At our age roads already built or in process of being built are the only roads we will ever ride or drive on. Roads that are in process of being considered or even in the planning stages we will not use or more importantly be paying for them. But since we see the waste of taxpayer dollars we will opine.
This brings to mind the absolute silliness of a road being proposed in the east central area of this state that some people are just damn determined to build. Note that up until now almost all improvements of roads in this state revolved around who had political pull or who knew someone on the NC Transportation Board. Governors since I have been born have made sure the roads in their home areas were upgraded a good bit. In the 1960's Governors had some modesty and did not go crazy building in their home counties, since about 1980 or so it has been different in that Governors have decided we will pave and pave some more in our home counties. If you do not believe this go take a ride around Wilson NC and enjoy the first class roads there brought courtesy of 16 years of Governor Jim Hunt. Best road system for any town in NC. Wilmington NC has got some nice roads too courtesy or Governor Mike Easley. Governor Beverly Perdue got some roads started in the New Bern area too, but with only four years in office did not get as much as some of the others. Maybe Governor Jim Martin was perhaps the exception to the rule in that he did not spend his time helping his home area, but he did keep his promise of getting I-40 completed to Wilmington. Actually the best upgrade for this state in the last 25 years. Maybe the integrity Gov. Martin displayed is why the people pushing the roads noted below are using him as a front person for getting them paved.
All this is to note the current efforts by some to upgrade I-795 or US 117 from Goldsboro to I-40. Not sure why so many elites seem to want this one built. It is not a heavily traveled road nor will it be even if it is fully upgraded to interstate quality. We know that the current version of US 117 or I-795 upgrade from Wilson to Goldsboro is nothing more than "Jim Hunt's home to beach road". What we can not figure out is why there is any need for any more upgrade of this road from Goldsboro to I-40. With all due respect the current road is virtually a free way now from just south of Goldsboro, through Mount Olive to I-40. There is a short couple of miles in Goldsboro south where you have 4 or 5 traffic lights, but even that portion of the road is a quick drive. The only purpose we can see is to siphon off some traffic from current I-95 which takes I-40 to the beach and divert them via I-795. The mileage and time savings is minimal and the economic infrastructure already on I-95 is bypassed. the cost will be several hundreds of millions for a unneeded upgrade. A total waste or road dollars that could be used elsewhere.
Same thoughts with the same elite crowd regarding the desire to an upgrade of US 70 from Clayton bypass to Morehead City NC. With all due respect guys this road does NOT need to be a interstate quality road. The stretch from the end of the Clayton bypass to the soon to open Goldsboro bypass could use a couple less traffic lights, but an upgrade to complete restricted access is more silly waste of money. Beside there is economic infrastructure on this road now dependent on the traveling dollar and what is be made of small business which has made significant investments there. Personally I see the need for a currently planned bypass of Kinston, a needed bypass of James City, a currently planned bypass of Havelock, and some improvements on traffic flow in Morehead City that would make this road a good as needed. The rest of this road is now pretty much a open road with little to slow one down. So why multi-hundreds of millions to complete restricted access where none is needed.
Yes I know there are those elites who think making the afternoon tea on Fridays at the Coral Bay Club is sacrosanct and being there 10 minutes sooner means spending more time with your elite friends is worth all those hundreds of millions, at least if it is not THEIR millions being spent here. But hopefully better heads will prevail and this silly spending plan will get killed other than the upgrades noted.
Those who have business interests on the the Bogue Banks now and looking for more travelers dollars will get the same bang or the buck by just adding the bypasses. Will Governor McCrory keep to his new transportation planning of spending resources where they are needed to alleviate congestion or will the elites steal money to build their non needed roads. Note that of all these upgrades the only one that will likely be completed before we pass from this state is the Goldsboro bypass so we have no dogs in this fight.
The final point here is once again hundreds of millions, maybe a billion, of road building dollars are being considered for political purpose roads, or pleasing elites and political favors and not needed improvements. Wonder if we could find somewhere else in eastern North Carolina where there are roads needs not met? Can anyone say I-95 through North Carolina here?
Bob... I have been asked to sit on the US 70 Corridor Commission and would like to sit down with you over lunch to discuss this more. Gov. Martin also serves on this group. I know the majority of folks see it as "lets get to the beach as quick as possible" but I think the key for a study is how we can support eastern NC with job growth. There is the Port, several military bases and the Trans Park (another Martin idea) that would benefit tremendously with upgrades.
ReplyDeleteI won't argue with the need to improve I95...
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