Abandoned Interstate 85 Connector Ramps

Abandoned Interstate 85 Connector Ramps - Gastonia, NC

When Interstate 85 was extended westwards into Gaston County from Charlotte in 1962, it would come to a temporary end between New Hope and Cox Roads. Traffic at that time was funneled onto a connector highway that moved traffic onto Franklin Blvd. (US 29/74) When I-85 was completed through Gaston County in 1965, the connector ramps remained open to traffic. Nearby interchanges with Cox Road to the east and New Hope Road to the west were half diamond interchanges. (See map below)

1991 USGS Map Orientation: Interstate 85 is the top thick red line running from the top left corner to the right.
Franklin Blvd. (US 29/74) runs left to right in the center of the image.
The NC 279 New Hope Road exit is to the left of the connector and the Cox Road interchange is to the right.

In the early 1990s, NCDOT widened I-85 through Gastonia to six lanes. As part of this massive overhaul to the highway, the New Hope (Exit 20) and Cox Road (Exit 21) interchanges were reconstructed into full diamonds. The Gastonia Connector Interchange was eliminated. The former connector -- now Aberdeen Blvd. -- serves as an access road from Franklin Blvd. to Eastridge Mall and Cox Road. With the exception of the ramps on and off I-85, you can still travel the connector today. Motorists can still see remnants of the ramps right-of-way from Interstate 85 and the former connector.

All photos taken by Chris Curley - November 2005

Comments

Tulare Lake returns

During the winter of 2023 California experienced one of the wettest seasons in recent decades. Enough snow and water were deposited into the Sierra Nevada Mountains that the runoff was enough to partially reform Tulare Lake within San Joaquin Valley. Tulare Lake was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River by surface area. Tulare Lake has been largely dried for the past century due to irrigation divisions and upstream impoundments. This blog will examine the history of Tulare Lake and its recent return. Pictured as the blog cover is Tulare Lake from 19th Avenue in Kings County during early May 2023. Tulare Lake can be seen near its maximum extent below on the 1876 P.Y. Baker Map of Tulare County . Part 1; the history of Tulare Lake Tulare Lake is the largest remnant of Lake Corcoran. Lake Corcoran once covered much of the entire Central Valley due to being it being located at a in natural low point from where mountain run-off would accumulate. Lake Corcoran is thou

Former US Route 101 through Sargent

Sargent is a ghost town and siding of the Southern Pacific Railroad located in southern Santa Clara County. The original alignment of US Route 101 was aligned through Sargent via what is now known as Old Monterey Road. Sargent was bypassed gradually due to shifts of the alignment of US Route 101 which occurred during 1941 and 1950. Pictured as the blog cover is a view on Old Monterey Road which is now no longer accessible to the general public. Below is a scan of the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Santa Clara County which depicts the original alignment US Route 101 through Sargent. Part 1; the history of US Route 101 in Sargent Sargent lies on land which was once part of Rancho Juristac. During 1856 James P. Sargent purchased Rancho Juristac and plotted what was known as Sargent Ranch. By 1869 the Southern Pacific Railroad coast line reached the relocated town site of Gilroy. The Southern Pacific Railroad coast line would be constructed through Chittenden Pass by 1871 whic

California State Route 60/Former US Route 60/70 through the Moreno Valley Badlands west to Riverside

This past month I drove California State Route 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands westward towards the City of Riverside. CA 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands was once part of the corridors of US Route 60 and US Route 70. The present route of CA 60 is a 70 mile (76 counting multiplex) slice of former US 60 between downtown Los Angeles east to I-10 near Beaumont. The vast majority of CA 60 aside from a small section in the Moreno Valley Badlands is presently a freeway grade. For me CA 60 holds some personal history as it was the route I used most frequently accessing work sites in the Inland Empire circa 2011-2013. Despite what many others probably would say I always really enjoyed the Moreno Valley Badlands portion of CA 60. Considering I frequently worked on US 60 through Arizona and New Mexico the route holds even more appeal. I even have a CA 60 shield hanging up in my garage. Part 1; History of Roadways in the Moreno Valley Badlands CA 60 between B

Gribblenation

Search This Blog