Skip to main content

AAA Carolinas releases annual 20 worst bridges in the state list

Image
By
Every February, AAA Carolinas releases their 20 worst bridges in North Carolina listing. The release always makes local media outlets and becomes topic of discussion on various talk radio programs and even transportation forums.

So without further hype, here are some highlights of the 20 worst in North Carolina:

1. Business I-40/85 bridge over South Buffalo Creek - Guilford County. This bridge, built in 1955, handles nearly 117,000 vehicles a day, and is currently not scheduled to be replaced. It should be noted, that the completion of the I-40 and I-85 bypass on the Greensboro Loop should reduce the amount of traffic on this bridge.

2. Business I-40 Bridge over Liberty Street in Winston-Salem. This bridge was also built in 1955, handles nearly 68,000 Vehicles per day and is scheduled to be replaced in 2013.

3. US 220 bridge over SR 1452 and Business US 220 in Guilford County. This is the youngest bridge on the list (built in 1968) and is not scheduled to be replaced or improved. About 39,000 vehicles per day use this bridge.

4. I-440 Beltline bridge over Hilsborough Street and the Southern Railroad - Raleigh. This bridge on the Beltline was built in 1960 and will be improved/replace in part of a I-440 widening project scheduled to begin in 2009.

11. The I-85 bridge over the Yadkin River near Spencer. This structure, built in 1955, is arguably the most discussed and feared bridge in the state. The narrow two lane span that pre-dates the interstate system is scheduled to replaced in an I-85 widening project. However, the cost to replace the bridge and widen the highway makes it one of the most expensive projects in the state. There are some discussions to make the new bridge toll to help with the construction costs. Current estimates have 55,000 vehicles per day using this bridge.

13. US 117 bridge over the SCL Railway in New Hanover County. The oldest bridge on the list (built in 1934) is scheduled to be replaced this year.

For a full list of the 20 worst bridges in the state, go here.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

By
  Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...
Post a Comment
Read more

May 2023 Ontario Trip (Part 3 of 3)

By
  Over the years, I have made plenty of trips to Ontario, crisscrossing the southern, central and eastern parts of the province. Living in Upstate New York, it's pretty easy to visit our neighbor to the north, or is that our neighbor to the west? Ottawa is one of my favorite cities to visit anywhere in the world, plus I've discovered the charm of Kingston, the waterfalls of Hamilton (which is on the same Niagara Escarpment that brings us Niagara Falls), the sheer beauty of the Bruce Peninsula, and more. But I hadn't explored much of Cottage Country. So I decided to change that, and what better time to go than over Memorial Day weekend, when the daylight is long and I have an extra day to explore. On the third and final day of my trip, I started in Huntsville and made my way through Muskoka District and Haliburton County, passing by many lakes along the way. I stopped in towns such as Dorset, Haliburton and Bancroft before making a beeline down to Belleville and then over th...
Post a Comment
Read more

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

By
After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley.  To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker.   Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.   The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language.  The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246.  CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County.  CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward.  South of CA 127 ...
4 comments
Read more