View US 70 Clayton Bypass in a larger map
The real-time traffic info sign on US 70 east of Clayton told me that if I took the old 70 Business route through town, it would take 11-15 minutes to reach I-40 Exit 306.
It was 7:30 a.m. on a workday Thursday. The sign flickered and said 12-16 minutes, then toggled back and forth between that and the shorter time.
But how long would it take if I drove the Clayton Bypass -- the $123 million road that is supposed to make the morning drive faster?
The sign was supposed to show those numbers, too, to help drivers decide. But the sign is broken, along with most of the other smart info technology that was installed with this project (see today's Road Worrier column).
I chose the bypass. When I reached I-40, the traffic was mostly stop-and-roll north from Exit 309 to Exit 306.
Drive time to Exit 306: 23 minutes. Your minutes may vary.
Bruce Siceloff reports on traffic and transportation. A News & Observer reporter, editor and blogger since 1976, he took over the
Comments
NC DOT is the culprit...
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 09:51 — AllenH...in apparently with the intent of saving money on the bypass construction, started the narrowing to two lanes (each direction) between the old US 70 Clayton exit and the new 70 exit, funneling both I-40 & US 70 into only two lanes on that 5 mile stretch. We have seen it back up all the way to the beltline!
This is a major gas-waster & patience-trier and adds costs now to all who travel it. Yes, much of it is folks heading for the coast (they are important to economy too) but also there is a lot of commercial traffic necessary for getting goods to and from the New Bern-Morehead City and Wilmington areas.
They are now going to have to add more lanes, still probably YEARS down the road, at a far higher cost, further causing delays. And DOT wonders why they are thought so little of - well, they had all the information, traffic counts, etc. to make the intelligent decision but again chose not to use it. Again and again...
And not just people coming through Clayton
Tue, 09/15/2009 - 08:23 — phelpsgatesWhat's especially vexing about the new bypass is that it messes things up for "innocent bystanders" who are just coming up I-40 and get caught in this stuff, without the option of taking old 70. Hmm... I suppose you could take Exit 309, go through Clayton on the old route, and then rejoin I-40 at 306? Might be faster sometimes.