Interstate 95

Skip the background info; jump to the projects that need resisting

Highway Info

I-95 is a major north-south artery for tourist and freight traffic and carries people and goods into and out of states from Maine to Florida. I-95 also functions as a major connection to other interstate and primary highways such as I-10, I-20, I-40, I-64, and I-85.

The entire highway is 1,917 miles long with 1,040 miles (over 50%) in urban areas. Of the parts in urban areas, over 60% are under “heavy congestion.” The average daily traffic in the entire corridor is over 72,000, with maximum daily traffic reaching as high as over 300,000. Average daily truck traffic is over 10,000, with maximum daily truck traffic reaching as high as over 31,000. Without any further improvements to the corridor by 2035, the projected average daily traffic would be over 133,000 (including over 20,000 trucks) and virtually 100 percent of the urban segments will be under heavy congestion. Congestion for non-urban corridors will increase from the current 26 percent impacted to over 55 percent.

—info from US Department of Transportation, “Corridors of the Future Fact Sheet”

Corridors of the Future Grant

Application submitted by the I-95 Corridor Coalition (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia). Funding allocated for:

· $21 million in Interstate Maintenance Discretionary (IMD) funds for improvements along the I-95 corridor

· $800,000 in Transportation, Community, and System Preservation (TCSP) funds for the North Carolina Interstate Congestion Detection System

All this money is going toward Intelligent Transportation Systems (see below).

The I-95 Corridor Coalition proposes Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) enhancements to optimize traffic operations along the corridor. ITS is basically any way to reduce congestion without any construction: “When integrated into the transportation system’s infrastructure, and in vehicles themselves, these technologies relieve congestion, improve safety and enhance American productivity” (www.its.dot.gov).

ITS includes measures that currently exist, like closed circuit cameras to identify congestion coupled with interactive signs to inform drivers of the upcoming congestion; electronic toll monitoring to “let” people pay tolls without actually stopping; and “trip planning services” so the government knows who and to where everyone is going so they can suggest differing routes to cut down and traffic.

Even scarier than any of those is the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration plan, which would involve “smart chips” being implanted into all cars. These chips would then “talk” with the roads and with the other cars, and then “tell” the driver the information received or apply the brakes for you if necessary. “Data transmitted from the roadside to the vehicle could warn a driver that it is not safe to enter an intersection. Vehicles could serve as data collectors and anonymously transmit traffic and road condition information from every major road within the transportation network. Such information would provide transportation agencies with the information needed to implement active strategies to relieve traffic congestion” (www.its.dot.gov).

Currently, the I-95 Corridor Coalition has hired PBS&J and Inrix to perform traffic studies to determine where “congestion relief” is needed. They are having their annual meeting in May 2008, at which both firms will be presenting their findings. Currently the 5 states are working to get an agreement together so they can move forward with their plans. This could happen by the end of May. At that point, they would have to begin doing the feasibility studies for these projects.

The I-95 Corridor Coalition coalition owns and frequently updates its own website.

North Carolina Widening and Tolls

The state of North Carolina has plans in the pipeline to add four toll lanes to I-95, although state officials say the plan could take a decade to become reality. This would be in addition to ITS camera tracking for fast tollling.

Truck Parking

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has allocated more than $5 million to I-95 to increase parking availability to freight trucks. I-95 won the award due to its use of ITS technology, such as alerts that are transmitted to truckers about available parking further down the road.

Other I-95 Projects

According to the US Department of Transportation, “Sections [of I-95] will need substantial rehabilitation and/or reconstruction, including widening from four/six lanes to eight lanes, in the near future to accommodate increasing traffic volumes. Georgia has already widened or is widening most of its portion of I-95 to six lanes from four. In addition, nearly all the bridges along the corridor would require widening or total replacement.”