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35 <br /> Residential and employment development will continue to occur around the 1-85 interchanges. Bicycle, <br /> pedestrian and transit trips will need to be considered in the interchange upgrades and the cross-section <br /> of the intersecting roadways. <br /> The US Army Corps of Engineers and resource agencies should be included in the environmental analysis <br /> stage of project development very early. 1-85 crosses Falls Lake and its related wetlands, Army Corps of <br /> Engineering property, and critical watershed. The entire length of this study segment is within a <br /> protected or critical watershed. <br /> 1-85 (1-40 to Durham County line) <br /> Traffic volume on segments of 1-85 from 1-40 to the Durham County line is currently between 33,000 vpd <br /> and 37,000vpd. It is projected to exceed LOS D by 2040 with expected volumes of 49,800 vehicles per <br /> day(vpd), 51,600 vpd, and 52,700 vpd from 1-40 to South Churton Street (SR 1009), South Churton <br /> Street to NC 86, and NC 86 to US 70, respectively. LOS D capacities on the facility range from 29,700 vpd <br /> to 44,500 vpd. Improvements are needed in order to relieve anticipated congestion and to maintain a <br /> minimum LOS D on the existing facility. This section of 1-85 is currently a four-lane divided freeway with <br /> three interchanges and corresponding ramps within an approximate 260-foot right-of-way. This section <br /> of 1-85 is adjacent to the improved six-lane section of 1-85 through Durham County. <br /> The CTP project proposal is to improve to a six-lane freeway with a raised median for this facility to <br /> better accommodate the projected 2040 volume. <br /> I-85/US 70 Connector (SR 1239) <br /> Peak-period traffic flow on Efland-Cedar Grove Road (SR 1372) from US 70 to Forest Avenue (SR 1322), <br /> from Forest Avenue to Mount Willing Road (SR 1120), and from Mount Willing Road to 1-85/1-40 <br /> currently exceeds the realistic design capacity and service flow rate on the subject facilities. These <br /> facilities collectively serve as the only option for many commuters with origins in northern Orange <br /> County to access 1-85/1-40 in the northbound/eastbound (respectively) direction to further access the <br /> region's major employment centers to the south and east. This particular route involves taking two (2), <br /> 90-degree turns and traversing an at-grade railroad crossing located approximately 30 feet from two (2) <br /> intersections on either side. The combination of facilities creates a major capacity contraction relative <br /> to the facilities that feed it traffic. Additionally, stacking at the intersections connecting the combination <br /> of facilities creates hazardous conditions for vehicles encountering the at-grade railroad crossing <br /> adjacent to the intersections. <br /> The CTP proposal is to convert the existing 1-85/US 70 Connector's interchange with US 70 <br /> approximately 1.25 miles east to a full-movement interchange with ramps providing access from all <br /> directions or to convert the interchange to a full-movement T-shaped at-grade intersection. Currently, <br /> ramps only provide access from northbound on the Connector to eastbound US 70 and from westbound <br /> US 70 to southbound on the Connector. There is no access from westbound US 70 to the Connector or <br /> from the Connector to US 70 westbound. The project would allow an improved mobility alternative for <br /> Minimum Problem Statements—Highway—2 <br />