Way O/T : Driving on interstates

[importcock]

What has happened to the interstates? I've driven many thousands of miles on them from the tip of Florida to the middle of Maine and as far west as Alabama, but I've never seen the traffic backups like they are now. Since my wife and I got our place in Bryson CIty we drive up there a lot and we NEVER make it without multiple traffic jams. And I expect it at places like the interchange from I20 to I26 near Harbison or going through Asheville with all the road construction. But now, in the middle of nowhere, on totally rural sections,40 miles from any major city, traffic slows to a crawl and stops over and over. You think, "there must be a wreck up ahead", but you never see any sign of it. I think a lot of it is inexperienced or stupid drivers. Seems like some people slow down if the driver of the car in front of them farts. I20 is not usually too bad but I26 and I40 are ridiculous. Google maps says 4 hours and 50 minutes from my house to my place in BC but it always ends up being closer to 6 hours with us making a bare minimum of stops. What is causing this and is there any hope that it will ever get better?

 

[Frankenspur]

I agree with you where I26 and I40 meet. Wife and I were headed to Lexington KY for the football game a few years ago, and it took 90 minutes to go 30 miles through there. Incidentally, we love Bryson City. Have probably spent 10 mini vacations there and have also thought about getting a small place to stay.

 

[importcock]

Yes on both accounts. That interchange is always a cluster... And Bryson City is like a being in a Hallmark movie. We love it.

 

[titaniumspur]

I totally agree. My theory is that there has been a huge population shift from towns to cities. So that means people who in the past would be traveling from one small town to another are now going from one big city to another. That means they are on an interstate. A couple of other possible factors are that the interstates need maintenance now, so that means a lot of construction projects. The other thing I see is that there is really not much speed limit enforcement. People will drive 80 mph in the rain. One even minor wreck causes a huge delay because of the volume of traffic.

 

[mauze1]

What has happened to the interstates? I've driven many thousands of miles on them from the tip of Florida to the middle of Maine and as far west as Alabama, but I've never seen the traffic backups like they are now. Since my wife and I got our place in Bryson CIty we drive up there a lot and we NEVER make it without multiple traffic jams. And I expect it at places like the interchange from I20 to I26 near Harbison or going through Asheville with all the road construction. But now, in the middle of nowhere, on totally rural sections,40 miles from any major city, traffic slows to a crawl and stops over and over. You think, "there must be a wreck up ahead", but you never see any sign of it. I think a lot of it is inexperienced or stupid drivers. Seems like some people slow down if the driver of the car in front of them farts. I20 is not usually too bad but I26 and I40 are ridiculous. Google maps says 4 hours and 50 minutes from my house to my place in BC but it always ends up being closer to 6 hours with us making a bare minimum of stops. What is causing this and is there any hope that it will ever get better?

They are working on more than one area of 1-26 and I-40. It is a mess, and when they finish the intersection they will start widening 1-26 to Hendersonville. That will take another two years I suppose. I live here and there are people moving here by the bushels. Mountainous terrain has far fewer option to place roads; therefore there are more bottlenecks than in flat lands. Asheville has had bad traffic since before 1-26 existed. It won’t change is my point. Stay away, find another route, trade your destination for something around Boone or Elkin. If you chose to keep coming to the Asheville area, expect traffic issues.

 

[funktavious]

It's because there are so many tractor trailers on the road and they are limited on how fast they can go(most anyway). It's all fine when they stay in the right lane but there's always one going just a little faster than another and it will try to pass the other taking forever to get around. Meanwhile, all the cars that were happily driving 80 mph have to hit brakes and that happens every 10 minutes or so.

 

[ClemDent]

The stretch of I26 from Sandy Run down past Orangeburg to 95 is a disaster. It should have been six laned years ago. Just check Google maps and your almost always guaranteed to see an accident there by mid afternoon, esp on Sundays.
The reason in general is simple, the core of the Interstate system was constructed decades ago. Just think how many more cars are on the road now. Then realize that half are not looking at the road. We were on the way back from Asheville one weekend and I counted the cars as we/they passed. A solid 50%of the people were looking at their phone.

 

[USC ANDERSON]

Look at population increase #s for both north and south carolina with minimal change in transportation system in last 30 years. Huge increase in tractor trailer traffic to SC Port. Also, take a look at license plates from other states on I-26. Significant changes.

 

[MtPleasantTater]

Overpopulation

 

[ClemsonBlozz]

Inconsiderate idiots...

people on their phone..
the left lane ryderz
Dumbing down the process to get w license

 

[cocean]

Pop growth and a high % of drivers are morons

 

[DrMickey]

It’s all about the number of cars. There’s a lot more people here than 30 years ago. This becomes abundantly clear in any of the two lane sections that haven’t been widened to 3 or 4 yet.

 

[king ward]

It’s all about the number of cars. There’s a lot more people here than 30 years ago. This becomes abundantly clear in any of the two lane sections that haven’t been widened to 3 or 4 yet.

This is the answer. I've even encountered this phenomenon on the six-lane portions of I-95 in Florida when returning home following a holiday weekend in Florida. No wrecks, no obvious causes, just way more vehicles than the roadway can handle. If some insignificant event happens - say a vehicle pulls off the road and parks for some reason - or someone pulls back on - and slows traffic only momentarily near its origin, traffic a couple of miles back might have to stop. It's a chain reaction. I'm sure the traffic engineers have a name for it, only I don't know what it is.

 

[OldWiseCock]

The stretch of I26 from Sandy Run down past Orangeburg to 95 is a disaster. It should have been six laned years ago. Just check Google maps and your almost always guaranteed to see an accident there by mid afternoon, esp on Sundays.
The reason in general is simple, the core of the Interstate system was constructed decades ago. Just think how many more cars are on the road now. Then realize that half are not looking at the road. We were on the way back from Asheville one weekend and I counted the cars as we/they passed. A solid 50%of the people were looking at their phone.

This is the one I notice the most because of the number of times I drive to Charleston. I also see wrecks on other stretches of I-26 around the intersection with 301 and I-95 and going towards Greenville/Spartanburg.

In my opinion, the cause is the volume of traffic on highways designed in the 1950s. People fail to observe even the most basic courtesies when driving. The left lane is for faster traffic but it is frequently occupied by people who just refuse to drive in the right lane. This causes people to pass on the right creating dangerous lane changes. Then there are people who insist on driving 85-90 and tailgate.

Another cause is the lack of a 3 axle only lane. Hard to do that when there are just 2 lanes, but trucks try to pass each other and it will sometimes take them a mile or more if the speed difference is just a couple MPH. The traffic then backs up behind them.

I-26 should be 6 lanes in both directions the entire way, but traffic rules have to be enforced. In October I drove back and forth to Charleston several times a week. One week I did not see a single SCDPS vehicle (highway patrol) either way. Without enforcement the law of the jungle prevails.

For example, I was in the left lane passing a large truck. I always leave a gap for safety between myself and the car in front of me. We were going a little over 70 and there was a lot of traffic. Just before I passed the truck a black SUV came up the right lane and shot the gap. He had to be going 90. The gap was probably 2 car lengths at the most. Dude had a death wish.

I have noticed that the highway patrol is making more use of unmarked cars, but it is not nearly enough. I actually saw a Honda Pilot with blue lights stopping a speeder on I-77 near Columbia. (Forest Drive exit) The number of traffic deaths will continue to go up if we don't step up enforcement.

 

[Elgringo]

1) Overcrowding
2) Strong economy
3) Idiots on cell phones
4) Poor planning (which should probably be number 1)

 

[Forever Fowl]

Getting on I-26w from I-20 is crazy. Better options to avoid that gridlock are Broad or Bush River Road exits and they can still be congested.

 

[importcock]

They are working on more than one area of 1-26 and I-40. It is a mess, and when they finish the intersection they will start widening 1-26 to Hendersonville. That will take another two years I suppose. I live here and there are people moving here by the bushels. Mountainous terrain has far fewer option to place roads; therefore there are more bottlenecks than in flat lands. Asheville has had bad traffic since before 1-26 existed. It won’t change is my point. Stay away, find another route, trade your destination for something around Boone or Elkin. If you chose to keep coming to the Asheville area, expect traffic issues.

I understand the delays in that area where the construction is. But that wasn't the whole point of my post. Between Cola and Spartanburg traffic will slow to a crawl and stop repeatedly with no real reason evident. No accidents etc. It's like people in the left lane will slow down to 25 mph just because someone is entering from an on ramp on the rh side. Then sometimes there is an accident which is sometimes caused by other peoples stupidity. I saw one near Spartanburg where someone pulling a horse trailer rear ended someone pulling an RV. On the other side of the road, traffic slowed down for the lookie loos and that caused someone to rear end another car on that side. I think a big part of the problem is people slowing down when it's not really necessary.

 

[jbouton]

The stretch of I26 from Sandy Run down past Orangeburg to 95 is a disaster. It should have been six laned years ago. Just check Google maps and your almost always guaranteed to see an accident there by mid afternoon, esp on Sundays.
The reason in general is simple, the core of the Interstate system was constructed decades ago. Just think how many more cars are on the road now. Then realize that half are not looking at the road. We were on the way back from Asheville one weekend and I counted the cars as we/they passed. A solid 50%of the people were looking at their phone.

This is the one I notice the most because of the number of times I drive to Charleston. I also see wrecks on other stretches of I-26 around the intersection with 301 and I-95 and going towards Greenville/Spartanburg.

In my opinion, the cause is the volume of traffic on highways designed in the 1950s. People fail to observe even the most basic courtesies when driving. The left lane is for faster traffic but it is frequently occupied by people who just refuse to drive in the right lane. This causes people to pass on the right creating dangerous lane changes. Then there are people who insist on driving 85-90 and tailgate.

Another cause is the lack of a 3 axle only lane. Hard to do that when there are just 2 lanes, but trucks try to pass each other and it will sometimes take them a mile or more if the speed difference is just a couple MPH. The traffic then backs up behind them.

I-26 should be 6 lanes in both directions the entire way, but traffic rules have to be enforced. In October I drove back and forth to Charleston several times a week. One week I did not see a single SCDPS vehicle (highway patrol) either way. Without enforcement the law of the jungle prevails.

For example, I was in the left lane passing a large truck. I always leave a gap for safety between myself and the car in front of me. We were going a little over 70 and there was a lot of traffic. Just before I passed the truck a black SUV came up the right lane and shot the gap. He had to be going 90. The gap was probably 2 car lengths at the most. Dude had a death wish.

I have noticed that the highway patrol is making more use of unmarked cars, but it is not nearly enough. I actually saw a Honda Pilot with blue lights stopping a speeder on I-77 near Columbia. (Forest Drive exit) The number of traffic deaths will continue to go up if we don't step up enforcement.

Concur, especially next to last paragraph. I see this all week going to work in Charleston. Probably 70% of the reason I can't wait to retire. In a death trap daily to and from work.

 

[vacock#]

Get your pilot certificate and fly. So much more relaxing.

This is the answer. I've even encountered this phenomenon on the six-lane portions of I-95 in Florida when returning home following a holiday weekend in Florida. No wrecks, no obvious causes, just way more vehicles than the roadway can handle. If some insignificant event happens - say a vehicle pulls off the road and parks for some reason - or someone pulls back on - and slows traffic only momentarily near its origin, traffic a couple of miles back might have to stop. It's a chain reaction. I'm sure the traffic engineers have a name for it, only I don't know what it is.

https://phys.org/news/2007-12-traffic-mystery-mathematicians.html

 

[ahs2008]

Our interstate system was built beginning in the late 50s through the early 70s. The overwhelming majority of our interstate system in the state remains as originally designed and built (4 lanes; 2 each direction). SC population has grown from 2.5 million per the 1970 census to more than 5 million today (4.6 million per 2010 census). Infrastructure funding has not kept pace with our growth causing the system to be unable to handle the additional traffic capacity, especially during the holiday travel periods. Every mile of interstate in the state should be a minimum of 6 lanes (3 each direction) and larger in our urban population centers.

 

[mauze1]

I understand the delays in that area where the construction is. But that wasn't the whole point of my post. Between Cola and Spartanburg traffic will slow to a crawl and stop repeatedly with no real reason evident. No accidents etc. It's like people in the left lane will slow down to 25 mph just because someone is entering from an on ramp on the rh side. Then sometimes there is an accident which is sometimes caused by other peoples stupidity. I saw one near Spartanburg where someone pulling a horse trailer rear ended someone pulling an RV. On the other side of the road, traffic slowed down for the lookie loos and that caused someone to rear end another car on that side. I think a big part of the problem is people slowing down when it's not really necessary.

Could be. My response was just FYI. and a comment on the Asheville traffic problems, which will not be changing much in yours or my lifetime.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a train coming from Charleston to Knoxville, or maybe even Nashville. The tracks and road bed are there. You could leave a car at your mountain place and Uber to the station. The dining car and club cars would be packed with fun seekers going to vacation in the mountains. You could go a little farther and get off for a night in the healing spring water at Hot Springs, NC. You could coach from the tracks to Wolf Laurel and Gatlinburg to ski or enjoy the scenery.

Those tracks stop in 80% of the population of SC. Has stops in Saluda, Flat Rock, downtown Asheville, Hot Springs, Newport and close to Pigeon Forge. I guess railroad passenger train will have to go totally out of business before it can be restarted. Public transportation is NOT profitable so it has to be subsidized by the public.

 

[bucketdad]

No one lives near their job anymore and mega schools serving vast areas have taken the place of smaller schools. It's a wonder we can get around at all.

 

[heavycock]

I think everyone pretty much hit on it ITT, and yes it is beyond frustrating. We always try to plan travel now whenever we think traffic will be the lightest (i.e. travel on a Saturday or Monday vs. Sunday, esp. during a holiday week):

- Interstates are functionally obsolete. Too many cars for what they were originally designed for.
- People are stupid. Left-lane squatters and cell-phone users/drivers should be sent to Siberia. Left-lane squatters on their cell phones that speed up when you try to pass them in the right lane should be shot on sight.

 

[gamecocks94]

The stretch of I26 from Sandy Run down past Orangeburg to 95 is a disaster. It should have been six laned years ago. Just check Google maps and your almost always guaranteed to see an accident there by mid afternoon, esp on Sundays.
The reason in general is simple, the core of the Interstate system was constructed decades ago. Just think how many more cars are on the road now. Then realize that half are not looking at the road. We were on the way back from Asheville one weekend and I counted the cars as we/they passed. A solid 50%of the people were looking at their phone.

I go to Edisto Beach at least once a year from the Charlotte area and my route was 77 to 26 to 95. One year, I got fed up with the constant backups on 26 that I started getting off 77S at exit 1. From there, I’d take 178 until it hit 95. It’s a two lane highway the entire stretch, but there is zero traffic and passing has never been a problem when I’ve had to do it.

 

[Johnnie Cockran]

It's because there are so many tractor trailers on the road and they are limited on how fast they can go(most anyway). It's all fine when they stay in the right lane but there's always one going just a little faster than another and it will try to pass the other taking forever to get around. Meanwhile, all the cars that were happily driving 80 mph have to hit brakes and that happens every 10 minutes or so.

This drives me absolutely crazy. Tractor trailers should have to stay in the right hand lane unless there is no other traffic on the road.

 

[The Coup Nazi]

Left lane hogs (SC should pass a law like Ga did).
Cell phone conversations.
Texting.
Rubber neckers.
DASCL (Dumb Ass South Carolina Legislature).

 

[uscg1984]

The population has grown and the interstate system has not kept up. They can add lanes to an existing interstate fairly easily, but the expansion of the actual interstate system is painfully slow. When was the last time you saw an actual new interstate or freeway that was more than just a belt-line or spur in a metro area? For example, how many more decades must pass before an interstate is built connecting Greenville, Greenwood, Augusta, and Savannah? An interstate along that route would alleviate some of the traffic along the I-26/I-95 corridor.

On a side note, traveling on the interstate west of the Mississippi is a completely different experience. When you don't have major metropolitan areas every 100 miles or so, it really opens things up. Here in Montana, you can generally set your cruise control for 80-85 when you get on the interstate and you never have to take it off until you get to your destination exit. No rolling road-blocks from a line of trucks trying to pass another line of trucks, no lane-darting as you try to jump into the "fast" lane, no stop-and-go traffic jams, and generally a stress-free experience.

 

[AnCRooster]

Prosperity.

 

[king ward]

Get your pilot certificate and fly. So much more relaxing.


https://phys.org/news/2007-12-traffic-mystery-mathematicians.html

I knew this was a real thing.

 

[ClemDent]

I go to Edisto Beach at least once a year from the Charlotte area and my route was 77 to 26 to 95. One year, I got fed up with the constant backups on 26 that I started getting off 77S at exit 1. From there, I’d take 178 until it hit 95. It’s a two lane highway the entire stretch, but there is zero traffic and passing has never been a problem when I’ve had to do it.

I’ve learned all the secondary roads along that same stretch. On football weekends it’s almost a 50/50 chance I use them either coming or going.

 

[rogue cock]

This is the answer. I've even encountered this phenomenon on the six-lane portions of I-95 in Florida when returning home following a holiday weekend in Florida. No wrecks, no obvious causes, just way more vehicles than the roadway can handle. If some insignificant event happens - say a vehicle pulls off the road and parks for some reason - or someone pulls back on - and slows traffic only momentarily near its origin, traffic a couple of miles back might have to stop. It's a chain reaction. I'm sure the traffic engineers have a name for it, only I don't know what it is.[/QUOTE]
The Accordion Effect

 

[gamecox4982]

A message for folks who don't know how to drive. The left lane is for passing only. Also, gett over and put your damn phone down!

 

[AsTheCockCrows]

I get the joy of driving the family to Shreveport tomorrow morning. 20 through Atlanta and Alabama is awful because they are constantly working on the roads, and then when you get to Mississippi and Louisiana, the roads are terrible. Happy Happy Joy Joy. 13 hour drive tomorrow. Oh, and I thought the drivers were bad in Charleston until I moved back to Florence a few months ago. I lose my religion 4-5 times a day because the drivers in Florence are absolute morons.

 

[pepsicock]

Were is the money going for spending and fixing roads ? I-77 is like riding on the moon

 

[king ward]

I get the joy of driving the family to Shreveport tomorrow morning. 20 through Atlanta and Alabama is awful because they are constantly working on the roads, and then when you get to Mississippi and Louisiana, the roads are terrible. Happy Happy Joy Joy. 13 hour drive tomorrow. Oh, and I thought the drivers were bad in Charleston until I moved back to Florence a few months ago. I lose my religion 4-5 times a day because the drivers in Florence are absolute morons.

I-20 through Mississippi is the worst stretch of highway I have ever been on.

 

[rogue cock]

Were is the money going for spending and fixing roads ? I-77 is like riding on the moon

Same with I-95. From the looks of it, I-85 is getting all of the money.

 

[atl-cock]

mauze1 said:

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importcock said:

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What has happened to the interstates? I've driven many thousands of miles on them from the tip of Florida to the middle of Maine and as far west as Alabama, but I've never seen the traffic backups like they are now. Since my wife and I got our place in Bryson CIty we drive up there a lot and we NEVER make it without multiple traffic jams. And I expect it at places like the interchange from I20 to I26 near Harbison or going through Asheville with all the road construction. But now, in the middle of nowhere, on totally rural sections,40 miles from any major city, traffic slows to a crawl and stops over and over. You think, "there must be a wreck up ahead", but you never see any sign of it. I think a lot of it is inexperienced or stupid drivers. Seems like some people slow down if the driver of the car in front of them farts. I20 is not usually too bad but I26 and I40 are ridiculous. Google maps says 4 hours and 50 minutes from my house to my place in BC but it always ends up being closer to 6 hours with us making a bare minimum of stops. What is causing this and is there any hope that it will ever get better?Click to expand...Click to expand...[/quote]

They are working on more than one area of 1-26 and I-40. It is a mess, and when they finish the intersection they will start widening 1-26 to Hendersonville. That will take another two years I suppose. I live here and there are people moving here by the bushels. Mountainous terrain has far fewer option to place roads; therefore there are more bottlenecks than in flat lands. Asheville has had bad traffic since before 1-26 existed. It won’t change is my point. Stay away, find another route, trade your destination for something around Boone or Elkin. If you chose to keep coming to the Asheville area, expect traffic issues.
[/quote]
My guess is that most of the bushels are "halfbacks," i.e., Yankees who moved to Florida, ended up disappointed by the lack of seasons, then moved halfway back home.

 

[importcock]

Get your pilot certificate and fly. So much more relaxing.


https://phys.org/news/2007-12-traffic-mystery-mathematicians.html

Like King Ward said, I thought something like this was happening. And to go a step further than what the article said, a lot of it is just D/A drivers overreacting to almost nothing a lot of the time. Like I said earlier, sometimes you'll see someone in the left lane slow down greatly because someone else is entering the highway from an on ramp on the rh side. Just stupid.

 

[midline]

I blame a lot of it on the idiots driving Prius's. They seem to love to get in the left lane, stick their cruise on the speed limit, and ride. Guess they are thinking they will slow everyone down and limit a carbon footprint. One of these days when I am independently wealthy I will get an I beam welded on the front of a pick up truck and just push each of them into the ditch as I clear the left lane of them all.

 

[robertfootball]

Friend was telling me it took them 2 hours just to get out the mall parking lot to Harbison. 2 hours! I could crawl backwards from the mall to downtown Columbia in 2 hours. I stay home when I can now, I don’t drive if I don’t have to. I’ve become a hermit or I’ll fly.lol