A Different Mecklenburg Saga, Part 2: Greensboro to almost Salisbury

Resuming with I-85 on the Greensboro Urban Loop. This is the beltway that eventually will go all the way around Greensboro, carrying I-85 on the southeast quadrant, I-73 on the southwest, and I-840 on the northern quadrants. The southeast quadrant was the first to open, in 2004. The last time I was in Greensboro before this trip, it was under construction. The southwest quadrant opened in 2008 and initially carried both I-40 and I-73. Motorist confusion resulted in I-40 being restored to its original route through the city and US 421 going onto the Urban Loop in its place. Because of the continual updating of routes on the loop, there is lots of greenout on signage. The first exit on the loop is for Youngs Mill Road.


Although this section of I-85 is less than 10 years old, it already has been patched in places.


These were a common sight on I-85 from here to Charlotte.


The first evidence of changing routings is ahead. US 421 used to cross in both directions here.


I assume this used to say US 421 North.


US 421 has a wrong-way concurrency with I-85; however the concurrency becomes correct when I-73 takes over.


When Elm Street meets Eugene Street, they become Elm-Eugene Street. I'm totally serious.


I-85 and US 421 meet I-73 and US 220 here. I-73 South may have been added to the overhead on the right here since I took this picture.


I believe the blank shield under the To West was for I-40 before the southwest quadrant opened. It's too far west for I-840 and too far north for I-74.


This signage made the previously mentioned I-40 shield obsolete.


I-85 prepares to leave the Urban Loop.


I-85 and I-85 Business have an unsigned concurrency between the two segments of the business route.


Not terrible.


I-85 is briefly united with US 29 & 70, which leave for the business route into High Point.


Approaching I-74, US 311, and NC 62. Both NC 62 and US 311 go to Virginia on opposite sides of Danville.


Pit stop on NC 62.


I-74 near here was recently opened.


Back on I-85.


NC 109 is notable for having the last known cutout shield in North Carolina, which lasted until at least 2000. It's long gone now.


US 64's current and former alignments have their own exits.


NC 8? You guessed it, goes to Virginia. It is, by far, the most notable of the single-digit NC routes, which are mostly minor.


We encounter construction for the first time, although it continued most of the way to Charlotte.


The other end of I-85 Business. Future I-285 will end near here as well.


Construction time again.


US 29 & 70 apparently leave here.


Traffic. Everything counts in large amounts.


I-85 and US 52 reassurance shields.


Spencer and East Spencer are separate places, but the way this overhead is worded makes it look like it's for something called Spencer E. Spencer.


Hopefully part 3 will take me less than two weeks to get to, but you'll finally see us reach Charlotte.

A Different Mecklenburg Saga, Part 1: Virginia to Greensboro

Since it opened, my friend Eric (not Elric) and I wanted to visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. On March 9, we finally went. We left at 6:30 AM on a trip that took about 4 hours, taking I-85 all the way from Petersburg to Charlotte. I'm familiar with the stretch north of Greensboro, because my dad used to live there when I was a teenager. Since I've covered most of I-85 in Virginia in previous entries, I didn't take any pictures in Virginia. Well, except one, descending to Lake Gaston over the Roanoke River.


The first exit in North Carolina is just south of the border, for US 1 & 401. The second exit is the oddly-named Oine Road.


There are a lot of little things that VDOT and NCDOT do differently. The median, for one, and signage standards are slightly different.


The Left Exit tab normally has the Left in yellow, but not in this instance. US 1 follows I-85 from Petersburg to here, where it splits towards Raleigh.


Parham Road is the name of a major road in the Richmond area, but this one looks to be less important.


Not just Henderson, but downtown Henderson, is accessed via NC 39.


I-85 briefly picks up US 158 in Henderson. US 158 is the longest single-state US route in the country, and the only one over AASHTO's unenforced 300 mile minimum.


Most county line signs in North Carolina just have the entering county. This is a rare exception that has both. This is common in Virginia.


Cook Out is a North Carolina-based fast food restaurant. They're everywhere down there.


US 15 follows I-85 for awhile until Durham.


Going under a bridge that carries a secondary route. It's hard to tell from this distance, but only the road's number is posted on a small green sign.


This seemed to be a regional thing instead of the normal "Authorized Vehicles Only" sign that was present in other parts of the state as well as Virginia.


US 15 joins I-85.


Approaching US 70 near Durham.


This Durham police officer was left lane blocking.


Nice median here.


US 15 and 501 begin their long journey together at this exit. They stay together throughout most of the state.


Between Durham and Hillsborough now. Check out the guard rail.


NC 86 is one of a few routes we'll cross in this entry that continue their number in Virginia. In this case, NC 86 goes north to Danville, where it becomes VA 86.


I-85 and I-40 prepare to join forces between Hillsborough and Greensboro.


I-85's exit numbers are the ones displayed. Efland looks like "Elfland" if you're dyslexic.


Interesting that the smaller Burlington was used as the control city instead of Greensboro. Alamance County influence perhaps?


Mebane is pronounced "MEH-buhn", according to people from there..


I always thought Haw River was a hilarious name.


NC 87 is the second-longest state highway in North Carolina. It goes from the southeast corner of the state all the way up to Ridgeway, Virginia, where it ends at US 220.


NC 49 is the middle part of a three-state route with Virginia and South Carolina.


Reassurance.


Approaching the Greensboro Urban Loop. The last time I was down this way, it wasn't open yet, but was under construction.


I'll have to revisit Greensboro on another trip. Join me on the Urban Loop in part 2, where the word of the day is greenout.