US 17 CORRIDOR STUDY, BRUNSWICK COUNTY PHASE III (FUNCTIONAL DESIGNS) FINAL REPORT R-4732 Prepared For: North Carolina Department of Transportation Prepared By: PBS&J 1616 East Millbrook Road, Suite 310 Raleigh, NC 27609 October 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION / BACKGROUND..............................................1-1 1.1 US 17 as a Strategic Highway Corridor...........................................................1-1 1.2 Study Objectives..............................................................................................1-2 1.3 Study Process...................................................................................................1-3 2 EXISTING CONDITIONS ................................................................2-6 2.1 Turning Movement Volumes...........................................................................2-7 2.2 Capacity Analysis............................................................................................2-7 3 NO-BUILD CONDITIONS..............................................................3-19 3.1 Turning Movement Volumes.........................................................................3-19 3.2 Capacity Analysis..........................................................................................3-19 4 DEFINITION OF ALTERNATIVES .............................................4-30 4.1 Intersection Improvements Alternative..........................................................4-31 4.2 Superstreet Alternative...................................................................................4-44 4.3 Freeway Alternative.......................................................................................4-61 5 EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES ..........................................5-80 5.1 Corridor Traffic Simulation ...........................................................................5-80 5.2 Environmental and Community Impacts .......................................................5-82 6 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT..............................................................6-84 6.1 Steering and Working Committee Meetings..................................................6-84 6.2 Public Workshops ..........................................................................................6-87 7 CONCEPTUAL ALTERNATIVES RECOMMENDATIONS....7-99 8 FUNCTIONAL DESIGNS .............................................................8-108 8.1 Design Results.............................................................................................8-108 8.2 Construction Staging Plans..........................................................................8-108 LIST OF TABLES Table 5-1: SimTraffic Network Evaluation Results ..................................................... 5-81 Table 6-1: Alternative Preferences ............................................................................... 6-95 Table 7-1: Existing Median Break Closure Locations (Superstreet Alternative)........ 7-100 Table 7-2: Year 2030 Intersection Volumes................................................................ 7-102 Table 7-3: 3-year Intersection Crash History............................................................... 7-105 US 17 Corridor Study, Brunswick County Phase III Report October 2005 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1: US 17 Corridor Study Area........................................................................... 1-4 Figure 1-2: North Carolina Strategic Highway Corridors ............................................... 1-5 Figure 2-1: Existing Conditions Evaluation (1)............................................................. 2-10 Figure 2-2: Existing Conditions Evaluation (2)............................................................. 2-11 Figure 2-3: Existing Conditions Evaluation (3)............................................................. 2-12 Figure 2-4: Existing Conditions Evaluation (4)............................................................. 2-13 Figure 2-5: Existing Conditions Evaluation (5)............................................................. 2-14 Figure 2-6: Existing Conditions Evaluation (6)............................................................. 2-15 Figure 2-7: Existing Conditions Evaluation (7)............................................................. 2-16 Figure 2-8: Existing Conditions Evaluation (8)............................................................. 2-17 Figure 2-9: Existing Conditions Evaluation (9)............................................................. 2-18 Figure 3-1: No-Build Conditions Evaluation (1)........................................................... 3-21 Figure 3-2: No-Build Conditions Evaluation (2)........................................................... 3-22 Figure 3-3: No-Build Conditions Evaluation (3)........................................................... 3-23 Figure 3-4: No-Build Conditions Evaluation (4)........................................................... 3-24 Figure 3-5: No-Build Conditions Evaluation (5)........................................................... 3-25 Figure 3-6: No-Build Conditions Evaluation (6)........................................................... 3-26 Figure 3-7: No-Build Conditions Evaluation (7)........................................................... 3-27 Figure 3-8: No-Build Conditions Evaluation (8)........................................................... 3-28 Figure 3-9: No-Build Conditions Evaluation (9)........................................................... 3-29 Figure 4-1: Permitted Movements - Intersection Improvements Alternative................ 4-32 Figure 4-2: Intersection Improvements Alternative Evaluation (1)............................... 4-35 Figure 4-3: Intersection Improvements Alternative Evaluation (2)............................... 4-36 Figure 4-4: Intersection Improvements Alternative Evaluation (3)............................... 4-37 Figure 4-5: Intersection Improvements Alternative Evaluation (4)............................... 4-38 Figure 4-6: Intersection Improvements Alternative Evaluation (5)............................... 4-39 Figure 4-7: Intersection Improvements Alternative Evaluation (6)............................... 4-40 Figure 4-8: Intersection Improvements Alternative Evaluation (7)............................... 4-41 Figure 4-9: Intersection Improvements Alternative Evaluation (8)............................... 4-42 Figure 4-10: Intersection Improvements Alternative Evaluation (9)............................. 4-43 Figure 4-11: Permitted Movements - Superstreet Alternative....................................... 4-44 Figure 4-12: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (1)...................................................... 4-47 Figure 4-13: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (2)...................................................... 4-48 Figure 4-14: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (3)...................................................... 4-49 Figure 4-15: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (4)...................................................... 4-50 Figure 4-16: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (5)...................................................... 4-51 Figure 4-17: Superstreet Alternative Evealuation (6).................................................... 4-52 Figure 4-18: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (7)...................................................... 4-53 Figure 4-19: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (8)...................................................... 4-54 Figure 4-20: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (9)...................................................... 4-55 US 17 Corridor Study, Brunswick County Phase III Report October 2005 LIST OF FIGURES (continued) Figure 4-21: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (10).................................................... 4-56 Figure 4-22: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (11).................................................... 4-57 Figure 4-23: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (12).................................................... 4-58 Figure 4-24: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (13).................................................... 4-59 Figure 4-25: Superstreet Alternative Evaluation (14).................................................... 4-60 Figure 4-26: Permitted Movements -Freeway Alternative ............................................ 4-61 Figure 4-27: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (1).......................................................... 4-64 Figure 4-28: Freeway Conditions Evaluation (2) .......................................................... 4-65 Figure 4-29: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (3).......................................................... 4-66 Figure 4-30: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (4).......................................................... 4-67 Figure 4-31: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (5).......................................................... 4-68 Figure 4-32: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (6).......................................................... 4-69 Figure 4-33: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (7).......................................................... 4-70 Figure 4-34: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (8).......................................................... 4-71 Figure 4-35: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (9).......................................................... 4-72 Figure 4-36: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (10)........................................................ 4-73 Figure 4-37: Freeway Alternative Evaluation (11).......................................................