Road Roundup: DOT plans US 70 upgrades, new Knightdale exit numbers

One of the biggest long-term state Department of Transportation projects in the area is the eventual conversion of U.S. Highway 70 to an interstate.

At some point in the future, it will be Interstate 42, connecting Raleigh to Morehead City. It is good news for beach-goers, but this is about more than tourism. The interstate will provide better access to the State Port at Morehead City.

The state has been building bypasses and upgrading the highway to interstate standards in many areas over the past several years. A 7-mile section between Pondfield Road in eastern Johnston County and the Goldsboro Bypass in Wayne County is getting an upgrade in the coming years.

The public can learn more about the DOT's latest plan and proposed alternatives at a public meeting from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Grace Baptist Church in Princeton.

The latest proposal includes some changes planners made following public comments the state received in 2017.

Get ready for another change along the Knightdale Bypass. That's the local name for what started as U.S. Highway 64-264, became Interstate 495 and most recently was renamed Interstate 87. Confusing? Well, get ready for another round of confusion.

With that latest designation, DOT is changing the exit numbers along the interstate. Exits 419 through 430 will be renumbered, starting in the single digits:

DOT expects that, over the next 20 years, I-87 will connect Raleigh and Norfolk, Va., using an upgraded U.S. 64 and U.S. Highway 17.

Travelers can buy a spot in a specific lot at Raleigh-Durham International Airport before getting to the airport.

RDU also announced a new parking option called ParkRDU Express, which includes a shuttle between the lots and the terminals, luggage assistance and a complimentary bottle of water.