Segment 15 |
Where: US 74, Laurinburg-Maxton Bypass, west of Laurinburg, Scotland County, to US 74 Alternate near Alma, Robeson CountyLength: 14 MilesNeeded: Upgrade to Interstate Standards.Construction to Start: After 2033Currently Signed as:
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BACKGROUND
Around the cities of Laurinburg and Maxton, I-74 is to be routed onto the existing US 74 bypass. This freeway runs a total of 14 miles around Laurinburg to the south and around Maxton to the north. This was the first section of I-74 to be signed along US 74 when this stretch of highway received Future Interstate 74 signs in 1998, creating a unique circumstance of two different highway shields with the same number standing side-by- side.1 Unlike the Rockingham Bypass, the Future I-74 signage existed only on the Bypass itself, and not at the entrance ramps. The Laurinburg part of the bypass was built in the 1960's and is not up to current Interstate design standards. The Maxton segment, though newer, is also not Interstate standard. NCDOT typically puts up Future Interstate shields where there is a project in place to bring the highway up to Interstate guidelines or where an interstate standard roadway exists that is not connected to a signed interstate route. There were no projects to upgrade the roadway listed up through the 2014-2020 STIP. However, in accordance with design plans for the I-74 freeway built to the east (see Segment 16), NCDOT went forward and signed the segment as a full Interstate when that project was completed in November of 2008.2 NCDOT actually started this process in the summer of 2007 when it began placing signposts that would hold the new I-74/US 74 signs along the highway and at exit ramps and placed new I-74 mileposts along the two Bypass routes.
THE ONCE AND FUTURE I-74
Also in November 2008, as they were signing the Segment as full interstate I-74 and US 74, NCDOT also put up new exit signs with numbers matching I-74's mileage*, only the second segment of the highway to do this. It was thought by the author and others that perhaps NCDOT had gotten a waiver from the FHWA to sign the interstate now with a promise to upgrade the highway later as with I-73/74 on a previously existing section of US 220 near Candor, (see I-73 Segment 9). The I-74/US 74 signage covered the complete length of the Maxton and Laurinburg Bypasses. The exits were numbered using I-74 mileposts as well, starting with Exit 207 (see exit list below), however these numbers needed to be changed due to a correction of numbers to the east, there were two exits 207, 209 and 210 for example. NCDOT 'solved' this problem temporarily by greening over the duplicate numbers in Laurinburg (see February 2009 photos below). In late April and May 2009 they finally got around to fixing the numbers, listed below. (or go to the I-74 Exit List). It seemed construction, for now, was complete on this section.
However, in the middle of 2009, word came down to NCDOT that, since neither bypass was up to interstate standards, all I-74 signs had to come down.4 All shields mounted on polls on the highway, and at crossing interchange on-ramps (in Scotland County) came down (with 1 exception, see photos below), with nothing put in their place. Mileage posts and exit numbers were not changed, nor initially were any overhead signs (this finally occurred in early 2010). Unless NCDOT convinces the FHWA otherwise, it is unlikely I-74 signs will appear on this segment for at least another 10 years. The earliest a project to upgrade the bypasses could conceivably start is 2029, see below. Who contacted the FHWA about the I-74 signs is unclear, though it happened around the time the NCDOT Board member for the region, who had made I-74 a priority, suddenly decided to retire.4 Was this a coincidence? Possibly, it looks like NCDOT didn't send a letter to the FHWA about getting permission to sign I-74 until the fall of 2009. The reply letter in December 2009 only gives permission for I-74 to be signed along the new freeway, or east of the now Alt. US 74/Bus. US 74 interchange, not on the Maxton Bypass to the west.5 Laurinburg officials were at least hopeful in early 2010 that the future I-74 signs would be put back up eventually, however, as of 2016, not only had no new signs gone up, but NCDOT removed the bare support posts that had held the Future, then official I-74 signs. The only reference to I-74 is on a guide sign that remains on East US 74 prior to the Bypass, the former East banner covered over with a 'Future' label (see first photo, below).
FUNDING FOUND IN 2015, TAKEN AWAY IN
2017 (UPDATED 6/10/24)
In November 2015, NC Governor Pat McCrory announced that new budget guidelines, including the stopping of future transfers from the transportation budget to the general fund, would create increased funding for NCDOT highway projects. NCDOT released a list of new projects that would be funded with the additional revenue, if approved by the Board of Transportation in the 2016-2025 STIP, as well as designating funds to specific projects like completing the I-74 Segment of the Winston-Salem Beltway (see I-74 Segment 4). According to this list, a new STIP project that would upgrade US 74 to Interstate Standards from the Rockingham Bypass to the currently signed section of I-74 in Robeson County, including the Laurinburg Bypass would start in 2022.6 The Board approved the funding at their January 2016 meeting and the revised STIP document now lists Project I-5899, with the upgrade of US 74 from the Rockingham Bypass to the Laurinburg Bypass, as the first part of the project. It will be a design-build contract with an estimated cost of $86.9 million and a completion date of 2025.7 It was assumed that the reconstruction of the Laurinburg Bypass would then start after the first part was complete, sometime around 2025. However, in January 2017 NCDOT issued its new Draft 2017-2027 STIP. There was no longer any mention of Project I-5899. In its place was simply an entry for a Feasibility Study (No. FS-1508A) for the upgrading of US 74 in Richmond, Scotland and Robeson Counties to Interstate Standards for the 23.4 miles from the eastern end of the Rockingham Bypass to the start of I-74 in Robeson County.8 While there was nothing in that document that stated why funding for the I-74 project was taken away, an entry in another publication that explained differences between the Final 2015-2026 STIP and the new one stated that the P 4.0, or prioritization, scoring was too low.9 A similar process occurred during the evaluation of projects for the 2020-2029 STIP. When the draft of that document was released in January 2019, the only upgrade project mentioned was for US 74 between Rockingham and US 74 West of Laurinburg, the Bypass project was not included again. The project was included in the Draft 2024-2033 STIP released in June 2022 but was listed as 'Unfunded' and therefore not scheduled to start now until after 2033. The cost of the upgrade is estimated to be $187.5 million. When the final STIP came out in June 2023, the project was no longer listed.10 When the preliminary Quantitative Scores for potential 2026-2035 STIP projects were released in May 2024, the project to upgrade the Laurinburg bypass was listed as a request of the Lumber River RPO at an estimated cost of $322.1 million. The State Mobility score given the project is fairly low, 58.71 (out of 100). By comparison the project that would upgrade US 74 between NC 41 and US 76 (Segment 17) has a score of 70.90.11 This does not bode well for the final projects to be announced in the Draft STIP in early 2025.
Changed Numbers for Exits along the Laurinburg-Maxton Bypass (West
to East)2, Corrected numbers put up in the Fall of 2008
for the then I-74 freeway, old are in ( ):3
Exit 181 (207) Business US 74 Laurinburg (EB off-ramp only) (207
number greened out before being replaced)
Exit 182 (208) NC 79 Gibson (WB only off-ramp)(208 number greened
out before being replaced)
Exit 183 (209) US 15/401 North US 501 Fayetteville Bennettsville
Exit 184 (210) Business US 15/401 Laurinburg
Exit 185 (211) US 501 South Rowland
Exit 186 (212) To Business US 74
Exit 187 (213) Business US 74
Exit 190 (215) Laurinburg-Maxton Airport
Exit 191 (216) NC 71 Maxton Red Springs
US 74 East at Business US 74 in Laurinburg: Approaching Business US 74 Off-Ramp (May 2022)
US 74 East at US 15/501: Approaching US 15/401/501 North Exit (May 2022)
US 74 East at NC 71: Using On-Ramp from NC 71 South (November 2022)
US 74 West at Business US 74 in Maxton: From On-Ramp from Business 74 East (June 2019)
"Drive" US 74 East along the Laurinburg Bypass and further east to Lumberton on this video from Tarheel Travels, made in June 2022 (includes most of Segment 16).
Photos of new signage from Google Maps Street View in February and March 2023 (NEW):
New 1/2 Mile advance
sign for US 501 South, the sign used to also have Myrtle Beach.
Overhead signs at
the ramp for US 501 South, a repeat of the photo taken in December
below.
New
overhead advance signs for US 15/401/501 North and Business US 15/401
exits.
New 1/2 Mile advance
sign for US 15/401/501 North at ramp for Business 15/401 exit in
Laurinburg.
The
last new overhead sign at the US 15/401/501 North exit includes a pull
through for US 74 West (no room for an I-74 shield, probably 10 years
off before its needed).
The 1/2 Mile
advance sign for Business 15/401 at the ramp for the US 15/401/501 North
exit headed east on US 74.
The 3/4 Mile
advance sign for US 501 South exit at the ramp for the Business 15/401
exit on US 74 East. Myrtle Beach does appear in this direction.
EARLIER PHOTOS
Photo taken of new signage for the at the US 501 South exit along US 74 West, taken by David Gallo on December 24, 2022:
Photo sent in February 2016 by Napoleon Reese:
This is now the only Future I-74 sign on the
Laurinburg Bypass leftover from when the route was signed as I-74. It
originally had an 'East' Banner over the I-74 shield which was replaced
with 'Future' when the other I-74 signs had been taken down.
Here's how the sign
appeared in early 2009. By March 2010 the 'East' Banner over the I-74
shield had been replaced with 'Future' even after most all of the other
I-74 signs had been taken down (replaced by several 'Future I-74
Corridor' signs), suggesting a possible return of the Future I-74
shields at a later date. (February 2009)
This
is what the first exit looked like at the beginning of the Laurinburg
Bypass with the correct exit number installed, May 2009. Photo Courtesy
of James Mast (JM).
This
is what it looked in November 2009. Everything's the same as of March
2010 except the overhead sign on the right now just indicated US 74 and
the I-74 ground-level sign is missing next to the US 74 sign on the
right. (11/15/09)
A closer look at the sign
assembly with the empty pole that used to say East I-74. These were
removed in 2014. (11/15/09)
In February 2009,
with the former exit number, 207, the same as for US 74 Business at the
western end of the bypass, the number had been greened out to prevent
confusion to drivers over duplicate numbers.
A closer look on how NCDOT
changed the numbers, a simple patch over the old number. This is the
beginning of the famed US 15-501 highway, which ends in Durham. (JM)
Another look at the sign
for the same exit in November 2009, the exit number now has that of I-74
mileage. (11/15/09)
Photo from May 2009
showing both the new exit number for US Bus. 15 and 401, plus a new
milepost, though they seem to disagree slightly, again these numbers
were not changed after the I-74 shields were taken down. (JM)
Here's the same exit in
February 2009, then Exit 210, between duplicated exit numbers to the
east.
New Exit 185 where US 501
heads out on its own, toward Myrtle Beach, this formerly had been Exit
211. Notice the one legged, seeming too small exit gore sign.(JM)
Heading back west on US 74,
here's the new Exit 191 number for the NC 71 exit to Maxton (JM).
Here's the exit for NC 71 from
December 2008, then listed as Exit 217.
Also from December 2008, a
gore sign for the Laurinburg- Maxton Airport Exit, then 216, now 190.
Here's a well sun-lit view of new Exit 187, for US 74
Business (JM).
Here's
how it looked in December 2008, with an Exit 213 tab added to existing
sign for US 74 Business
Interstate I-74/US 74/US
501 assembly in Laurinburg as it appeared in November 2007.
How the assembly looked
in Nov. 2009, in this case the center pole, along with any reference to
I-74 has been removed. (11/15/09)
From
January 2007, another look at then Exit 210, Business US 15/401, again
this exit number is now 184 .
Here's the new exit
number and I-74/US 74 shields for the last exit going westbound, NC 79
(JM).
The
gore signs and I-74/US 74 shields in December 2007. The 208 number was
greened out in 2008 due to its duplication further east on the new I-74
freeway. The I-74 shield in the background was removed in the second
half of 2009.
Here's the first I-74/US 74 Overhead Sign at the beginning
of the Laurinburg Bypass heading east (photo courtesy of Adam Prince),
compare this to the photo from February 2009.
End I-74 signage at
the west end of the Laurinburg Bypass in November 2008, the I-74 signs
are now gone, an end I-74 sign had not been placed at the new end, after
the Alternate US 74/Business US 74 exit at the beginning of the Maxton
Bypass heading west.
These photos show how ramp signage along the Bypass has progressed since 1998:
At first, only
junction US 74 signage was seen approaching the interchange, like here
at US 501 North, when Bypass was signed as Future I-74/US 74
When I-74 was signed, new
signage was installed at each intersection showing both I-74 and US 74
(January 2008).
The latest
condition of interchange signage with the same sign poles, but no I-74
shield or direction.(11/15/09)
Directional
signage nearer the US 501/I-74/US 74 interchange from January 2008.
Signage at the
other side of the intersection, as it appeared in late 2009, the signs
as they appear now for the east on-ramp are in the background of the
previous November 2009 photo. (11/15/09)
Signage at the
onramp to I-74/US 74 East/US 501 South before the I-74 signs were
removed later in the year. (January 2008)
Here's the interchange signage at Exit 183, US 15/401/501
North in May 2009, showing correct exit number and I-74 signage (JM).
Here's
what a similar sign assembly looks like as of November 2009. Are the
spaces on the polls waiting for I-74 shields to return, or Future I-74
signs? (11/15/09) (By 2014, NCDOT had replaced these with standard
East/West US 74 trailblazers).
In Robeson
County, there are still I-74 shields at two exits on the Maxton Bypass.
Here's the sign at the transition ramp to the new freeway to the east,
the West I-74 sign on the Bypass has been removed. (11/15/09)
At
the NC 71 Exit a few miles east, there are still East I-74 signs before
the intersection and by the on-ramps. According to a few online maps,
this is where I-74 East now begins. (3/10/10)
I-74 Corridor Signs have replaced the I-74
shields along the remainder of the Maxton Bypass westbound. Notice the
substandard right and left shoulders. (3/10/10)
