Skip to main content

If It's Friday, It Must Be (A Trip to) Goldsboro

Since the Greensboro signing changes are coming to an end, and I have other people supplying me with photos now, I decided to take a quick roadtrip the other direction today. Since NCDOT has released its final report on I-795 and announced reconstruction could start as early as next month, I decided to ride the rough road the last time and see if any other changes (signage, mileposts, exit numbers) had changed since my last visit in January.

The quick (and small) answer was no. Everything, except the road surface, was unchanged from when the signs went up in November 2007. Even the hard to see South I-795 to the right sign at the still marked US 117 exit is still there. But I did find some other new things to tell and show.

1. The US 64/264 'exit to nowhere' is almost complete. They were working on tying the completed westbound exit ramps to the highway when I passed by. Fortunately, I was going east because the two right lanes westbound were closed and traffic was backed up to the Business 64 exit (guess what I used on the way back). The signage is up, but covered over. Here's a couple sign photos heading east:
The sign above is at the one-mile mark. While below is at the eastbound exit ramp:
2. New mileposts along US 264. While they are resurfacing US 64/264 in Wake County, they have added mileposts and exit numbers to the 264 exits in Nash County. Previously the numbers didn't start until entering Wilson County a few miles from I-95.
The mileposts start at 23. The first new numbered exit is NC 231, which is Exit 27 (I know looking into the sun and hard to read) the exit signs before the ramps have no numbers, they are just on the gore signs.
The next exit for NC 581 is now numbered 30. If you need any further proof, here's the mile marker before the exit:
The next exit is Exit 34, Sims and is in Wilson County, the first sign is before the county line, so I don't know if it had a number previously:
Based on mileage calculation from the given mileposts the exits in Wake County, when numbered would probably be (going westbound) 22 for NC 39/Bus 264, 21 for NC 97 and 20 for US 64 East (or 20B for the NC 97 and A for the US 64, if you wanted to be exact).

3. Progress on the new US 70 Goldsboro Bypass
I-795 is still down to one-lane through the construction zone for the new US 70 Bypass. Progress has been made in building up the grades for the bypass and exit ramp bridges.
Approaching the construction zone, there will be three separate bridges across I-795.
The bridge piers for the US 70 highway itself.
One of the pieces of construction equipment bringing the grade up to bridge level.

4. The soon to be tree-less end of NC 540 West:
With the groundbreaking on the Triangle Parkway less than a week away, I thought I'd take this shot before the construction equipment appeared to extend the freeway. I noticed no construction equipment on NC 540 itself, but there were a few probably survey trucks on what now makes up the future ramp from East NC 540 to NC 55 East.

5. Misc.
For those who wanted to see an I-795 sign photo:
On the road going west from Pikeville (I drove US 117 starting back to see if there were any alternate US 117 signs, there were not, but they probably never were put up).

And, finally for those who haven't seen the End I-73 North sign I have on my I-73 Segment 5 page, another version, courtesy of Evan Semones:
I will return to I-795 once I've learned the reconstruction project is finished, which NCDOT says should be December.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...

Old NC 10 - The Central Highway: Old Fort to Black Mountain through the Royal Gorge

A unique way of tracing the remnants of the Central Highway is through the mountainous terrain of Eastern Buncombe and Western McDowell Counties.  From the east on US 70, you reach the base of Blue Ridge Mountains at the town of Old Fort.  Old Fort is a tiny rail town that the old Central Highway and now US 70 goes through.  The Central Highway can be followed via a right onto Mill Creek Road from US 70.  Follow the highway as it takes you closer to the mountains.  When Mill Creek Road bears right to head towards Andrews Geyser stay straight until the road ends at a gate.  The nearby Piney Grove Church can be used for parking.  At this point, the old Central Highway began a 3.5 mile climb of the mountain to Swannanoa Gap.  NC 10 and later US 70 travelers followed this road for over 30 years until a new and modern four lane US 70 was built to the south.  This same four lane road would eventually become Interstate 40.    The Centra...