I-85 to get a makeover

Finally, a section of I-85 with pavement that's nearly fifty years old is going to get a new coat of asphalt later this year, according to this story from WRAL.

The 25 mile I-85 corridor that runs from the Vance/Granville line to the North Carolina/Virginia border has received no money for a major pavement overhaul since it was built. The DOT says the mostly rural section of highway never made it to the top of a priority list.

Help is on the way, however.

Planners just put together a $40 million spending plan. Of that, $30 million will pay for a complete pavement replacement for five miles near Henderson, and the remaining 20 miles to the border will get a new top layer that should give about 10 years of smoother sailing.

NCDOT engineers say they could start the repairs as soon as October. The work will take at least two years.

This section of I-85 has been at or near the top of every "worst roads in the area" list for at least ten years, so it's about time it was fixed. Nothing like welcoming people to North Carolina by destroying their shocks...

Comments

Did Caltrans just kill the G26 cutout US Route shields?

The US Route System was formally created by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926. Through the history of the system the only state to which has elected to maintain cutout US Route shields has been California. The G26 series cutout US Route shields have become a favorite in the road enthusiast hobby and are generally considered to be much more visually pleasing than the standard Federal Highway Administration variant. However, the G26 shield series appears to have been killed off on January 18, 2026, when Caltrans updated their Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. This blog will examine the history of the US Route shield specifications in California and what is happening with the 2026 changes. The blog cover photo is facing towards the terminus of California State Route 136 and at a G26-2 specification US Route 395 shield. In the background Mount Whitney can be seen in the Sierra Nevada range. ...

Three Points Road (Los Angeles County)

Three Points Road is a rural cutoff route which connects Pine Canyon Road (Los Angeles County Route N2) and California State Route 138 near Neenach of Antelope Valley. Originally the community of Three Points (named for the junction Pine Canyon, Oakdale Canyon and Oakgrove Canyon) was served by 265th Avenue West. The modern three-mile-long corridor of Three Points Road was developed by 1950 to serve as a softer transition to California State Route 138. Part 1; the history of Three Points Road Three Points Road is named in reference to the community near the extinct Neenach Volcano known as Three Points. Three Points itself is a reference to three canyons it sits in the middle of: Pine Canyon, Oakgrove Canyon and Oakdale Canyon. Three Points was homesteaded by the Laffery family in 1892. Nearby Gookins Lake was named after one of the Laffery family members. Three Points (blue pin) can be seen at the intersection of Pine Canyon Road (now Los...

Hawaii Route 50

Hawaii Route 50 is the longest Sign Route on the island of Kauai at 32.6 miles. The entirety of Hawaii Route 50 is overlaid atop Kaumualii Highway from Lihue west to the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands. Hawaii Route 50 is one of the original 1955-era State Highway designations on Kauai. Much of the Kaumualii Highway corridor was constructed during the sugar plantation boom of the late Hawaiian Kingdom. The first tee beam bridge in Hawaii would be constructed along the Kaumualii Highway in 1911 at the Hanapepe. Much of this highway would be modernized to two-lane standards through the 1930s and 1940s. This page is part of the Gribblenation Hawaii Roads series. A compellation of all Hawaii-related media from both Gribblenation and RoadwayWiz can be found by clicking here . Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 50 and Kaumualii Highway Hawaii Route 50 is the longest highway on Kauai at 32.6 miles. The highway begins at Rice Str...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog