Gribblenation

So much to catch up on here at the blog!  Unfortunately or fortunately, hockey season is drawing to a close here in Raleigh so weekend home game tailgating comes to an end Saturday.  (Last season, the Hurricanes run through the playoff extended tailgating almost weekly through the end of May.)  So there should be more time for blog entries, though kickball, spring curling, and training for my first distance run (5k - yes I know it's short but I'd love to get to a half-marathon someday) will keep me busy this spring.  Oh yeah, so will work. Anyways enough about my plight.  Today, the Raleigh News & Observer ran pretty much a filler story on the possible extension of the Toll Triangle Expressway from NC 55 in Holly Spring  to I-40 in Garner.  Back in October, I blogged about how the NC Turnpike Authority was starting to plan to construct the remaining 30 miles of the Raleigh Outer Loop.  This is in addition to the 13 or so odd miles they currently have under constructio

Today's Albany Times Union has a segment in their weekly Getting There? column that explains some of the history behind how I-90 is designated in the Albany, NY area as well as the Berkshire Spur. The long and short of the article was that I-90 was originally designated on the unsigned portion of the Berkshire Spur, but as free I-90 was built, the designation was moved onto the free portion of road. Additionally, there were talks in 1999 between state and federal officials about the possibility of moving I-90 back onto the unsigned portion of the Berkshire Spur, while extending I-88 onto what we know as free I-90. There would have also had been an I-88/I-90 multiplex between Rotterdam and Albany as a result. http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=916307

A reader sent me the photograph above trying to locate where in Pennsylvania it would have been taken.  The photo was on the William Penn Highway (today's US 22), along the Allegheny Mountains at an elevation of 2430 feet.  The question is, what is the name of the summit, it is "(blank)N RIDGE SUMMIT". I know of two major summits along the Alleghenies - Laurel Hill and Chestnut Ridge.  A look at the DeLorme Pennsylvania Atlas & Gazetteer doesn't show any ridges in the Alleghenies ending in 'N'.  So what ridge is it, and where along the William Penn Highway would this have been shot at. Also, is there a modern version of this same highway sign standing today?

The Gaston Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GUAMPO) will be holding a Transportation Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 23 at 6:30 pm.  The meeting will be held at the Gastonia Police Department Community Room at 200 Long Avenue.  One of the topics for discussion will be the controversial Garden Parkway.

Last Wednesday (3/10), while returning from a trip to Florida, I took a detour to check out what was new along the I-74 and I-73/74 corridors. First off though, I started my day by taking a walk along the Savannah River and River St. in Savannah and clicking this photo of the beginning of I-16 West upon leaving: After driving I-95 North for several hours, I reached I-74 near Lumberton and proceeded west than north (photos thus will appear in reverse order than they have in the past). Last fall I-74 shields were taken down along the Maxton and Laurinburg Bypasses. Well, not completely, the first exit heading east for NC 71 still has shields for I-74 East: All the other shields along the bypass and interchanges are gone. In there place NCDOT has placed a few I-74 corridor shields: Does this mean that the Future I-74 shields along this stretch won't return? Not necessarily, the first sign for the Laurinburg Bypass still has an I-74 shield with the former 'East' header replace

Earlier this month, the Davidson County (NC) Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 in favor of taking over the historic Wil-Cox Bridge.  The bridge is one of only a few open-spandrel concrete arch bridges remaining in the state. Currently, the bridge carries the southbound/westbound lanes of US 29/70 over the Yadkin River.  NCDOT had planned to tear down the nearly 90 year old bridge during the construction of the new I-85 crossing downstream.  As a result of the board of commissioner's vote, the historic bridge will be preserved. Though the final plans of the bridge aren't know, the bridge will be converted to pedestrian (and possibly equestrian) use as part of a regional greenway project.