Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan Maps

A vision representing the ultimate design and operational picture for each of the 55 Strategic Highway Corridors has been established to provide a tool for better and consistent decision-making. The vision for these corridors was created using the NCDOT Facility Types and Control of Access Definitions. The Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan illustrates the recommended facility types for each of the corridors, which can also be found in the Strategic Highway Corridors List. Specifically, the Vision Plan shows the facility type proposed for each corridor, i.e., Freeway, Expressway, Boulevard, or Thoroughfare. The facility type proposed is the minimum preferred type and does not preclude the possibility of a higher facility type.

SHC Total Miles by Facility Type

As described on the Purpose and Goals page, one of the goals of the Strategic Highway Corridors concept is to create a consistent vision for each corridor. However, within certain corridors, the facility type vision may vary based on elements such as the projected use of the facility, terrain or landscape, or the feasibility of constructing a higher facility type. As of September 2004, approximately 1,840 of the 5,378 miles are consistent with the adopted vision. The graphic to the right illustrates the total number of miles envisioned and the current number of miles of each facility type.

Wherever possible, the Department intends to maximize and improve upon the use of existing highway facilities in order to achieve the ultimate vision. This will help minimize impacts to the surrounding natural and human environment, while also reducing the cost of improvements needed to reach the vision. In areas where the vision cannot be achieved due to the magnitude of impacts, sections of roadway on a new location may be constructed. It is intended that any sections built on new location will either be a Freeway, Expressway with limited control of access, or a Bouelvard with limited control of access to better manage roadway connections, improve safety, and keep traffic flowing as efficiently as possible. This approach helps to avoid future construction of "a bypass of a bypass".

It is essential to keep traffic flowing on the Strategic Highway Corridors, as they carry a large portion of vehicles in the entire state (click here for additional info). Engineers will need to design the highway and associated intersections in a manner, which accommodates the anticipated capacity and mobility needs. One such example is to design and construct high-speed/free-flow style interchanges where two or more corridors meet, as shown below. Th will help reduce congestion in the intersection area and keep traffic flowing efficiently, by separating travel movements.

The use of access management techniques is crucial to achieving the concept goals and will be implemented throughout the Corridors. Access management is defined as the planning, design, and implementation of land use and transportation strategies that maintain a safe flow of traffic while accommodating the access needs of adjacent development. The goal of access management is to balance the need to provide efficient, safe, and timely travel through the state with the desired ability to allow access to the individual destination. Examples of access management techniques include converting facilities with a continuous center turn lane into a median divided facility (as illustrated below), consolidating existing median openings and/or converting them to directional crossings (such as a leftover), consolidating or creating shared driveways, constructing rear service roads, and coordinating land use decisions with the transportation function of the highway corridor.

Studies show the safety and capacity benefits of applying access management techniques. Research indicates that as the number of access points and driveways on a roadway increases, the number of accidents on the facility also increases, while the average speed decreases. Reducing and minimizing the number of access points is critical to obtaining high-speed, safe facilities. Additionally, high access managed facilities, such as four-lane divided roadways with shared driveways, provide greater capacity than those that are poorly managed, such as five-lane roadways with multiple driveway connections.