Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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I'm sure history plays a part. Back then, Raleigh wasn't that big of a city, so I suppose there wasn't a reason for a major interstate. In addition, Raleigh might be a little too far inland for I-95. Most stretches of I-95 are close to the coast, in general. In a way, it would be nice for Raleigh to have that connection, but it might be for the best that it never happened. Raleigh seems to be doing fine without it.
It is a little annoying if you want to reach Virginia or areas further north, though. You would think there would be a better route from Raleigh to Richmond, but I-40 gives Raleigh a stronger connection to areas further west (Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, etc.) and areas further south (Wilmington). On the contrary, I-85 from Durham is better if you want to reach Virginia or the northern part of the state (Oxford, etc.).
No, as a state capital it had much reason to be included. State officials officially rejected plans to come through Raleigh back in the 50's or 60s.
Thank goodness, that's probably what made many aspects appreciated today possible.
I-40 is mostly used by NC residents since it's at this end of a transcontinental highway.
I don't think Raleigh is isolated, especially not these days. Raleigh will eventually have another interstate, I-87, connecting it to I-95 North in Rocky Mount and the Northeast, as well as the Hampton Roads metro in Virginia. Raleigh already has access to I-95 South via I-40 to Benson. It would've been out of the way if I-95 itself went through Raleigh. Raleigh will also have the added bonus of having I-42 nearby, linking it to the Crystal Coast. If anything, Raleigh is practically a hub.
Another possibility, and I hope it happens, is that NCDOT could upgrade US-1 to interstate standards between I-540 and I-85 in Henderson and designate that as a spur of I-85, such as I-685. I-87 connects east Raleigh to I-95, but does nothing for north Raleigh.
I'm surprised Raleigh hasn't been pushing for US-1 to become an interstate. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
It will require building access roads for all the industry and businesses along US-1 otherwise it will kill them like with Independence Blvd. in Charlotte.
US does need to increase capacity though because it comes to stop every afternoon now outside of covid times.
I don't like any of the plans I've seen for the future of Capital Blvd.. I almost wish for another separate parallel to be built very close by.
US1 was only two lanes in sections as recently as the late 80s.
Agreed. There are already plans to upgrade US-1 to a freeway between I-540 and NC-98 in Wake Forest. I would definitely like to see US-1 become an interstate between I-540 and I-85. Linking Raleigh with I-85 North would be ideal, especially for north Raleigh.
I think US-1 will become a freeway, if not interstate, eventually. I highly doubt NCDOT would stop the freeway upgrade at Wake Forest permanently, especially since I-85 isn't that much farther north.
Raleigh will need to push heavily for the interstate designation, though. NCDOT will usually pursue interstates if there's strong local support for it. Look at Greenville. They kicked and screamed for US-264 to become an interstate from there to Zebulon and next thing ya know, "Future I-587" signs have popped up. Same with US-70 between I-40 in Garner and Morehead City. US-70 had been planned to become a freeway for years, but it wasn't until the US-70 Corridor Commission pushed for an interstate designation that US-70 became Future I-42. Wayne County even managed to get I-795's extension along US-117 to I-40 west of Faison signed into law as part of the FAST Act.
That whole effort to create an interstate to Norfolk is a waste because it's using existing roads that meander all over Eastern NC and it doesn't cut travel time to Norfolk even upgraded.
It won't lure in the industry because of that either,
If they want to build an entirely new highway that a direct shot from Raleigh to Norfolk closer to how people go now through towns up along the Va border, then that as interstate would be very heavily used.
Raleighites already have 4 lane divided highways to reach the official interstates, and there isn't an extreme need for a true interstate to go North.
US to Henderson or NC147 to I-85 or I-87 (dumb replication since it doesn't connect to I-87 in NY state) are sufficient in my opinion to travel North.
Thank goodness I-85 rebuild through NC is almost finished and I-95 will now get improved through the state. It was the lowest priority since mostly out-of-staters use it. NCDOT strives to give NC residents something for their gas taxes paid.
Either that or I-640, but I-685 would be the better number for it since it links Raleigh to I-85 North.
I think the only time NCDOT broke the rules is by keeping I-540 once the Knightdale Bypass became I-495 instead changing it to I-640, but they got a waiver from FHWA for it.
I-795 is also keeping it's number once it connects to I-40, but that's because the number was written into law as part of the FAST Act, which designated US-117 between Goldsboro and I-40 as a High Priority Corridor and future interstate.
Hopefully the complete loop of 540 will be renamed I-640 following the naming convention for loops.
Hopefully they can break the rule of toll roads not having interstate designations for simplicity's sake.
I hate NC540 and looking at maps it's not clear to travelers not familiar with the area like interstates are that it's a continuous loop.
The NJ turnpike is essentially I-95 and it's used that way.
NC did get permission to toll I-95 several years ago to raise money for its rebuild, but battles over NC residents paying more nixed it from being implemented.
For all the newcomers and young folks. at the dawn of the automobile era, NC decided to keep up with the Northeastern states by making itself known as having the best and most paved roads in the country,
It boasted the most miles of paved roads and was known as "The Good Roads State".
Now its 80,000 mile system is reaching the end of its service life and will cost a lot to keep maintained.
But the good thing out of all of that are the high standards sill practiced as far as the road infrastucture.
NY, FL, and NC have the highest standards on the East coast as far as roads go and NC achieves them with just $5-6 billion a year, less than half of the other two states.
I hope the 540 (I- and NC-) goes away. It's too confusing with NC 54 in the same area. As a local looking at the highway signs, I know the difference, but someone arriving at the airport and taking a rental car could get confused taking a look at the highway signs while driving down the road.
Georgia hasn't expanded the original layout from the 1960s except maybe one or two new sections.
A bit unfair, I think. Georgia spent a ton of money upgrading the Interstates in Atlanta, where the metro population is now six times larger than when the Interstate system was specified. They rebuilt the entirety of I-95... something that NC apparently cannot manage to do. They extended I-575 and I-985, improved US 23 and 441 to the state line, completed the Corridor Z project, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 919 rtp
I hope the 540 (I- and NC-) goes away.
Quote:
Originally Posted by architect77
Hopefully the complete loop of 540 will be renamed I-640 following the naming convention for loops.
No chance of that. 540 was subsequently approved as the permanent designation.
Raleigh wouldn't be like it is if I-95 had come through it, and thankfully they said no thanks to it many years ago.
It would be a much more transient, crime-plagued stop like Henderson unfortunately has become.
Be glad Raleigh was insulated a bit from the interstate corridor.
I don't think it would've made much difference (except maybe for traffic volume). Drug traffickers and other criminals aren't going to be prevented from using a road to get to Raleigh simply because it doesn't have a red, white, & blue shield and Raleigh isn't all that far from I-95 anyway.
I'm surprised Raleigh hasn't been pushing for US-1 to become an interstate. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
They were talking about it twenty years ago when we first moved here, but there's been so much foot-dragging that it would be incredibly expensive now. There are already access roads on both sides for some of the route, which would make it easier. But they should have bought land when it was less expensive. Coulda shoulda woulda.
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