Segment 16


 Where:   US 74 from Laurinburg Bypass to NC 41 south of Lumberton, Robeson County

Length:   19 Miles

Entire Section Open to Traffic on 9/26/08

Route signed as:  

From the end of the current US 74 Laurinburg-Maxton Bypass near Alma, to just before its intersection with Interstate 95 near Lumberton, US 74 was a two lane highway prior to the fall of 2008. NCDOT in 2004 started construction that would reroute US 74 in this section onto a "4-lane divided facility on new location" south of the existing highway. The new mileposts and signage installed along the road near Maxton since then indicated I-74 would be the primary route upon completion. (1) The project is listed in the NCDOT 2009-2015 STIP as Number R-513. (2)  Construction, originally scheduled to start in 2007, was pushed up to late 2004 with NCDOT borrowing funds that will be paid back out of program accounts when completed. The contract for the project was awarded in two parts on November 5, 2004. The first part was constructing 11 miles of the freeway from Henry Berry Road southeast of Pembroke to NC 41 south of Lumberton. The second part was building the remaining 8 miles from Pembroke to the end of the US 74 Laurinburg-Maxton Bypass in Alma. Construction started on November 29, 2004. The project included building a new cloverleaf interchange with I-95 (Exit 13) 1/2 mile south of the existing US 74 exit (Exit 14), which was eliminated at the end of construction and, in anticipation, the southbound I-95 onramp and northbound offramp were permanently closed to traffic on October 31, 2006. (2) Lane closures occured frequently on I-95 in 2006 and 2007 as Collector/Distributor (C/D) ramps were built on either side of the existing highway and the bridge that would carry I-74 over I-95 was being built.(3) Parts of other local roads were closed as well. These closures lasted until the freeway opened in September of 2008. (4,5) The total cost of the project was estimated at $238 million (6). The original estimated date of completion was December 2008. Work proceeded though ahead of schedule whereby, on September 26, 2008 the I-74 roadway was opened to traffic (the eastbound section opened the previous weekend), the road opened while remaining construction east of I-95 continued.(4,7,8,9)  Almost a year before, on November 30, 2007 a ribbon-cutting ceremony preceded the opening of a 6-mile section from the end of the Maxton Bypass to NC 710. (10) In July 2007 NCDOT put up what will be the first I-74 exit signs along the route at the end of the Maxton Bypass (see photo below). The signs were for the future Alternate US 74 East. The photos below were taken either after the route to NC 710 was opened November 30, 2007 or after the rest of the eastern portion was open around September 19, 2008. The speed limit was originally 55 mph starting near then exit 220 (now 194), but was increased to 70 mph as on the rest of the highway.

     

First I-74 exit signs for the new US 74 (future Alt US 74)/US 74 Business interchange at the end of the Maxton bypass. (August 2007). Photo courtesy of Nick Hudson.


Signage at the I-74/ NC 710 interchange south of Pembroke. I-74 was signed as an interstate even before the freeway reached Lumberton and I-95. (November 2007)

A closer look at the bridge and the NC 710 interchange when it first opened. (November 2007)


This is looking east from NC 710 in 2007, the road was basically complete except for signage and line markings. (Nov. 2007)

This was the first I-74/US 74 signage combination you can saw westbound after the NC 710 onramp when the first segment opened (November 2007).

A closer look at this unique combination, the first time and interstate and a US route with the same number are signed on the same highway.

Here's a Junction I-74/US 74 sign assembly at the Cabinet Shop Road Exit (197, formerly 223). 
The view of the NC 710 Exit in September 2008 just after the route was completed going eastbound. (9/20/08)

As you can see the speed limit on the new section of I-74 is 70 mph. (9/20/08)

The next exit eastbound is Dew Road, notice the exit number difference. The original number, according to contract documents, for this exit was 230, NCDOT apparently found the reason why I-74 was 27 miles too long between 2007 and 2008, this  exit number, coincidentally or not, matches that from my exit list. (9/20/08)

Here's the sign for the next exit, Back Swamp Road, the original exit number would have been 234. (9/20/08)
 
Here's the first sign for the I-95/US 301 interchange, the only one that is ground mounted. (11/15/09)
 

The first overhead I-95 interchange signage, just 1/2 mile from the previous exit before the south I-95/US 301 offramp. (11/15/09)

Here's a closeup of the I-95/US 301 northbound offramp with the sign for the next exit US 74 Alternate. (9/20/08)

Here's a closeup of the sign for the last numbered exit going eastbound in September, Exit 210. (9/20/08)

They also installed an overhead for Exit 210 at the completion of the project in December 2008. (2/7/09) 

Here's one of the signs indicating that I-74 in Robeson County is officially the "American Indian Highway" (2/7/09)

All the milemarkers along this stretch come complete with I-74 shields, this is between Exits 210 and 213. (May 2009) JM

Here's the last exit eastbound, first westbound for NC 41. The entrance ramp eastbound still includes a shield for I-74 east, because the road ends about 1/2 mile further east. (2/7/09)

By December they had completed most of the work to the NC 41 (Exit 213) interchange eastbound, which included an end sign for I-74 after the exit (Photo courtesy of Stephen Summers, 12/08).
Here's a look approaching the new freeway, first from I-95/US 301 South taken 10/12/08
The first exit sign is 2 miles out, the sign in the distance says to access the former route (now US 74 Alternate), use exit 13A.

Now 1 mile away, the excitement, or is it the confusion among drivers seeing the same number on two different routes, is building.
 
Driving on the C/D ramps one has an increasing choice of destination, only 1 of which (Laurinburg) does I-74 actually go to.
 
The eastbound onramp is ahead, or one can get back on I-95.
Now the view from I-95/US 301 aproaching from the South (and South of the Border)....

The one mile sign heading northbound, a more rural landscape than that behind the 1 mile sign southbound (May 2009). JM

As seen from photos above, both I-95 exits feature C/D ramps. Again some incongruity between the milepost and exit number (May 2009). JM
Now going on I-74 westbound....

The first I-74 numbered exit sign for NC 41, notice the VMS assembly they put up probably for I-95 traffic troubles. (May 2009) JM

This is the first I-74/US 74 seen now going westbound, after the NC 41 Exit (May 2009). JM

Same C/D set up going north on I-95.

Similar sign set up going westbound as east, except no sign for the next exit.

The NC 710 Exit Marked with the Right number in May 2009 (Photo courtesy of James Mast, JM)

The old exit number for NC 710 as it appeared in October 2008, the exit number stayed though many of the mileposts in the area have been stripped of their mile signage.

View showing you can now go both directions at the NC 710 interchange (October 2008).

The new number for the Cabinet Shop Rd Exit can be seen heading westbound. (May 2009) JM

The intersection with the pre-existing Maxton Bypass is beyond this exit. Slightly confusing, a sign with 2 US 74 shields on a highway with 2 different shields with the 74 number (May 2009) JM.

Here's what the western end of the new freeway at the Business US 74/Alternate US 74 interchange looked like in October 2007 with the former exit number (Exit 220). There is only one ramp westbound vs. two going eastbound. (October 2007)

The exit leads to this possibly confusing sign assembly, Business 74 goes toward Maxton and predates the current construction, Alternate 74 will replace the current US 74 when construction is complete.

This also may be a future confusing sign complex for some people. This is the ramp to East I-74/US 74 at the end of Business US 74 and the beginning of Alternate US 74.

Is this assembly at the other end in Lumberton any less confusing?
The new freeway at its eastern end ties into an existing four-lane segment which starts 1/2 mile west of the NC 41 exit. Thius area is still under construction and is supposed to be completed by December 2008.
For history buffs, these other photos show the progress in constructing the I-95/I-74 interchange in early August through November 2007.

 
Looking south at the future I-95/I-74 interchange from what was US 74 in the summer of 2007. (August 2007)


Here's another photo showing the I-95/I-74 interchange in the summer of 2007. Photo courtesy of Nick Hudson.
 

Here's a look at the progress at the east end of the project as of November 2007, clearly not as advanced as the west end.  (photo courtesy of Rodney Gardner). The road you see graded has been paved, but not connected to the old road as of September 20, 2008.
Here are some photos of the completed bridge work around the eastern end of the project courtesy of Nick Zachetti from early July 2008, according to the photographer the graded areas had been paved as of early August:

Here are more photos taken August 25 courtesy of Nick Zachetti showing progress:





Another NCDOT Project related to this segment is Number K-4002 which will build a Rest Area on I-74 east of the I-95 interchange. The project is listed for 'planning and environmental study only' and thus has no official timetable or cost, but certainly won't start until after the I-74 is completed in 2008. (12)

During 2000 several Future I-74 Corridor signs were put up along the stretch of existing US 74 the project will bypass, like the one below.


Photo courtesy of Adam Prince

Several local politicians, at the urging of area citizens, are recommending that NCDOT name the new highway the American Indian Freeway due to the large native american population in Robeson County. Many local citizens have complained that the current US 74's designation as the Andrew Jackson highway is inappropriate. Under the current proposal the Jackson highway name would be retained on the old route after the freeway is built. (13)

The following are exit numbers in use on I-74 as of June 1, 2009. The original numbers, according to NCDOT Contract Documents (14), are listed in parentheses. New numbers based on a corrected 2008 spreadsheet sent to me from NCDOT (15) were also in disagreement, and I sent a reply indicating my numbers still did not agree. Apparently NCDOT then redid their calculations and came up with new mileage for I-74, with mile posts that were closer to my originally calculated exit numbers, NCDOT started replacing these numbers in Mid-April 2009 and finished in early May (16). For more info see the I-74 Exit List:
Exit 193 (220) US 74 Alternate/US 74 Business
Exit 196 (223) Cabinet Shop Rd
Exit 200 (226) NC 710 Pembroke Red Springs
Exit 203 (230) Dew Road Pembroke
Exit 207 (234) Back Swamp Rd
Exit 209 (235) I-95/US 301 Fayetteville Florence
Exit 210 (237) US 74 Alternate
Exit 213 (239) NC 41 Lumberton Fairmont

Here is a more close up look where the new freeway runs compared to the old US 74 route, Now Alternate US 74.:


Map overlay of aerial image courtesy of Rodney Gardner.

Sources: American Map Atlas 2006, North Carolina Map. NCRoads (http://www.ncroads.com/interst/ih074.htm).
(1) Whiteacre, Diane. 2003. Commentary; "Piece by Piece, I-73 and I-74 Take Shape". Charlotte Observer. May 25. Dowloaded from http://www.charlotte.com May 27.
(2) NCDOT. 2006. "US 74 Ramps to I-95 North to Permanently Close." Press Release. October 24.
(3) Ventolo, Michael. 2006. "Mystery Bridge Stumps at I-95/US 74 in NC." Post to misc.transport.road newsgroup, Jan 15.
(4) Pritchard, Catherine. 2006. "Work to Close Parts of Four Roads." Fayetteville (NC) Observer: April 2.
(5) Pritchard, Catherine. 2006. "Drivers Slowed on NC 87." Fayetteville (NC) Observer: May 6.
(6) NCDOT. June 2008. State Transportation Improvement Program, 2009-2015, Division 6, p. 6-35.
(7) Williams, Rochelle. 2004. "State Awards I-74 Contract." Fayetteville (NC) Observer. November 5. Downloaded from
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=local&Story=6632400 November 5, 2004.
(8) Witten, Scott. 2004. "'Death Strip' on U.S. 74 Schedulled for 4 Lanes." The Robesonian. June 7. Downloaded from http://www.robesonian.com/articles/2004/06/07/news/news/story04.txt July 27, 2004.
(9) NCDOT. 2008. Construction Progress Report, Contracts 200893 and 200970. Downloaded from:
http://apps.dot.state.nc.us/traffictravel/progloc/ProgLocSearch.aspx, accessed 9/18/08.
(10) NCDOT. 2007.  "NCDOT Cuts Ribbon on New Section of I-74 in Robeson County." Press Release. November 30.
(11) Personal e-mail from Rodney Gardner, July 30, 2007 who had traveled along US 74 the weekend of July 28-29, 2007.
(12) NCDOT. June 2008. State Transportation Improvement Program, 2009-2015, Division 6, p. 6-40.
(13) Williams, Allison. 2007. "Highway is a Reminder of Indian History." Fayetteville (NC) Observer. May 7.
(14) NCDOT. 2004. Contract Documents, NCDOT Traffic Engineering Branch, Contract C200893, Project R-0513.
Downloaded from: http://dotw-xfer01.dot.state.nc.us/dsplan/2004%20Highway%20Lettings/11-16-2004/ under the Plans and Proposals link on 2/23/07.
(15) NCDOT. 2007. I-74 Mileposts. Spreadsheet sent from Jeff Weller, NCDOT Signing Standards Design Engineer via e-mail 1/18/08.
(16) NCDOT. 2009. "US 74 - SCHEDULED WORK CREW; SIGN INSTALLATION BETWEEN ROBESON / SCOTLAND COUNTY LINE TO WEST OF LAURINBURG; 1 LANE CLOSED DAILY: 8AM-5PM.;  Reported: Apr 17 2009 11:22AM;  Ending: May 7 2009 4:59PM. TIMS Incident Report, Coastal Region, Downloaded 4/16/09.

I-74 shield courtesy of David R. Kendrick's Shield's Up!.