Gribblenation

I hear there have been some complaints about the lack of sign photos here lately. I took a trip to the Greensboro and High Point areas today (11/23) to help remedy the situation. The goals of the trip were to a) see what progress NCDOT has been making in restoring I-40 to its original alignment, b) check out the new interchange that opened this weekend for the PTI Airport from Bryan Blvd. (Future I-73) and the resulting signage, and c) confirm an e-mail sent to me that NCDOT had resumed its sign installation along the original US 311 freeway, putting up new exit signs with I-74 mileposts. First, the I-40 situation. There was a NCDOT announcement last week they were closing lanes at the once and future I-40/85 split east of Greensboro for sign installation. I can confirm the signs were changed but they were simple shield and control city switches on the existing signs, not new ones. As shown here: You can see High Point has replaced Winston-Salem for I-85 South. Here's a photo of th...

Last weekend, I was back in Gaston County visiting friends and on Saturday did a photo trip into the NC Foothills. The entire flickr set (67 photos) is here . Route: Local roads in Gaston and Lincoln Counties to NC 27, NC 27, NC 150, US 74, US 74 Business, US 74A, NC 9, Mill Creek Road, US 70, Old NC 10 into Marion, US 70, NC 126, NC 181, NC 18, NC 27 local roads to Mt. Holly, NC. The first stop was the old Marisopa Road bridge just across the Gaston/Lincoln county line. I would love to have taken more photos here, but the last shower of about a day and a half worth of rain came through the area. I did get the shot below though. Along, NC 27 in Lincoln County is the tiny community of Iron Station. They have a parade in Iron Station once a year, when the line painting crew goes through town. In Iron Station, the former elementary school still stands but now abandoned. US 74 Business runs through three Rutherford County towns, Forest City, Spindale, and Rutherfordton. I stopped in F...

Just when you thought the reasons ( read: excuses ) for the now over 18 months of delays in the completion of 5.5 miles of Interstate 485 comes two new details that couldn't come from a Hollywood Soap Opera. Let's start with a story that broke this past Tuesday - A lack of traffic signals will keep I-485 closed prior to Thanksgiving. ( Now you see why they said December 31st just a month ago . ) yes, missing traffic signals at the W.T. Harris Blvd. ( which we recently learned is now NC 24 ) Interchange will keep the road closed before Thanksgiving. ( Those that will be stuck on I-77 in Huntersville on the day before Thanksgiving salute you. ) So how is this possible? NCDOT doesn't even know. They only applied for the permits last week, and Charlotte's DOT can't move that fast. So Skanska, the beleaguered contractor, offered to put up temporary poles and traffic signals. NCDOT summoned Lee Corso and said, "Not, so fast my friend." They want the pe...

Ok so I am trying to do too much at once today. I have friends coming over for a poker game tonight (cleaning the house for that), NC State/Carolina is on..as I type this State is winning 10-3 (Go Pack!) and I am trying to catch up on a lot of website/blog updates etc all weekend. Lets see how this goes for me. So now for the news... I received an e-mail from Chris Curley who informs me that NC 24 has been extended again this time to the end of Harris Blvd. which is at Mount Holly-Huntersville Road just west of the yet to be opened (how's that going for ya) I-485. Chris reports that it is signed at the still under construction I-485 but there isn't an 'End' sign up at Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road. This is the second extension/alignment change for NC 24 in Charlotte in slightly over three years. In early 2003, NC 24 left NC 27 (Albermarle Road) at Harris Blvd to follow Harris Blvd west to I-77.

The Southport/Fort Fisher Ferry which runs across the Cape Fear River south of Wilmington will be closed for ramp lift repairs beginning on December 1st. The closure should last for two months. NCDOT officials point out that December and January is typically the lowest traffic months for the ferry. However, Southport merchants fear that the closure will negatively impact sales during the Christmas Holiday shopping season. Story: Wilmington Star News

Ok, So I have been lazy the past few weeks...but hey. Two weekends ago, I took a roadtrip with Joe Babyak around Southeastern NC. I picked up a few new miles on highways and also crossed the Cape Fear via the Fort Fisher/Southport Ferry for the first time. The Trip route: River Road in Wilmington, US 421, NC 211, I-95, NC 20, NC 87, NC 11, NC 53,US 117, NC 210, I-40. The entire Flickr set with over 154 photos is here . Now some have commented that I don't take sign photos anymore. So lets get this out of the way first. It's the national southern end of US 421 at Fort Fisher State Park. That sure is a long way from Michigan City, Indiana isn't it. The Fort Fisher/Southport ferry is a nice trip over the Cape Fear. The southern most route of the NC Ferry System , the cost to cross is $5 for most vehicles. The ride is certainly not uneventful as on many days you will pass numerous sailboats, pleasure craft, and freighters along the Cape Fear. Near the Southport landing i...