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Does anybody know if "Future I-87" signs have gone up on US-64 east of I-440? NCDOT has already put up "Future I-42" signs along US-70 from the Clayton Bypass junction with I-40 all the way to at least New Bern. This surprised me because they were supposed to wait for FHWA approval first and to my knowledge, no FHWA approval was announced. Either way, I'm not complainin'.
(Pic courtesy of slorydn1 in the AARoads forum. Taken on US-70 just east of the NC-41 Cove City interchange in Craven County. The other I-42 signs are just like this one.)
According to NCDOT's preliminary 2018-2027 STIP page, there are projects to upgrade US-64 to interstate standards from the end of the I-495/US-64 Knightdale Bypass at Rolesville Road to the Martin County line, just east of Bethel and US-17 from US-64 in Williamston to the Virginia state line at Chesapeake.
Another project that surprised me was widening the Knightdale Bypass from 6 lanes to 8 lanes from I-440 to Rolesville Road. I don't think it needs widening, IMO. Every time I've been on it, traffic was flowing just fine. However, US-64 from Rolesville Road to the US-64/US-264 split in Zebulon definitely needs widened. It gets pretty congested there. I'd just continue the 6-lanes from Rolesville Road to Zebulon.
Does anybody know if "Future I-87" signs have gone up on US-64 east of I-440? NCDOT has already put up "Future I-42" signs along US-70 from the Clayton Bypass junction with I-40 all the way to at least New Bern. This surprised me because they were supposed to wait for FHWA approval first and to my knowledge, no FHWA approval was announced. Either way, I'm not complainin'.
(Pic courtesy of slorydn1 in the AARoads forum. Taken on US-70 just east of the NC-41 Cove City interchange in Craven County. The other I-42 signs are just like this one.)
I drove all the way up and down US 64 from Knightdale to Rocky Mount this week. All the signs still stay "Future I-495."
Quote:
Originally Posted by LM117
According to NCDOT's preliminary 2018-2027 STIP page, there are projects to upgrade US-64 to interstate standards from the end of the I-495/US-64 Knightdale Bypass at Rolesville Road to the Martin County line, just east of Bethel and US-17 from US-64 in Williamston to the Virginia state line at Chesapeake.
Another project that surprised me was widening the Knightdale Bypass from 6 lanes to 8 lanes from I-440 to Rolesville Road. I don't think it needs widening, IMO. Every time I've been on it, traffic was flowing just fine. However, US-64 from Rolesville Road to the US-64/US-264 split in Zebulon definitely needs widened. It gets pretty congested there. I'd just continue the 6-lanes from Rolesville Road to Zebulon.
I drove all the way up and down US 64 from Knightdale to Rocky Mount this week. All the signs still stay "Future I-495."
Yeah, that was a dumb question on my part. NCDOT will need to send applications to AASHTO and FHWA to decommission I-495/Future I-495 on US-64 between I-440 and I-95 in Rocky Mount before I-87/Future I-87 signs can go up. They may do so during AASHTO's next meeting, which is sometime in October, if I'm not mistaken. They might also decommission the small part of I-440 that I-87 is supposed to follow.
NCDOT has already said that they would request that interstate standard sections of the I-87 and I-42 corridors be added to the Interstate system as they're completed, which means that the Clayton, Goldsboro and Knightdale bypasses could get full interstate shields by the end of the year or early next year, depending on how long FHWA takes to give final approval. It's going to be an interesting next few months.
I've heard that signposts have gone up on US-64 east of I-95, so "Future I-87" signs could be going up anytime now since that wasn't part of I-495.
Virginia, however, seems to have zero interest in I-87. It has overwhelming support in Hampton Roads, but they have little clout in the General Assembly, mainly due to NoVA. VDOT never even sent an application to AASHTO and FHWA for "Future I-87" status for US-17 between the state line and I-64 in Chesapeake. I'd like to see I-87 continue up I-464 from Chesapeake and end at I-264 in Norfolk.
Virginia, however, seems to have zero interest in I-87. It has overwhelming support in Hampton Roads, but they have little clout in the General Assembly, mainly due to NoVA. VDOT never even sent an application to AASHTO and FHWA for "Future I-87" status for US-17 between the state line and I-64 in Chesapeake. I'd like to see I-87 continue up I-464 from Chesapeake and end at I-264 in Norfolk.
True, NoVA has a lot of clout in the Old Dominion State but at least the $345 million US17 Dominion Boulevard Improvement Project is a step in the right direction. Upgrading the rest shouldn't cost that much "relatively speaking" with mostly farms on one side and swamps on the other.
True, NoVA has a lot of clout in the Old Dominion State but at least the $345 million US17 Dominion Boulevard Improvement Project is a step in the right direction. Upgrading the rest shouldn't cost that much "relatively speaking" with mostly farms on one side and swamps on the other.
The Dominion Blvd project is a step, but one of the big problems with that project is that the 2 intersections at the Grassfield and Scenic Parkways in Chesapeake are being left in place. The project was underway before the Raleigh-Norfolk interstate idea was cooked up. It's a classic case of bad timing.
Upgrading US-17 in Chesapeake to interstate standards between Scenic Parkway and I-64 would be a bit more difficult, but I agree that the rest of the highway towards the state line should be easy to upgrade.
It seems to me that signing I-87 over the Chesapeake Expressway (VA 168) would also be a logical choice if they wanted to extend the route into Norfolk. I don't know what legal hurdles are in the way, though.
It seems to me that signing I-87 over the Chesapeake Expressway (VA 168) would also be a logical choice if they wanted to extend the route into Norfolk. I don't know what legal hurdles are in the way, though.
I've thought about that, since Virginia would then only have to upgrade like 1.5 miles of road from Gallbush Road to the VA/NC state line. The thing with that route is that NC would then have to build a brand new segment of highway from South Mills over to Moyock, where if they keep the route following US 17, they would just have to upgrade US 17 north of South Mills, which would be a lot cheaper (for NC). So I guess it's one of those things, where one way would be cheaper for VA and the other would be cheaper for NC.
It seems to me that signing I-87 over the Chesapeake Expressway (VA 168) would also be a logical choice if they wanted to extend the route into Norfolk. I don't know what legal hurdles are in the way, though.
I agree, but as previously mentioned, it would require a new terrain routing to connect US-17 to VA-168 north of Moyock, which would require construction through sensitive wetlands and would inevitably spark lawsuits. Between the cost of the construction and the cost of lawsuits, it would be a non-starter.
Also, although the Chesapeake Expressway (VA-168) is a freeway between the Battlefield Boulevard/Gallbush Road intersection and the I-64/I-464 junction, it doesn't meet interstate standards and major repairs to the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway would likely be needed. Plus, the Chesapeake Expressway is tolled, with tolls collected by the City of Chesapeake. I'm not sure the FHWA would allow it to become an interstate unless the tolls were removed. I doubt Chesapeake would be willing to give up a source of revenue.
Upgrading US-17 is the only feasible option available for I-87. However, I-87 could easily replace I-464 and end at I-264 in Norfolk, rather than ending at I-64 in Chesapeake.
Whether VDOT would have the sense to do it is a different story. They tend to be more incompetent than NCDOT and are not exactly known for forward thinking when planning for the future (unless of course, it involves NoVA).
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NCDOT will need to send applications to AASHTO and FHWA to decommission I-495/Future I-495 on US-64 between I-440 and I-95 in Rocky Mount before I-87/Future I-87 signs can go up. They may do so during AASHTO's next meeting, which is sometime in October, if I'm not mistaken. They might also decommission the small part of I-440 that I-87 is supposed to follow.
