Gribblenation

I visit my old haunts of Oswego County, New York a few times a year. When I'm in Oswego, I tend to see a road sign honoring Oswego native Erik Cole, a National Hockey League player that many readers of this blog are aware plays for the Carolina Hurricanes. This sign rests next to a sign honoring my alma mater, SUNY Oswego, in their 2007 national championship in Division III men's ice hockey. It is certainly more noteworthy than the Shelby Lyons (who?) sign that used to adorn the entrances into the Port City of Central New York. About ten miles to the south, in the city of Fulton, there is a new road sign honoring their hometown NHL player, Rob Schremp. Being someone who bleeds the blue and orange of the New York Islanders, this is especially nice to see, as the player affectionately nicknamed "Rob Schremp Hockey" has played for the Islanders for a couple of seasons now.

Given that this day is often devoted to leftovers, I thought I'd add at least one leftover post from NC. This from the trip Adam Prince and I took on October 17 to note progress on the two portions of the Triangle Parkway which took over 4 hours and stretched from the end of NC 147 in Durham to US 1 in Apex. Needless to say, a lot there to see for roads that won't be completed until at least the end of next year. I'll post photos and comments heading north to south. I Triangle Parkway A. Hopson Road Bridge and Interchange- Not much had changed at NC 54, so we moved onto Hopson Road. Here, the temporary road to take traffic around the future bridge construction appeared complete: It better be, because it is made up of three layers of asphalt to support construction vehicle traffic, as can be seen below: B. Davis Drive-Work had begun on the northern support structure for the Triangle Parkway bridge: If you remember the previous post of the southern part of this bridge, the ar...

Nothing major...just working in photos as I have time.  Starting to get through photos that have been sent to me in 2010 and I am sure I have some older ones hanging around somewhere. Pennsylvania: Keystone Town Markers - Seven more keystones added: Antes Creek, Beallsville, Cowansville, Georgetown, Industry, McEwensville, and Templeton.  Many thanks to Mike Natale and Jim Carn for their photos. West Virginia: Some Corridor H construction photos from the Scherr area sent in by Sherman Cahal.

Mike Natale, who hosted one of the first Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike pages and his discovery of a 1963 Pittsburgh Freeway Planning map sent Jeff Kitsko and I to the libraries in the early 2000s researching dead Pittsburgh Expressway plans, recently sent me some PA Keystone Town Markers. But he also sent me the sign photo below from West Mayfield, PA. This is the first I have seen of this type of decorative geographical sign in blue on white.  These signs were typically Yellow on Blue, as this example for the Village of Huntington Mills from Doug Kerr shows. I believe these signs were phased out sometime in the 60s.  But the discovery on a blue on white decorative geographical sign may mean they were posted into the 1970s

When the Southwestern corner of Interstate 485 in Mecklenburg County was opened in October 2004, some wondered what was going on with the unbuilt interchange between Wilkinson Blvd (US 29/74 - Exit 9) and NC 160 (Exit 4). The diamond interchange with Garrison Road was clearly graded, but there was no asphalt, no concrete, no signs, nothing.  Well six years after the six lane I-485 was opened to traffic, there's construction activity going on at this 'ghost interchange'. NCDOT has recently awarded a $1.2 contract to Boggs Paving to complete the grade work and pave the interchange ramps for what will be Exit 6 or 7.  The new interchange which will give additional access to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport will be a 'ghost' no more in June 2011. Story: Work begins on I-485/Garrison Road interchange ---Mecklenburg Times

Last February, South Carolina received $10 million in TIGER Grant money for Interstate 73.  They had asked for $300 million.  But the grant money will not be wasted, as South Carolina has finalized plans for some preliminary construction work for when the Interstate highway will eventually be built. The grant money will be used to widen nearly one mile each of US 301 and 501 at where the Interstate will cross both roads south of Latta.  Also, the current intersection of US 301/501 just outside of Latta will be improved.  US 301 and 501 will be widened from two lanes to three. In addition, the Catfish Church Road bridge over I-95 and frontage roads in the general area will be replaced and moved.  Catfish Church Road crosses Interstate 95 just south of where the I-73/I-95 interchange will be located. To see the Latta section of Interstate 73, head here . Construction should start in 2011 and be completed in about a year's time. Story Links: Plans for $1...

Last week, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority eliminated three of the possible alternative routings for the southeastern extension of the Triangle Expressway.  The elimination of the Yellow, Purple, and Blue options come as a relief to residents of Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina.  However, the dwarf wedge mussel - an endangered species - may alter the TriEx through Garner compared to the widely supported route proposal of 20 years. Where the Orange Corridor, which has been on the books as the planned routing of the Southern Wake Expressway since the 1990's, crosses Swift Creek is near locations where the endangered mussel has been found.  The second option, known as the Red Corridor, crosses Swift Creek further north and the dwarf wedge mussel has not been known to habitat that section of the creek. Even though the Orange Corridor has been the "protected corridor" for nearly 20 years, protected meaning that commercial and residential development has been limited o...