Gribblenation

The 1968 Federal-Aid Highway Act expanded the Interstate Highway system an additional 1,500 miles - increasing the overall network to 42,500 miles.  During a series of public hearings and correspondences , the House Subcommittee on Roads, chaired by Illinois Congressman John Kluczynski, would help craft the legislation that authorized funding and the designation of the new corridors. On May 15, 1968, Chairman Kluczynski sent a telegram to every state highway/transportation department.  His request asked each state to return on their state's additional Interstate Highway needs as soon as possible with the approximate mileage and location.  He also asked if they intended to attend sub-committee hearings that were scheduled to begin on May 23. The individual state's responses varied. A number of states responded with specific corridors and mileages, a number were vague or gave long-winded answers in regard to funding and needs, and others requested very little mileage or in ...

On June 17, NCDOT plans to let the next construction project for its Greensboro Loop project, the northeast segment from US 70 to US 29. When work starts sometime later in the summer, this will be the third interstate construction project to get the go-ahead in the Greensboro/Guilford County, NC area in the past six months. Over the next few years this will make the Triad Area on North Carolina one of the busiest places for road construction in the country. A Breakdown of the Interstate Construction Projects: 1. Greensboro Loop, NW Segment, from Bryan Blvd. to Battleground Ave. (US 220). Contract Number: C203197 Length: 3.8 Miles Cost: $122,804,388.50 Construction started: October 30, 2013 Estimated completion: March 14, 2018  This project to build the next segment of I-840 from Bryan Blvd. to Battleground Avenue has been underway since last year. So far, the project has been noticeable due to all the land cleared for the future roadway. Whe...

Came across some somewhat old, but new to me, NC interstate and US route signing news via the web, so I thought I'd summarize it with a blog post. I-73/74 -NCDOT has gotten approval from the FHWA to sign the section south of Emery to just beyond Ellerbe as vanilla I-73/I-74. It appears the reason why NCDOT signed the route Future I-73/I-74 when it opened in 2008 was that this section was not officially part of the interstate system. The FHWA mandated that this section could not be added until NCDOT let the contract for rehabilitating the section through Asheboro (I-4407). This contract was let in June 2010, and is due to be completed this fall. NCDOT finally got around to asking for permission to put up full interstate shields this spring and got an acceptance letter back in June (copies of this and other letters are on the NCDOT Route Changes page, Interstate section, HERE ) . In a subsequent letter dated 7/11/12, NCDOT indicates this approval to the local FHWA office in Raleigh,...

According to the article linked in the title from a news conference held today in Florence, SC, FHWA secretary Ray LaHood "was positive it (I-73) will get some federal funding. The interstate would start in Michigan, pass through Ohio and two other states. Supporters of I-73 were thrilled to have LaHood in their backyard, discussing the virtues of their favorite road. But their enthusiasm depends on what Congress does with a new transportation funding bill that will come up next year." "LaHood says, next year, President Barack Obama will put a 6-year, $500-billion transportation funding bill before Congress. He says I-73 is a perfect fit for that bill. "If this is South Carolina's priority, if this is the region's priority, I have no doubt it will be a part of the 6-year plan." I-73 supporters have been waiting a long time. Chamber of Commerce leaders told LaHood, the interstate was first proposed in 1980, when textiles and tobacco were South ...