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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.
The traffic forecasts (predicted volumes and directions of traffic) had the NC 147/I-885 split about equal on all legs. There's a LOT of traffic heading to north Durham that would filter through various roads (NC 55, Roxboro/Mangum, Duke/Gresham, Hillandale) to get there from RTP. This split does include the "built" network in Durham/Orange, such as widening I-40, which would pull traffic off of NC 147/85. Because of the lane reduction at 15-501, more traffic goes on 147 than originally planned. Of course, the 147/85 merge isn't great, either.)
As I mentioned earlier in this thread, the "premature" pavement markings on SB 147 created a bad traffic congestion problem since all traffic was on NC 147, instead of roughly half (with the other half heading to US 70.) If the forecasts are close to being correct, the congestion should be greatly reduced at the merge later today when the road opens (I think the ribbon cutting was at 10AM, so it already may be open.)
Since it's an interstate, I-885 is the primary road, and NC 147 was going to be treated as the exit road. There was discussion during early planning stages of whether or not that meant I-885 should be on the left heading NB, which would have required significantly more construction than using what had been planned in the '60s when the original East-West Expressway (first name of the Durham Freeway) was built. The final decision, of course, was to leave the NB 147 exit on the left, which cost a lot less.
This project was supposed to be followed by a widening of 885 south of the merge, down to 40, which would resolve most if not all the merging/congestion issues. the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO removed that project from the active list, restricting what NCDOT can do. I expect that a lot of pressure will be placed on the MPO to change that, not that there's money available right now to spend. (It's a Statewide tier project, so it doesn't come from the MPO/Division's Regional/Division tier allocations.)
A similar issue happened when the US 70 Clayton bypass was finally opened. When it was planned, there wasn't as much traffic on I-40 as there was ~15 years later when it finally opened. That "four to two lane" merge WB, and three to two merge at the US 70 Bus. exit (#306) with more traffic staying on I-40, is finally being fixed, another 15 years later. When the Clayton bypass was opened, the Raleigh MPO didn't have the I-40 widening as a project, another short-sighted problem.
@SFspiderman, I checked Google last night and it didn't show it open. I checked after your message, and found that for me to head north on I-85 from my home near RDU, it'll save 2 minutes (I think it underestimates the traffic signal delays on US 70 at Miami and Lynn.)
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)
Yes, but going northbound, if you want to go to downtown Durham both lanes drop in short succession. Should have had the left lane of the old road splitting both ways like pretty much every other road. Hopefully lots of people do want to go to 85 and everyone else figures it out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by K4GPB
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?
TIA!
Stay in the left lane, but you’ll still need to get over left along with everybody else.
I drove 885 southbound from north Durham to 40 this morning. It's pretty nice. Heading back north, exiting off 40 onto (old 147) 885 north and over/up to 85, I did see how the Durham Freeway striping is sort of secondary to 885's. (as mentioned here, southbound out of downtown Durham drivers have to merge fully left into 885's lanes just south of the EEC). Heading north on 885 I saw a car pulled over on the left shoulder on the new, east end connector portion... possible that the driver discovered, wait, this isn't the Durham Freeway/147 north! Nice addition to our roads system around here. Oh also, the overhead sign southbound just north of where old 147 merges into 40, the sign that calls for left lane RDU /40 East, right lane Chapel Hill / 40 West, had a sign that said "Toll 885" and the 885 insignia was the NC state highway insignia, not the U.S. Interstate one. So the signage for that continuing south leg of old 147 is correct... Google Maps a day or so ago just had it wrong (and they may still, I haven't looked today)... showing the Interstate 885 insignia online to the termination at 540.
Google still has the interstate shield on the NC-885 section. Apple Maps is showing the connector as open, but hasn't updated the route numbering yet, so it's still 147 and 70.
Timed the difference -driving the EEC vs. 70 & S. Miami Blvd...
I finally got to test taking 885 from north Durham to the Page Rd area yesterday for work.
Before the 885 South ramp near Hwy 98 was open for business, I timed my drive from that point, continuing east /southeast on 70 to a right on S. Miami Blvd and then to my work location. It took me 16 minutes ramp-to-door.
Yesterday taking the 885 South ramp onto the EEC and then south on 885 (old 147 south) to 40 and then to the Page Road exit and to the same work location took me 8 minutes. So 885 is officially saving me about 8 minutes on that section of the commute. Cutting it in half in other words. Not to shabby.
And traffic was great mid morning South bound- no slow downs. ... but traffic northbound at 5pm on 885 (old 147) near TW Alexander and up through Ellis Rd. exit was slowed-down. I guess it was backing up pre 147 split off to downtown/ 885 split off toward 85. It looked like traffic sped up headed toward downtown after the interchange and it was unlimited fast on the EEC after the interchange. The slowdown was sort of a bummer, but still might have been faster than the redlights on S. Miami Blvd at 5pm.
You would have thought, during those 7 years, NCDOT might have considered widening the old NC-147/new I-885 section from the east end connector tie-in down to I-40 to 4 lanes in each direction. It's only about 3.5 miles!
You would have thought, during those 7 years, NCDOT might have considered widening the old NC-147/new I-885 section from the east end connector tie-in down to I-40 to 4 lanes in each direction. It's only about 3.5 miles!
Yeah that woulda been nice. I think one of our frequent posters (in this thread) said it was on Durham to put widening of 147 on that stretch in their long term plan years back (albeit, woulda/coulda coincided with the 885 project) but they didn't. IOW, someone in Durm planning may have fell asleep at the switch. Sort of a bummer having it backing up like that.
It was in Durham's (and NCDOT's) plans, but Durham removed it a few months ago because they've decided they want to cut back on enabling cars and focus on bus transit, bike lanes, and sidewalks. It's still in NCDOT's plans, but it's unlikely to move forward without Durham's support, so people are going to have to convince Durham to add it back.
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Timed the difference -driving the EEC vs. 70 & S. Miami Blvd...
