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True, but Sanford is just as large as New Bern who got I-42. Maybe the Sanford boosters could spin a story about I-87/US 421/NC 87 being the back door to Bragg.
I was going to say Raleigh should get a more direct interstate connection to Fayetteville in the infrastructure thread. Either convert 401 which is shorter, but has more at-grade intersections or make US 1 - US 421 - NC 87 an interstate, which would also have problems around Cameron and Spring Lake.
Given how much money NCDOT is spending to widen I-40 toward Benson and all of I-95, I doubt there will be much investment in US 401 except the F-V bypass and possibly widening 401 to four lanes for a few miles south of where the bypass will come in. Just take 40-95.
Given how much money NCDOT is spending to widen I-40 toward Benson and all of I-95, I doubt there will be much investment in US 401 except the F-V bypass and possibly widening 401 to four lanes for a few miles south of where the bypass will come in. Just take 40-95.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SFspiderman
40 to 95 is already pretty direct. Making the 401 corridor an interstate would only shave a handful of miles off.
Agreed. 401 could certainly use spot improvements, such as the F-V Bypass, but a full-blown interstate kinda seems like overkill, and such an interstate request would probably raise a few eyebrows at FHWA due to 40 & 95 being a stone's throw away.
If I had to place bets on which corridors in the Triangle had the best chance of becoming interstates, it would be US-1 between I-540 and I-85 in Henderson (I-685 maybe?) or an extension of I-87 along US-1 from Raleigh to I-73/I-74 in Rockingham.
Fayetteville's best shot IMO, would be the NC-87/US-421 corridor to Greensboro. Fort Bragg's presence would almost certainly make that idea politically feasible.
Fayetteville's best shot IMO, would be the NC-87/US-421 corridor to Greensboro. Fort Bragg's presence would almost certainly make that idea politically feasible.
Well, I got that prediction right...mostly. Turns out that the bipartisan infrastructure bill that was recently signed has designated US-421 a future interstate between I-85 in Greensboro and I-95 in Dunn. NCDOT is expected to request approval from AASHTO to designate it as Future I-685. AASHTO's next meeting will be held next spring, so it would most likely happen then.
I was initially surprised they didn't have it turn off 421 south of Sanford and follow the NC-87 corridor and end it at I-295 near Fayetteville, but I guess they wanted to steer clear of Fort Bragg.
Think this has any impact on the potential of adding an interstate designation to US-1 out to Sanford since it would now connect two interstates? I guess it would be likely to get the I-640 designation given up by 540.
Think this has any impact on the potential of adding an interstate designation to US-1 out to Sanford since it would now connect two interstates? I guess it would be likely to get the I-640 designation given up by 540.
I'd say it depends on the amount of local support for it. Most of the recent interstates happened only because there was heavy pressure for it. If Raleigh or the Triangle in general doesn't make much noise about it, then I'd say there's little or no chance. Sanford alone wouldn't carry any weight. If Sanford gets another interstate, it would probably be an extension of I-87 (following I-40 to reach US-1).
There's been local pressure in recent years to turn 421 into an interstate, so this is just the latest example. There's strong speculation that Toyota will build a battery plant at the Greensboro-Randolph megasite, which happens to be located along 421. Makes me wonder if I-685 was included in the infrastructure bill for that very reason.
Back in 1999, AASHTO rejected NCDOT's proposal to apply I-140 to US 1 between Raleigh and Sanford. As far as I know, NCDOT hasn't tried again. The rejection letter said "several deficiencies exist which have not been addressed". I don't know what those are, but 20 years later the standards are likely to have tightened up further.
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