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This is pandering at it's worst. People have known for 25 years where Painter Blvd. was going to go. If they still built or bought close to the proposed route, it's their own fault. If they were misled or misinformed, sue the developer. It's the American way...

What should we expect from people that can't even repave roads correctly? It is going to lead to more accidents and casualties. The old I-40 wasn't meant for the size trucks we have now and the narrow lanes and short ramps make it a nightmare. We will see it changed right back in a few years, because no good will come of putting more traffic back onto a highway designed 50 years ago

I have to agree with Don. Having traveled I-40 since its inception, I have horrible memories of Death Valley. I thought we had finally solved that problem. I guess not. This reminds me of the folks at the Cardinal and the airport.

MD

It seems to me that truckers who've already used the new route and liked it will continue to do so. This will leave unfamiliar truck drivers and motorists using the old route and likely increasingly the number of accidents in the Death Valley area. A problem that was supposed to be solved with the Loop.

Maybe a compromise would be to keep I-40 on the Loop until US 220 and then route I-40 north to its old alignment. This will take traffic out of Death Valley and the SW quadrant of the Loop at the same time (I realize some work may have to be done to improve US 220 and its ramps). Was this ever considered by NCDOT?

Also, it's nice the article pointed out that I-840 will not share the route with I-73, but the map provided as a link still shows the SW portion as I-73/I-840. Could this be corrected?

Yet another waste of road monies.... it's taken well near 10 years and millions of dollars, and is not even practical to use now. Shall we call this the Greensboro Supercollider?

Three issues bother me about this decision:
1. The people in Greensboro knew this loop was coming for years. So, whining about the noise is irritating.
2. This will again congest Death Valley, and probably lead to more accidents.
3. The new I-85 loop is also longer than the old Business I-85. Yet, it was not changed back to its original route.

AT

This is a MAJOR mistake! The purpose of building the new I-40 was to take through-traffic off Death Valley, one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the nation. And now they're going to put all that traffic right back onto Death Valley? How many fatal accidents will it take in Death Valley before the DOT realizes what a major mistake it has made? Then they will have to reroute through-traffic onto the new highway again (spending yet more money to change the signs a second time!)? Please, DOT, reconsider this ill-advised move! You're making a BIG MISTAKE!

You are right about people knowing about Painter for many years but, it was to be Painter Blvd. not I40. When folks bought or owned property near the proposed Blvd., they thought and were told that it would be like Bryant Blvd. We all soon found out; when the road was opened; that this was not true. DOT denied ever having said that this was Painter or the Loop. This turned out to be a travesty for people living near the new road. If we and many others knew that this was to be an interstate, we never would have built 3 blocks from the road. And yes, 3 blocks away from it is a nightmare, with the constant noise and we have sound barriers. I cannot imagine what others are going thru that are much closer to the road with no barriers. Will putting I40 back where it was help, none of us knows. But, it most likely will make Death Valley more dangerous to the truckers and the rest of us. I've driven it for many years and hated every time I've had to go thru it. The DOT has really put all of us in a very bad situation and beating on those who unknowingly bought near the hwy won't help. We were mislead and none of us knows the answer to the problem created by DOT and none of us wants anyone being put into a dangerous situation. Our son is a truck driver and we wouldn't want any of them put in harm's way. If DOT had been honest with all of us and used sound barriers and tried to do all possible to impact all of us as little as possible, we wouldn't be in this situation. Not only is the noise unbearable but our property values have diminished.

which direction should we go?

#1. Instead of once again directing traffic back thru death valley, (a valid concern)...put the money into more sound barriers. Yes, folks did know that Painter Blvd. was on the books,.....NOT a major Interstate Highway with speeds of 65mph......which translate to 70 to 80mph.

#1. Next time do it right the first time and quit wasting taxpayers money!

#1. oops.....let's do it again....I got my numbers mixed up the first time....ummmmm where do I go now???

This is an incredibly stupid decision. The NC DOT and the highways that it "manages" are an embarrassment to the state.

I've driven a truck in 48 states, and I've seen houses and apartments built next to interstates in every one of them. Everyone wants trucks to some how magically sneak into town every night without making any noise, and then sneak back out without ever being heard, or without ever getting in your way on the road. But they sure want the shelves stocked with all of the stuff that trucks bring.

I've never seen a city so full of whining, crying, spoiled, self-centered people as Greensboro has.

This is utterly absurd. NCDOT once again shows its inability to manage a project and then its ability to sqaunder money that will be needed to resign the mess. The enormous eight lane bypass will be underutilized, traffic deaths will increased again in Death Valley, and I bet NCDOT will then conjure up a way to spend another bazillion dollars to upgrade Death Valley because it's unsafe. Government folly at its beast.

This is a knee-jerk reaction and pandering at its worst. Why should people DIE with all the truck traffic back through Death Valley so that people who couldn't figure out living next to an interstate would be noisy can see their property values go up? This is going to negatively affect thousands of people daily - just for a few whiny homeowners.

That is not good for the Death Valley. I mean.. I-40 and Business 85 route together? that would be nonsense. The Death Valley will have to be upgraded because of its famous past. I do not know what the NCDOT will do. plus the interchange between I 73 and 40 will have to be redesigned because of the left exits off from the mainline.. geez. oh boy.

The most important mission of NCDOT is safety not reducing noise. If this plan proceeds NCDOT will be failing their primary mission. Something needs to be done. Although the NCDOT staff wants to make those residents happy please consider the impacts of safety for the traveling public!!!

Hi Ben -

Again, people are beating up on others who were lied to. No way, no how were we ever told we were going to be near an interstate hwy. It was to be "Painter Blvd" and "just like" Bryan Blvd. Sooo, knowing folks who bordered Bryan Blvd., we thought that this wouldn't be a bad thing. Many of us attended the DOT meetings and they did not mention the 8 lane intersate that was to come. We did finally get the maps that showed 8 lanes but that did not come till much later and when we asked about being told it would be 4 lanes, we were told it was 4 lanes one way and 4 lanes the other way. So much for misleading all those who had lived in the area for many, many years and for those of us who built in 1992 and were told about the Blvd. Never would we have built our home in this area if we had known what DOT had in store for us. A very good thing that has come out of our fight with DOT is that they have finally agreed to make those who will be facing what we are facing know the truth about DOT's grandiose plans for their future. We did not know that the road would be I40 till it opened. Are we whiney, crying and spoiled? No, we are fighting for the right to enjoy the sanctity of our homes and yards and hope that others will not have to go thru what all of us are going thru. We are the lucky ones in all of this as we have sound barriers, altho they are too low. Many of the older homes and neighborhoods have none and are sitting eye level and very close to this road. Their neighborhoods have been decimated by this road. We don't hear it when inside with windows closed but they cannot get away from it. DOT has refused to give them sound barriers because according to them, there aren't enough "receptors" to warrant barriers. Mind you, "receptors" are people's homes. Also, the reasoning goes that people in adjoining apts. and condos don't need them because they don't spend time outside. What a farce. You just don't know what has happened to all of us or how we have been misled. Think about this, DOT doesn't have enough money and they want the right to do their own taxation. Think about over $300k in new signs vs sound barriers for suffering families. Park in one of these neighborhoods some early evening or morning and enjoy the concert. No way, no how do we want others put in peril on the roads but DOT spent millions improving I40 coming into GSO from the west and what was that for? We were told it was to improve the safety on this interstate. Surprise, surprise as we got I40 and not what was truly discussed. Ya-all have a great day and hope you don't run into the same problems as we have.

I'm sorry, but I don't believe this stuff about being lied to. The plans for this road were well publizied and everyone involved could very well see where and what roads this road was connecting to. Everyone knew it was connecting to an interstate highway on both ends. Why wouldn't it be used as an interstate highway type by-pass? And what gives you (the few who are effected by this road) the right to decide what is best for rest of us. I'm sorry if you don't like the noise and I wouldn't like it either. But I am not buying your story of not knowing what this road was to be used for.

Well Beachwalker, you can believe whatever you want to believe but the truth is the truth. We were lied to and misled about the Blvd. And by the way, there's not just a "few" of us that have been effected by this road. There are many of us and DOT wouldn't have made the changes out of the goodness of their heart if they didn't think we had a pretty good case. Maybe some day your day will come for dealing with DOT or some other entity and you will be facing something similar to what we are all facing. Just like the folks near the airport where they also knew about flying planes and another runway but no way did they ever think it would be a 24/7 flyway for Fedex. Just in case you're wondering, yes, things can change after you think you have it all worked out and that you have investigated your area.

The new article today in the N&R has a great segment in it that essentially underlines the knee-jerk reaction many of the residents of Kings Mill, et al. have had regarding the "hardship" they're enduring as a result of the new loop. Take a look at this quote, directly from the article by Taft Wireback:

"In other loop action, the MPO heard from Marilyn Baird, a resident of the Kings Mill neighborhood speaking for herself and neighbors who say their homes were damaged by loop construction and the road's continuing traffic vibrations. A DOT consultant found much less damage possibly caused by the new road, in fewer houses than Baird and her neighbors allege."

Oops - caught in a lie! I imagine that further evaluation of such damage will also be proven to be overexaggerated. Personally, had I been in the market for a home I can guarantee you that I wouldn't have bought anything that was going to be near a road where plans were not finalized. Sometimes you've got to take ownership of your own stupidity and lack of foresight, instead of whining to the State to fix a problem that they advertised for nearly a decade.

Also, I've been to this neighborhood and have visited friends that live less than 1/2 mile from one of the sound-deadening walls. Guess what? It's not that bad! We sat outside on their deck and the only noise we ever heard was when a trucker used their jake brake to slow down. The other noise was a faint, gentle hum, almost similar to white noise. Personally, I also formerly lived in a townhome community built right off I-40/I-85. My unit was less than 1/4 mile from the freeway and we had absolutely no sound deadening - the builder even removed all the trees between us and the highway! Again, it wasn't bad at all. I couldn't hear any of the traffic inside the townhouse, and even outside it was very faint. I'd also wager that this section of freeway continues to see at least two- to three-times the traffic volume as the new I-40 loop.

Joyce
Thank you for allowing me to believe whatever I want to believe. I really didn't know I needed your permission. So I will continue to believe the TRUTH. And t truth is the plan for this road was made available to everyone, and those who cared at the time to review it, could very easily see where the two ends of this by-pass were to be connected. Seeing that the two ends were to be connected to I-40/I-85 on each end, everyone should have been aware that this was to be an interstate by-pass around the south side of Greensboro. If you didn't take the time to inform yourself before the road was built, don't blame the rest of us for your mistake. And with or without your permission I will continue to say it is a only a FEW who are really effected by this issue. I would say it is much less than 0.5% of the population of Greensboro. So in the scope of things, yes it is just a FEW.

Hey,
I'm late in to this debate so no one may respond, but I think this needs to be said. I live a block away from the loop and my neighborhood has a "noise barrier" wall that doesn't work. I understand that many people not directly affected by this will think that those that are "whining, crying spoiled, self-centered people". It isn't about not wanting the "loop" it is about valuing the neighborhoods that are near the loop. My neighborhood was built in 1985, before the loop. I live in a beautiful neighborhood of working class people that take really good care of their homes. It is a travesty that our neighborhood is so undervalued that the NCDOT felt it necessary to build and 8 lane highway next to us. It is also a travesty that there are so few people that are sympathetic with our plight. Our homes, our neighborhoods are being systematically destroyed because the NCDOT could not plan better. One more thing to note, "I-73 loop" is not near homes were the per capita yearly wage is much more than neighborhoods south of I-40, like mine. One should wonder if the decision of where to build the 8 lane portion of the "loop" was encouraged by the socio-economic status of these neighborhoods.