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You would think people would look to the future and realize eventually... probably within this century... high speed rail will begin taking place of these highways... what you will end up is with a bunch of failed decaying towns on the side of a highway.
Lm117, please explain to me what purpose these highways serve? Is there a dire need for them? Or is this just more terrible "economic " development... if you could call gas stations and cookie cutter neighborhoods that. NC should focus on more public transportation, better use of land, and protection of our wildlife and farm areas, rather than giving the poor folks out east gas stations lets give them more money in schools and health care... Time to develop for the future not the past 50 years...
I would love high speed rail and better public transportation in NC but the fact is that Americans have an addiction to the automobile that will be tough to kick and with automated vehicles here and soon to be accessible to the masses in a few years, it will be even harder to make a strong case for rail/public transportation (may even encourage greater sprawl once people don't have to put up with driving)
Your description better suits the I-87 corridor, which is nothing more than a way to connect eastern NC to the Port of Virginia in Norfolk, so you would be right in this case. The whole "Raleigh-Norfolk" connection was nothing more than a smokescreen to get it through Congress as part of the FAST Act that passed in 2015. It's quicker to take US-64/I-95/US-58 to get to Hampton Roads from Raleigh than it is US-64/US-17.
On the other hand US-70 (I-42), in addition to what I mentioned in my last post above, is woefully inadequate for the traffic it carries. The parts of US-70 that have not been upgraded or bypassed yet have numerous safety issues, which have led to a lot of crashes over the years.
Here's the most recent crash data available (2014-2016), as well as traffic counts for US-70.
How about we build a rail line down there to lessen traffic? what would the cost of that be? Eventually even the new upgrades to the highway wont be enough, then what do we do, a 10 lane highway? might as well pave the entire state.
I would love high speed rail and better public transportation in NC but the fact is that Americans have an addiction to the automobile that will be tough to kick and with automated vehicles here and soon to be accessible to the masses in a few years, it will be even harder to make a strong case for rail/public transportation (may even encourage greater sprawl once people don't have to put up with driving)
Very true... we definitely need to raise awareness about how little of our beautiful state is protected... before its too late. With the rise in automated vehicles we will see ANOTHER boom in suburban sprawl... when will we look to the future not the past... the entire world cant be Target and Starbucks.
Your description better suits the I-87 corridor, which is nothing more than a way to connect eastern NC to the Port of Virginia in Norfolk, so you would be right in this case. The whole "Raleigh-Norfolk" connection was nothing more than a smokescreen to get it through Congress as part of the FAST Act that passed in 2015. It's quicker to take US-64/I-95/US-58 to get to Hampton Roads from Raleigh than it is US-64/US-17.
On the other hand US-70 (I-42), in addition to what I mentioned in my last post above, is woefully inadequate for the traffic it carries. The parts of US-70 that have not been upgraded or bypassed yet have numerous safety issues, which have led to a lot of crashes over the years.
Here's the most recent crash data available (2014-2016), as well as traffic counts for US-70.
How about we build a rail line down there to lessen traffic?
I don't see that happening anytime soon. I'm not necessarily against rail, but it would be very tough (if not impossible) to convince rural areas to invest in it. Places like Wilson are already in danger of having their services cut.
The Wilson Times article was merely fretting about proposed cuts to Amtrak. These proposals happen every so often, especially in a Republican-driven Congress. The cuts might happen but I doubt it.
There already is a state-owned railroad, the NCRR, that runs Charlotte-Greensboro-Raleigh-Selma-Goldsboro-Kinston-New Bern-Morehead City. It's leased to the Norfolk Southern, but it's freight-only east of Selma. Between Charlotte and Selma the tracks are good for 79 mph. East of Selma the tracks could be good for 59 mph without spending much money and could be raised to 79 mph by spending $150 million or thereabouts. $150 million is not that much when we talk about raising the entire US 70 to Interstate standards, including bypasses around Kinston and the area east of New Bern.
But I don't believe there is critical mass on the line east of Selma to justify passenger service. Two much more populous areas, Wilmington and Asheville, would be far in front of "down east" on rail passenger service if the funds were available.
Question... what is the environmental impact of 87... you do realize 17 goes through miles of wetland on the Roanoke river... I mean MILES. miles of road with no exits... how will that work?
Question... what is the environmental impact of 87... you do realize 17 goes through miles of wetland on the Roanoke river... I mean MILES. miles of road with no exits... how will that work?
It would be just like I-10 in Louisiana that crosses Atchafalaya Basin (but a lot shorter), which is the largest wetland and swamp in the United States, and heck of a lot busier than I-87 will ever be over the Roanoke River. In 2011, 24,540 vehicles used that section of interstate 10 per day.
Atchafalaya Basin Bridge is 20 miles long with only 2 exits, it's quite an intersting drive if you are ever in the area.
It would be just like I-10 in Louisiana that crosses Atchafalaya Basin (but a lot shorter), which is the largest wetland and swamp in the United States, and heck of a lot busier than I-87 will ever be over the Roanoke River. In 2011, 24,540 vehicles used that section of interstate 10 per day.
Atchafalaya Basin Bridge is 20 miles long with only 2 exits, it's quite an intersting drive if you are ever in the area.
Thank you! None the less, I don't see the need for the highway other than making one part of NC seem more desirable for industry. I might be missing something but that's what I understand.
Thank you! None the less, I don't see the need for the highway other than making one part of NC seem more desirable for industry. I might be missing something but that's what I understand.
I'm a self-described "road geek", so is LM117, I think, but you're right, that's one of the reasons for upgrading it to interstate standards, it will/should help drive industry and businesses to relocate/start in a certain area, it also helps the connectivity of people and goods, since Norfolk is a major port.
There's many limited access highways/freeways, throughout the US, that are/were built to interstate standards, others that were not, but still limited access. Many times, local chamber of commerce, local businesses, counties, state try and get an interstate shield placed onto their highway/freeway, because they know that's the "gold standard" when it comes commerce.
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