Skip to main content

North Carolina I-95 Toll Plan may remove some interchanges

North Carolina's plan to widen Interstate 95 to six lanes may result in closing interchanges, and of course tolls.  The toll idea isn't really new - though a recent news story on WRAL-TV in Raleigh would lead you to believe that.

But one of the newest developments to the plan is that the widening may result in the removal of some interchanges specifically those in Harnett and Johnston Counties.  According to the WRAL story, Exit 72 (Pope Road) is one of the interchanges that may be removed.

If you are familiar with Interstate 95 in North Carolina, you know that the 38 or so miles of I-95 in Harnett and Johnston Counties is home to maybe the most obsolete and crowded stretches of the Interstate.  19 exits and a rest area are along the stretch of four lane interstate.  Resulting in an average of an interchange every 1.9 miles.  Throw in low overpasses, narrow medians, bridges without shoulders, interchange ramps that double as a rural road/surface street, and you have headaches and hazards in every direction.

This stretch of Interstate 95 is also the oldest stretch of I-95 in North Carolina.  All of this section of highway opened to traffic by 1961.  The oldest stretch is in the Dunn/Benson area (miles 70-79) which opened as a US 301 bypass in the mid/late 1950s.

Widening the highway to six lanes is an obvious necessity, and the toll road idea has been kicked about for over a decade now.  The idea to eliminate some existing interchanges seems to be common sense but this is the first time, to my knowledge, that it has been publicly mentioned.  This tiny tidbit of information is a prelude to the release of an Interstate 95 Master Plan that NCDOT should release this coming November.

Comments

Anonymous said…
There is no way to come up with 4.4 Billion to widen the interstate. It will be so overloaded in a few years (already over capacity) that it will physically fail. Emergency crews can't get easily to accidents.

Why wait until 2015 to start collecting tolls.

Trucks $5
Cars $3

Using the ticket method, and (TOLL EZPass like in the north) one could take tolls for passing through traffic and almost leave the local traffic without tolls.

One could travel 15 miles without a toll. That would help to not toll someone just going to work.

In Delaware, the toll is $5 just to go a few miles in their state. NY Bridges are upwards of $15.

Tolls on I-95 are far overdue. Travelers from far north going to Florida can pay for the stress they are placing on the interstate here. There are far more vehicles out of state on it than there are instate vehicles.

But, put the toll and start the work.

Most importantly:

HIRE NC RESIDENTS TO DO ALL OF THE WORK!!!


Nick in Wilmington, NC
Anonymous said…
Oh, I'm sorry, I thought that there was a highway fund that is supposed to pay for repairs... you know, the one funded by taxing us to death on fuel......let them do this one, the rest are fair game.. North Taxalina won't stop there.
Jason E. Felts said…
Like up North, Like up North..that's part of the problem in the greatest part of this country. Everyone wants to be like they are up north. The northerners come down and want to change everything.
I have paid PLENTY of money in tolls throughout this country over the last 10 years. Almost everywhere, except north of D.C. there is an alternate route that runs parallel with the toll road. HWY 301 doesn't do it in NC.
Do they really think that people in NC need to pay more money just to get to work? I know there is a lot of out-of-state traffic that runs I95 on a daily basis, so give the NC residents a FREE ez-pass.

Popular posts from this blog

Bridgeport Covered Bridge

The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is a historic crossing of the South Fork Yuba River located in Nevada County, California near Nevada City.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge opened as a tolled crossing during 1862 as part of the larger Henness Pass Road.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge closed to vehicle traffic during 1972 and was recently restored during 2021.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is historically California's longest covered span is thought to likely be the longest such structure surviving in the world.  Featured as the blog cover is the Bridgeport Covered Bridge during 1950 when it was an active part of Pleasant Valley Road.   The history of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge The history of Bridgeport Covered Bridge was featured in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works .  Bridgeport Covered Bridge was constructed during 1862 over the South Fork Yuba River.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge served as part of the Virginia Turnpike Company maintained Henness Pass Roa

Former California State Route 215

  California State Route 215 was a short-lived state highway which existed in the Los Angeles Metropolitain area after the 1964 State Highway Renumbering.  California State Route 215 was aligned from US Route 60 at 5th Street in Pomona north to US Route 66 near Claremont via Garey Avenue.  California State Route 215 came to be after California State Route 71 was bisected in Pomona due to relinquishment of a portion of Garey Avenue due to the opening of a portion of the Corona Freeway (now Chino Valley Freeway) during 1958.  California State Route 215 was deleted by the Legislature during 1965. The history of California State Route 215 The initial segment of what was to become California State Route 215 was added to the State Highway System as part of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act.  The First State Highway Bond Act defined what would become  Legislative Route Number 19  (LRN 19) as running from Claremont to Riverside.  The segment of LRN 19 between Claremont and Pomona would in

US Route 70 over San Augustin Pass

San Augustin Pass is a gap in the Organ Mountains, San Augustin Mountains and San Andres in Dona Ana County east of Las Cruces.  San Augustin Pass lies an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet above sea level and was originally traversed by New Mexico State Route 3.  US Route 70 would be realigned over San Augustin Pass during 1934 when it was extended to Los Angeles, California.  During 1963 US Route 82 would be extended through San Augustin Pass to Las Cruces.  Since the early the early 1990s signage of US Route 82 has been withdrawn to Alamogordo.  San Augustin Pass and US Route 70 are largely known for the numerous closures due to test firings originating from the White Sands Missile Range.   Part 1; the history of highway designations over San Augustin Pass San Augustin Pass traditionally has been the easiest from the Rio Grande in Las Cruces east to the Tularosa Basin.  The terrain conditions at San Augustin Pass allowed for an easy crossing in the gap between the Organ Mountains