Gribblenation

You know this story was gonna happen. We've seen it with the Greensboro Loop , and now with the recent opening of part of the Charlotte Outer Loop - a story like this pops up again. Residents in Northwestern Mecklenburg County are surprised that Interstate 485 is in their backyard! The homeowner, who moved into his home in 2003, is shocked that the six lane freeway is only 30 yards from his backyard. When he bought the home, he knew I-485 was coming, but he was told that it would be about a half mile away. The resident contacted NCDOT asking for a sound wall, but since the subdivision was planned and built after the initial I-485 plans were made public in 1992, NCDOT is not obligated to put up the noise and visual barriers. NCDOT will do it...if the neighborhood can come up with $1 million. Guess it's time for a lot of bake sales, garage sales, and lemonade stands. OR a lot of dense foliage being bought by the residents of that subdivision. Story: Homeowners: We didn...

The North Myrtle Beach Connector - a four lane parkway from Main St. in North Myrtle Beach running to the Garden Parkway - will officially open to traffic Thursday after a ribbon cutting ceremony. The $85 million project began in 2005. It did run $15 million over budget as a result of increasing material costs. At one time, there was talk of the North Myrtle Beach connector becoming Interstate 174 - when SC 31 is finally connected to the proposed Interstate. Nothing in the article reads that the connector will be a future Interstate let alone any state designation. I'll be in North Myrtle Beach in two weeks, and will be sure to check the new highway out. Story Link: North Myrtle Beach is ready to connect ---Myrtle Beach Sun News

With a recently held public information meeting for right-of-way acquisition, SCDOT inches closer to construction of Interstate 73. The right-of-way process is set to begin later this year, and in Dillon County - nearly 120 properties will need to be purchased for the right of way. The right-of-way process along with the permitting process for Interstate 73 is the next step to actual construction of the route. Currently, SCDOT is looking to get funding from various sources to construct six miles of I-73 from I-95 south to US 501 near Latta. SCDOT with the help of the North Eastern Strategic Alliance is attempting to acquire $60 million in stimulus funding to build the six mile segment. Story link: I-73 acquisition plans for Dillon County ---SCNOW.com

Yesterday was the first official roadtrip with the new camera. Two weeks ago, I bought a Canon Rebel XSi. I'm enjoying it thoroughly so far! Joe came up from Wilmington for this ride through the Northeastern Part of the state. Route: I-540 - US 64, US 64 Business, US 264A, NC 33, US 17, NC 308, NC 11/42, NC 111, US 264, I-540. For the entire flickr set over 80 photos: Go Here . The first stop was a walk around Bailey, NC which the main part of town sits on the opposite side of the tracks from US 264A. There is a great old abandoned Feed Mill here. Bailey is home to a short NC 581 truck route because of a railroad underpass on NC 581 that is only 8'6" high. Outside of Wilson on US 264A - Was an unbelievable old gas station ' Save On Gas'. The station has most likely been abandoned for years. But fortunately, the old sign and some of the neon tubing is still there. I'd love to see how that sign looked lit up at night. The next stop was the town of Farmville,...

Today's Raleigh N&O's Road Worrier column is devoted to driver confusion caused by the re-signing along Greensboro freeways due to I-40 being put back on its old alignment: http://www.newsobse rver.com/ news/story/ 1660986.html In the article an NCDOT traffic engineer, Kelvin Jordan, admits the I-40 East interchange with I-73 on the west side of town is confusing with those needing to stay on I-40 having to exit the main highway. However, since the interchange was designed when I-40 was to use the Loop, it's understandable. He also says that NCDOT is considering removing the Business 85 designation through Greensboro in the future as well. From the article: "Getting through Greensboro will be easier now, Jordan said, with just one I-40 and no Business 40. But DOT may never finish trying to untangle Greensboro's Urban Loop. There are more plans to simplify markers at the three main approaches to the city. And there's still the confusion of two freeways cal...

Since I've been concentrating efforts to chronicle the building of I-74 in SE NC and the re-signing of the Greensboro Loop over the past year, I have not focused on NCDOT and other road projects basically going on in my back yard. There are three, two if you count by contract number. These are the replacing of bridges along Garrett Road just south of US 15/501. The widening of 15/501 and bridge replacement over the New Hope Creek, and the building of a roundabout at the Durham headquarters for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NC. 1. Garrett Road Bridge Replacements-This has been going on over the past year. Two temporary bridges and roads connecting them were created so the old bridges could be demolished and new bridges built. The new bridges have opened to traffic over the past few weeks. Here's a look at the construction area heading north on Garrett: The cleared area on the right was where the temporary road/bridge was located, traffic then went to the left of the other bridge mak...

It's our favorite subject at the blog ( ok so it's mine - Bob takes care of the I-73 debacle in Greensboro) - but it's another round of the Interstate 485 hot potato game! This time folks at the Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO) have basically told Governor Bev Perdue that they don't care about her campaign promise to complete the Interstate 485 loop, the plan to widen and upgrade Independence Blvd. will move forward. This happened when again the NCDOT said that if the Independence project goes first, I-485 will be delayed. MUMPO members would have none of that. "I don't know why we should bite on this false choice,” said Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess. “We need to finish Independence as we've been planning for 30 years." Burgess compared the pressure from Raleigh is similar to "... asking a parent to choose their favorite child." Weddington Mayor Nancy Anderson would have none of it either, " Thi...