_)OT North Carolina State Library N. C. Kl -· Raleigh Doc. 2 :I6/ c. 2. NORTH CAROLINA'S MAY 18 1976 INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR: ■ SAFETY ■ CONVENIENCE ■ ECONOMY N. C. STATE HIGHWAY COMMl~IOH ' .• , •• 't' • • A S'IUDY OF NORTH CAROLINA 1 S INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM STATE HIGHWAY COM11ISSION RJBLIC RELATIONS JULY, 1958 THE INTER STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM ~ ~ l..J ~ C) (.) ~ ...... ' " "'.... ~ \.) ~ ,q l\. -\" ~ The national system of interstate and defense highways ties togethe r the centers of populatio n and ind ustry throughout the Un ited States. NATIONAL SYSTEM OF INTERSTATE AND DEFENSE HIGHWAYS ttThe greatest public works program in man's history." That phrase has often been used to describe the scope of the Interstate Highway Program, made possible by Congress with the passage of the 11Federal Highway Act of 1956tt. The Congress levied an extra one cent tax per gallon on motor fuels, as well as an additional tax on certain automobile accessories, to make available funds for the hl,000 mile network of superhighways which ~ome experts estimate will eventually cost more than 50 billions of dollars. The Interstate System is the dream plan of transportation and civil engi­ neers alike and is being designed to carry traffic loads of future generations, as well as the growing demand of today. Interstate Highways are being built with the full realization that America is a mobile nation which must have adequate trans­ portation facilities if its way of life is to be improved and expanded. Best of all, the Interstate System is being built with the higt,wa} user in mind-safety features are DESIGNED IN and traffic bottlenecks and delay points are DESIGNED aJT. Wear and tear on the motorist and on his vehicle will be greatly reduced. Interstate Highways will exert a tremendous influence on the growth and developnent of our Nation's economy as new areas are opened up, and as thousands of cities, towns and rural areas are joined with a modern, safe and effective transportation system. - - -.- . - GrERSTATE ' 1101TH CAROLINA 1 o s r r North Carolina's Interstate Highway System NORTH CAROLINA ' S INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM In the spring of 1958, after heavy r ains had br oken up the hard freeze of win~er and warming weather had dried out sodden soil, the Nort h Carolina State Highway Commission moved into the greatest construction season in its ~cad- building history. While work was started on all highway systems in the State, the greatest single effort was directed to the giant Interstate Highway Program which eventually will embrace some 775 miles of four- lane, divided superhigh­ ways . During 1958, well over $50,000, 000 will be spent on Interstate Highways and, over the course of the next 13 to 15 years, almost $400,000, 000 will be expended. Nor th Carolina's share of Interstate mileage represents about 2% of the total nation-wide mileage of 41, 000. The National System of Interstate and Defense Highways will connect 9Cf/o of the cities in America which have 50,000 or mor e in popul ation. It is estimated that 65% of the Nation's people will live within 15 miles of an Interstate Highway once the system is completed in the next 13 to 15 years. Over Interstate Highways, which eventually will criss- cross our country, motorists will be able to travel with a degree of safety and conveni­ ence never before possible. Travel time between points will be slashed with the virtual elimination of 11 stop and go" traffic movements and, above all, ther e will be a, sharp reduction in tragic highway accidents which annually take an alarming toll in lives and property. What is the System? What will it accomplish for the average motorist? What has already been accomplished? What is planned and how is it financed? These are questions this booklet attempts to answer. On October 18, 1957, the u. s. Bureau of Pub­ lic Roads approved an additional section of Interstate highway for North Carolina which Will eventually rWl from the Virginia State line to the vicinity of Charlotte, and will connect major industrial centers of Ohio with the expanding Piedmont. Sections from the vicinity of Charlotte to the vicinity of Elkin have already been approved, and studies have been launched, in cooperation with the State of Virginia, for the extension of this r oute northward. Ca nton, Ohio - Chqrlotte, N. C Proposed Interstate 79 N. C. Section SCAI.[ o, Mll.[S 10 _j NORTH CAROLINA'S PROGRESS IN INTERSTATE CONSTRUCTION North Carolina has made notable progress in construction of its Interstate Highway System. Qir State stands second in the Nation in the number of miles of Interstate improvements which have been let to contract, although it must be pointed out that much work remains to be done on most Interstate sections to bring them up to the high level of engineering required. At the present time, some work has been accomplished on 370 miles at a cost of $115,ooo,ooo. OUr State moved into its Interstate program long before the passage of the 1956 Federal Highway Act and, because some of the engineering standards were altered with this legislation, it will be necessary to 11re-work11 portions of Uhe System with the construction of additional grade separations, better designed accel­ eration and deceleration lanes, wider separation strips and, in some cases, wider "rights of way". Further changes in engineering specifications may be required in scattered areas but most traffic and engineering experts agree that the Interstate System as presently constituted is close to the ultimate with respect to the service it will render our rapidly expanding State and Nation. One of the reasons underlying North Carolina's rapid entry into Interstate construction lies in the fact ~hat the original allocation of Federal funds to the various States was made on the basis of area, population and mileage. Because North Carolina ranks fairly high in these three factors, a considerable portion of the funds needed to build the Interstate are set aside for our State in the three­ year period of 1956-1959. In October of 1957, the State Highway Commission approved for early pro­ gramming and construction sections of the Interstate Highway System which will cost approximately $124,ooo,ooo. Other segments of the Interstate System will be planned and programmed as funds become available from ·Federal and State sources over the next 13-15 years with those sections carrying heaviest traffic constructed first. INTERSTATE SYSTEM Sections Open to Traffic - January 1, 1958 Int. State Mil es Route Rout e Coun:ty Location 4- l anes 2- l anes ------------------------- - -- ---------- 95 us 301 Robeson US 74 to N. of Inmberton 8.1 95 us 301 Cumber l and --Roslin to Cape Fear River 10.4 85 us 29 Cleveland Kings Mtnf By- Pass 2.5 2.4 85 us 29 Davidson- Yadkin River to Greensboro 42.7 Randolph- Guilford 85 us 70 Guilford- Greensboro to Efland o.5 34.9 Alamance- Orange 85 us 70 Dur ham N. Dur ham By- Pass o.6 4.8 85 us 15 Durham US 70 to Neuse River o.4 5.8 85 US 158-A Granville Oxfor d By- Pass 0. 3 4.4 85 us 158 Gr anville- Oxfor d to Hender son 9.1 Vance 40 us 70 McDowell Ridgecrest to Old Fort 4.7 85 us 64 Iredell Statesville By- Pass 0.1 5. 3 40 us 158 Forsyth Winston-Salem Expressway 1.2 40 us 421 Forsyth Winston-Salem toward 3.2 Ker ner sville 40 us 421 For syth Kerner svil le --By- Pass- 0.1 5.7 Total 72. 8 75. 6 Since January 1, 1958, the State Highway Corranission has of ficially opened several other links of the Interstate network of highways . Included is t he Charl ot te By- Pass ce.rrying US 29 traffic around the northern outskirts of Charlotte. This section will ul ­ timately become a portion of Interstate Route 85, running f r om Peter sbur g, Virginia south and westward through the Piedmont sections of North Carolina to Mont gomery, Alabama . The Salisbury By- Pass has also been opened to traffic along with a section of the Interstat e System f rom the vicinity of Greensboro to Kernersville. The Salisbury By- Pass wil l eventually become a por t ion of Interstate 85, and the Greensboro- Kernersville route will be a part of Inter state Highway 40o FINANC ING INTERSTATE HIGH'NAYS The Interstate Highway Program is being financed by the addition of a one-cent per gallon tax on motor fuels and additional taxes on several automobile accessories such as tires, batteries, etc. This was a Federal levy to provide Interstate Highway Funds on a 11 pay as you go 11 basis. The revenues derived from this additional Federal Tax are distributed among the various States to build Interstate Highways on what is known as a "90-1011 matching basis. Under this plan, the Federal Government provides 9CJ/, of the highway cost with each State providing lCJ/,. It should be remembered that the Federal monies are not actual grants i o the State but represent each State' s share based on its mileage and cost, of total Highway User revenues collected nationwide. Federal funds on Interstate Highways are matched with North Carolina State Highway Fund revenues which are derived from taxes on motor fuel s, motor vehicle registration and license fees. It is easy to remember the financing plan if we remember that~ cents of every Interstate Highway dollar comes from Federal Taxes while 10 cents of every Interstate Highway dollar comes from State Taxes.