Interstate 795 (North Carolina)

Interstate 795
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length: 25.41 mi[1] (40.89 km)
Existed: 2007 – present
Major junctions
South end: US 70 in Goldsboro
  US 301 / US 264
North end: I-95 / US 264 near Wilson
Location
Counties: Wilson, Wayne
Highway system

Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System
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North Carolina Highway System

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Interstate 795 (I-795) is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It runs 24 miles (39 km) from I-95 near Wilson south to its terminus at US Highway 70 (US 70) in Goldsboro.

Contents

Route description

I-795 is an Interstate Highway spur route freeway that runs from I-95 near Wilson to Goldsboro. The route was created in September 2007 from existing routes, mostly the former US 117 freeway and partially also the US 264 freeway west of Wilson. The Interstate designation was sought so that trucks longer than 48 feet (15 m) could access the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and nearby Goldsboro businesses from I-95.

History

Beginngs as US 117 Freeway

I-795 began as a new freeway alignment for US 117 completed in 2006,[2] splitting from the old Goldsboro bypass (which still carries US 13) and paralleling the old two-lane US 117 roadway to the US 264 bypass south of Wilson. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved an extension of US 117, overlapping US 264 to I-95, at their October 11, 2002, meeting.[3] However, the 1982 Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) specifies that trucks over 48 feet (15 m) in length, including the industry-standard 53-foot (16 m) trailers, can only use Interstates and other routes approved by the state, which included US 70 but not US 117.[4]

Push for Interstate designation

Rather than go through the time-consuming process to add the route to the STAA system, the state decided to get it approved as an Interstate. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) informed the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) that it would not approve the addition until a construction contract to correct a "high accident wet weather location" on the US 264 portion was underway.[1] Immediately after the response from the FHWA, NCDOT added the project (W-5007) to the state Transportation Improvement Plan,[5] but AASHTO denied the I-795 numbering at their May 4, 2007, meeting, citing concerns about the south end not being at another Interstate and the lack of FHWA approval.[6] However, AASHTO decided at their September 28 meeting to give conditional approval, pending FHWA concurrence.[7] The North Carolina Highway Patrol, which had begun ticketing overlength truckers on US 117 in mid-2007, stopped enforcing the ban on October 3, due to the AASHTO decision.[8] The first I-795 signs were posted on November 28, 2007, replacing US 117 signs along the whole route. Most, but not all signage at the interchange on-ramps was updated at the same time.[2] Other changes, including shifting US 117 back to the old route and changing exit numbers and mileposts, were to be completed by early 2008, but complications with the road surface and approval of moving US 117 delayed those plans to December 2009.[9]

Problems with road surface

In 2008, shortly after the road received the I-795 designation, major flaws developed in the route's paving surface. Though rated for a 15-year life span, the pavement began to deteriorate after only 16 months of use. During the planning of the road, as early as 2003, some engineers had warned that the thin pavement would be inadequate for heavy truck traffic. However, most NCDOT officials deemed a thicker road surface too expensive, as it would have added approximately $2.8 million to the cost of the road. At first, replacing sections that were damaged was expected to cost $1.6 million, with estimates for resurfacing the entire road running as high as $10 million.[10] FHWA sent an engineering team to examine the road in its entirety in the middle of 2008. They found flaws in the pavement in the entire highway, not just those already damaged between US 117 mile markers 85 and 92. They recommended the entire asphalt surface be replaced with an additional 2.5 to 3.0 inches (63 to 76 mm) added to the width, at a cost between $15 and $22 million.[11] Meanwhile, NCDOT started repairing the damaged portion of the road surface in October 2008, a process that was completed in about a month and cost around $600,000.[12] The new state secretary of transportation, Gene Conti, said he would make a decision, taking the FHWA report into consideration, once he took office in early 2009. He decided to abide by most recommendations of the report and announced in the summer of 2009 that a contract would be let that October with the project starting as early as November 2009.[13] The work, to fix the right lanes first, then put a finishing layer on all lanes, was completed in November 2010.[14]

Goldsboro Bypass

I-795 serves as the temporary west end of the new Goldsboro Bypass Freeway. The 3.9-mile (6.3 km), four-lane divided highway was opened on December 16, 2011 and connects I-795 with Wayne Memorial Drive north of Goldsboro. The highway temporarily designated NC 44. Once completed, the 20-mile (32 km) bypass will be re-signed as US 70 and run from just west of NC 581 in Wayne County and end at US 70 just east of Promise Land Road in Lenoir County.[15]

Exit list

County Location Mile Exit[lower-alpha 1] Destinations Notes
Wilson
 Wilson   1 I-95 – Smithfield, Rocky Mount, Roanoke Rapids Signed using US 264 mileage
2 NC 42 – Wilson, Clayton
3 Downing Street –Wilson
4 US 264 east – Greenville South end of US 264 overlap
5 US 301 to US 264 east – Wilson, Kenly, Smithfield
9 Alton Road – Black Creek
Wayne
 Fremont 14 NC 222 – Fremont, Kenly
18 Main Street – Pikeville
Goldsboro 22 NC 44 (Goldsboro Bypass) Future US 70 bypass
24 US 70 to US 13 – Smithfield, Raleigh, Kinston Signed as exits 87A (west 70) and 87B (east 70) southbound
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
     Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened
  1. ^ Though exits on I-795/US 264 section use US 264 mileposts, I-795 exits are listed in 2011–12 NCDOT State Transportation Map.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b North Carolina Department of Transportation (PDF). Application from the North Carolina Department of Transportation for the Establishment of a Route I-795 (Report). American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. http://www.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/Establish%20I-795%20NC.pdf. Retrieved December 17, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b Malme, Bob (April 9, 2010). "I-795 Wilson–Goldsboro Freeway". North Carolina's New and Future Interstates. Self-published.. http://www.duke.edu/~rmalme/fut795.html. 
  3. ^ Bowlin, Paul (November 5, 2002) (PDF). Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Standing Committee on Highways (Report). American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. http://cms.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/2002_USRN_Cmte.PDF. Retrieved December 17, 2011. 
  4. ^ Whittle, Matthew (September 16, 2007). "Big trucks could be banned from new US 117 bypass". Goldsboro News-Argus. http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2007/09/16/big_trucks_could_be_banned_from_new_us_117_bypass/index.shtml. Retrieved December 17, 2011.  (registration required)
  5. ^ Staff (April 5, 2007). "Schedule Change Request, W-5007" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. http://www.ncdot.org/Planning/development/Scheduling/change/schedule/archive/April2007/w-5007.pdf. Retrieved December 17, 2011. 
  6. ^ Keith, Kevin (May 4, 2007) (PDF). Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Standing Committee on Highways (Report). American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. http://www.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/USRN_Report_May42007_mv.pdf. 
  7. ^ Keith, Kevin (September 28, 2007) (PDF). Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Standing Committee on Highways (Report). American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. http://www.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/AM2007_USRN_Report%20to%20SCOH.pdf. Retrieved December 17, 2011. 
  8. ^ Whittle, Matthew (October 2, 2007). "US 117 gets OK to allow trucks". Goldsboro News-Argus. http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2007/10/02/us_117_gets_ok_to_allow_trucks/index.shtml. Retrieved December 17, 2011.  (registration required)
  9. ^ "NCDOT to Begin Installing I-795 Signs in Wayne, Wilson Counties" (Press release). North Carolina Department of Transportation. November 7, 2007. https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/pio/releases/details.aspx?r=1416. Retrieved December 17, 2011. 
  10. ^ "Engineer warned DOT officials that I-795 would need repairs". The News & Observer. Associated Press (Raleigh, NC). February 9, 2008. http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/934441.html. Retrieved February 12, 2008. 
  11. ^ "I-795 Repairs Could Cost $22 million". Raleigh, NC: WRAL-TV. January 8, 2009. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4271309/. Retrieved January 9, 2009. 
  12. ^ "Pothole Repair Begins on I-795". Raleigh, NC: WRAL-TV. October 20, 2008. http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/37769595. Retrieved October 20, 2008. 
  13. ^ Staff (January 8, 2009) (PDF). I-795 Post-Construction Project Review (Report). Federal Highway Administration. http://www.newsobserver.com/content/media/2009/1/8/i-795%20report.pdf. 
  14. ^ Staff (October 16, 2009). "State of North Carolina Department of Transportation Invitation to Bid" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/preconstruct/ps/contracts/invitation/2009/Oct/Oct1609invite.pdf. Retrieved December 17, 2011. 
  15. ^ "NCDOT Opens First Section of Goldsboro Bypass to Traffic" (Press release). North Carolina Department of Transportation. December 16, 2011. https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/pio/releases/details.aspx?r=5837. Retrieved December 16, 2011. 
  16. ^ North Carolina Department of Transportation (2011). State Transportation Map (Map) (2011–12 ed.). 

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