favor I-885 and and treat NC-147 as an exit? If so that's going to be problematic I agree. I get the desire to push I-885 but they're kidding themselves if they don't understand the entire point of people driving up what "was" NC-147 from I-40. They want to get to Downtown Durham and not I-85.
It's striped so that the two lanes to/from the south go directly onto I-885 and there are dual entrance/exit lanes to/from downtown Durham. Not really a problem going northbound but coming southbound the two lanes from Downtown Durham have to merge into the lanes from I-885 (so if you're in the left lane you need to switch at least 1 lane and if you're in the right lane you need to switch over 2 lanes as the lanes from downtown Durham end shortly after the merge)
Google Maps was already giving directions via the East End Connector as of early this morning, if not earlier, so some people may have been in for a surprise.
Google is also showing the highway south of I-40 as I-885, when it should be NC-885.
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