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Work to Start on US 70 Goldsboro Bypass in Fall

With work on one new US 70 Bypass (Clayton) almost over, constructing another one is set to begin. The US 70 Bypass of Goldsboro (or in actuality a bypass of an existing bypass) is set to begin in the fall. Residents got to make comments last Thursday (5/22) at a forum sponsored by the U.S. 70 Corridor Commission which aims to improve the route from I-95 to the coast. The Bypass will be built in 4 phases, only the one to begin this fall running from I-795 (or maybe I-795/US 117) to Wayne Memorial Drive and costing $234 million is funded. The remaining 3 projects are unfunded and will start sometime after 2015.

Story: Goldsboro News-Argus

Commentary: Well, it appears building this bypass will certainly take longer than the US 70 Clayton Bypass. Hopefully this one will have more control over development than that of its predecessor preventing the building of yet another bypass in 10-20 years. What do you think the designations will be when the entire route is finished? Will Business 70 get moved to the old bypass, or will it stay as is leaving just US 13 and NC 111 on the old route?

Comments

Anonymous said…
The current 70 Bypass is universally thought of as "70" to the locals, not 117 or 13. And presumably the new by-bypass will ultimately go beyond Berkley Boulevard, meaning that there will be a non-multiplexed portion of today's bypass that wil get by-bypassed. That section has numerous businesses on it, and therefore we can expect the same resistance to losing the U.S. highway designation that we've seen in other areas.

For these reasons, I'm expecting a situation similar to Smithfield-Selma: today's bypass will become "US 70" (unbannered), the by-bypass will be designated "70 Bypass", and today's 70 Business will remain the same.
Anonymous said…
I think the current US 70 Business will remain named as it is. I'm not sure about the current "bypass."

I'm a local and like rhodent said, here, we refer to it as "70." It's the main road I take to get into the city from the neighborhood I live in.

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