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[Jeremy Portzer <jeremyp AT pobox.com>]

Tanner Lovelace wrote:

> I've used that on-ramp many times to get from my home near
> Parkwood onto 147 to go north to downtown (I used to take
> my son to school that way every day).  Losing it will be a
> HUGE blow to traffic congestion relief, not that the NCTA
> really cares, though, I think.

Are you really sure about this?  With a widened NC-54 and a new 
interchange at Hopson Rd, there should be plenty of capacity to take the 
load off the Alexander Dr. connection.  Remember that much of the 
traffic at that connection is going to NC-55 south (err, "east").  Once 
147 connects easily to 540, bypassing I-40 with this new connector, much 
of that traffic will presumably use this new route to get to 55 southbound.

You may note that the connector from 147 to Alexander Dr was always 
intended to be temporary.  That's why there's such a large curve there - 
147 was always intended to continue south as the Triangle Parkway rather 
than turn west to Alexander Dr.  Now, I realize that just because it was 
intended that way 30-40 years ago, doesn't mean it shouldn't be revised 
today.  But it does show that the actual path of the new 147-Triangle 
Parkway connection will not really intersect Alexander Dr - a new 
connector road would need to be built.  Hopson Rd is close by and will 
serve the general "south RTP" local traffic, without having an 
interchange too close to the I-40 interchange (you can't have exits too 
close to each other and maintain "interstate" quality standards).  From 
where you are off Sedwick rd, you can easily go left on 55, east on 
I-40, and west on 147 without too much trouble.

Now, I do realize that it reduces the ability of people to dodge the 
tolls.  That's another subject altogether.  But I don't think it's a 
horrible idea if the tolls weren't a factor.

--Jeremy