In case you haven't heard yet: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article277667303.html US70 would become I-42, existing US70 Business would become US70 (again). This is what will become NC36: These parts will no longer be NC42: NC42 from US70 to Business 70 would just become Lombard Street. Article: Since parts of N.C. 42 and U.S. 70 Business are both in Clayton and outside town in the county, officials from both local governments will need to agree. Those conversations are just getting started, said Johnson County Commissioner Ted Godwin. “I personally think that a new name would be in order,” Godwin said of N.C. 42. “If a name could be attached to the road, that would lessen the impact” of changing the number. NCDOT wants to eliminate a nearly 9-mile section of N.C. 42 between N.C. 50 and what is now U.S. 70 Business. That stretch includes interchanges with the future I-42 and with I-40 in the Cleveland community. The department proposes a new N.C. 36 that would begin at N.C. 50 in the west and follow the current N.C. 42 through Cleveland to the Clayton Bypass. From there it would jog east to Ranch Road and connect back up with N.C. 42 on the southeast side of Clayton. Part of N.C. 42 in Clayton already has a name, South Lombard Street, but only as far as Barber Mill Road. Local officials will have to decide whether to keep Lombard or pick a name that applies to all of N.C. 42 west from the center of Clayton. NCDOT would like to renumber the roads within a year, so they can be included on new signs on the stretch of I-40 that is being widened south of Raleigh. That provides some urgency for the local governments, which wouldn’t want to make residents and businesses change their addresses twice, said Bruce Lawter Jr., head of the Johnston Board of Commissioners. “I think we can get it worked out,” Lawter said. “I don’t want us to go to new numbers and then after a year come up with a name.”
Can't figure out why not name new interstate 36 or 38, that's all-new signage anyway. now renaming NC 42 requires all new signs as well, to go along with all the address changes. way to go DOT., but I guess the feds have something to do with the interstate numbering.
So, will NC 42 still go on toward Wilson eastward, and NC 42 head towards Sanford westward, and just be NC 36 in-between?
Yes, and the I-42 is a complex process of naming Interstates, I know they tried to get different numbers but were turned down.
I wonder if all of the businesses and strip malls with "42" in their name are going to be compensated for the issues they have should they choose to rename themselves?
I doubt that would go anywhere. The State or DOT didn't force anyone to name their business after the road name.
But the new I-42 is also south of parts of I-40. Interstates criss-cross each other with segments that aren't technically "in order" all over the place. And if they are still hung up on that, why not just call it I-38 instead?
I-42 will run from I-40 in Garner to Morehead City. I-40 runs from that same location in Garner to Wilmington. I-42 is north of I-40 for the entire stretch of I-42. I-40 goes north of I-42 after the western terminus of the highway.
Sorry, I meant to go the other direction with the numbers. What I meant to say was, "if they're hung up on saying that section of road is north of I-40, then why not calling it I-44?" Yes, I-44 exists elsewhere (not a major concern, since I-87 does also). And yes, I know the feds don't care about the inconveniences of little JoCo when naming interstates. I'm just yelling at the clouds... It seems clear that NC-42 through much of JoCo will be renamed NC-36, and there's no point in fighting it.
Only around 30% of 42 in JoCo will be 36. The stretch from Sheetz by the train crossing at 42 and Business 70 to the eastern county line will still be 42. That's about 17-18 miles. Federal funding to upgrade the quality of the road. This will allow it to be a 4 or more lane divided highway, with speed limits of 70 mph mostly, from Raleigh to Port of Morehead, 132 miles. The claimed drive time is expected to be reduced from 2 hours 45 minutes today to just about 2 hours. This will help goods that arrive at the port of Morehead to reach the triangle more quickly. The actual study benefits are below. Key takeaways include: Not making the improvements along U.S. 70 will result in slower economic growth along the corridor in the order of 350 fewer jobs per year and $800 million less in GRP and $610 million less in personal income between 2014 and 2040. A fully controlled access highway would give rise to significant travel efficiencies for existing business and residents. These include $56 million in business cost savings, $1.2 billion in GRP and over $900 million in additional personal income between 2014 and 2040. This translates into nearly 550 additional jobs on average per year along the corridor when compared to business as usual. Statewide, the investment is projected to lead to an average of an additional 1,150 jobs annually. An interstate quality highway could also help the region be more competitive in inducing additional business and populations. If the corridor could match the growth rates of the similar corridors in eastern North Carolina, that could translate into 600 to 1,350 additional jobs per year along U.S. 70. In total, the upgrading the entire U.S. 70 corridor could give rise to an additional 1,150 to 1,900 jobs per year for communities that rely on the corridor and an additional 600 jobs annually for the rest of North Carolina for a total potential of 1,750 to 2,500 additional jobs annually for the State.
