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wonder what the reasons for the Currituck route are
Virginia is leaning towards it because it would be a lot cheaper for them to upgrade VA-168, which is already a fully controlled-access highway, to interstate standards than it would US-17, which still has at-grades surrounded by businesses in Chesapeake. The city of Chesapeake isn't fond of the idea, likely because it would mix I-87 traffic with Outer Banks traffic.
The problem with that connector is that it would cross miles of wetlands, which would make it very difficult for NCDOT to convince the Army Corps of Engineers to grant a permit, when there's an existing upgradable 4-lane highway (US-17) nearby. I don't see that connector happening for that reason alone.
That being said, I think that connector would be very useful as a detour route if there was ever a traffic backup on US-17 in VA (accidents, construction, etc.).
Both states are in a Catch-22. VA-168 is the best route for VA and US-17 is the best route for NC. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
Starting to sound like a dead end? Any chance the whole project gets canned? I think Virginia will just pay up in the end because there proposed route will not happen
Starting to sound like a dead end? Any chance the whole project gets canned? I think Virginia will just pay up in the end because there proposed route will not happen
No chance of it getting canned. There's too much support for it in eastern NC and Hampton Roads.
I agree that Virginia will likely wind up having to pony up the extra dollars to upgrade US-17 if they intend on bringing I-87 to Norfolk. They must be nuts if they think the Army Corps of Engineers would ever approve a wetlands permit for NCDOT to build the connector when there's already an existing highway.
Then again, VA is the same state that blew millions on a proposed toll road paralleling US-460 between Petersburg and Suffolk without ever getting a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers beforehand and without ever breaking ground. This article is a lesson on what not to do in the future. Check it out if you're interested.
No chance of it getting canned. There's too much support for it in eastern NC and Hampton Roads.
I agree that Virginia will likely wind up having to pony up the extra dollars to upgrade US-17 if they intend on bringing I-87 to Norfolk. They must be nuts if they think the Army Corps of Engineers would ever approve a wetlands permit for NCDOT to build the connector when there's already an existing highway.
Then again, VA is the same state that blew millions on a proposed toll road paralleling US-460 between Petersburg and Suffolk without ever getting a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers beforehand and without ever breaking ground. This article is a lesson on what not to do in the future. Check it out if you're interested.
Wtfff, how did the army corps of engineers not know? How do you build a ****ing road and no body really notices? Is there not any rule against a state doing this without a permit?
Wtfff, how did the army corps of engineers not know? How do you build a ****ing road and no body really notices? Is there not any rule against a state doing this without a permit?
The toll road was never actually built. VDOT, at the urging of former VA governor Bob McDonnell, paid millions to a contractor to design and build the road without ever getting the permit first because they assumed that the ACoE wouldn't have a problem granting the permit. VDOT was wrong. The ACoE denied the permit and the project was stopped before construction even began. It was a huge black eye on VDOT and Bob McDonnell. The previous Secretary of Transportation was incompetent as hell, too.
The toll road was never actually built. VDOT, at the urging of former VA governor Bob McDonnell, paid millions to a contractor to design and build the road without ever getting the permit first because they assumed that the ACoE wouldn't have a problem granting the permit. VDOT was wrong. The ACoE denied the permit and the project was stopped before construction even began. It was a huge black eye on VDOT and Bob McDonnell. The previous Secretary of Transportation was incompetent as hell, too.
They could have used that money to upgrade US-17 to interstate standards!
Looking at Google Maps from Grassfield Parkway south on US-17, it doesn't look that bad engineering-wise in order to upgrade the road to interstate standards, some new interchanges/frontage roads, widening shoulders and adding some lanes here and there, it's not like they have to build an entire bypass around a part of a town/city with a new ROW, like they have to do at the current end of I-795 in Goldsboro.
The minutes from AASHTO's recent fall meeting have been posted. No requests were made regarding I-87 and I-42. No surprise with I-87 since only the Knightdale Bypass meets interstate standards and is already signed.
However, the fact that no requests were made to sign the US-70 Clayton and Goldsboro bypasses as I-42 was surprising since they meet interstate standards.
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