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There are a number of reasons Wilmington WILL become a good size city and fairly major metro area (its about 350K now).
1) They are lots of downtown waterfront plans in place and more to come.
2) It is just now getting a highway....still about 5 years or so from fully being completed. That new highway will open up even more territory for development.
3) People will continue to relocate from the North toward the Coast. And Wilmington supports the growth occurring in Brunswick and Pender Counties, two of the fastest in the State.
4) RiverLights subdivision...this could support 5-8k folks when it is developed and it is already in the city limits. As well Wilmington has modified its ordinances to allow for lots of mixed use infill type developments or redevelopments.
"2) It is just now getting a highway." What highway is that?
"2) It is just now getting a highway." What highway is that?
Interstate 40 runs right into Wilmington now.
Interstate 40 runs TO Wilmington, but didn't provide any way of getting around Wilmington. I-140 is being built in stages. It currently runs from 421 to 17...but a section is being built between 74 and 17 now with a section to follow between 74 and 421. Then the Hampstead Bypass will be built extending toward Surf City.
So essentially, an Interstate is now being built in Brunswick County and another will be built in Pender County to provide mobility in the Wilmington area, rather than just a dropoff point. Would be nice to see the State get serious about connecting I-140 with 31 in South Carolina, linking Wilmington and Myrtle Beach which have significant traffic between them, especially in the summer.
I am willing to bet that the new DOT ways of justifying funding for roads actually HELPS the coast, which see dramatic traffic increases in the summer months. There has been little "mobility" road improvements...however the Triad area seems to have 5 interstates going through it.
Interstate 40 runs TO Wilmington, but didn't provide any way of getting around Wilmington. I-140 is being built in stages. It currently runs from 421 to 17...but a section is being built between 74 and 17 now with a section to follow between 74 and 421. Then the Hampstead Bypass will be built extending toward Surf City.
So essentially, an Interstate is now being built in Brunswick County and another will be built in Pender County to provide mobility in the Wilmington area, rather than just a dropoff point. Would be nice to see the State get serious about connecting I-140 with 31 in South Carolina, linking Wilmington and Myrtle Beach which have significant traffic between them, especially in the summer.
I am willing to bet that the new DOT ways of justifying funding for roads actually HELPS the coast, which see dramatic traffic increases in the summer months. There has been little "mobility" road improvements...however the Triad area seems to have 5 interstates going through it.
"Originally Posted by HP91There are a number of reasons Wilmington WILL become a good size city and fairly major metro area (its about 350K now).
1) They are lots of downtown waterfront plans in place and more to come.
2) It is just now getting a highway....still about 5 years or so from fully being completed. That new highway will open up even more territory for development.
3) People will continue to relocate from the North toward the Coast. And Wilmington supports the growth occurring in Brunswick and Pender Counties, two of the fastest in the State.
4) RiverLights subdivision...this could support 5-8k folks when it is developed and it is already in the city limits. As well Wilmington has modified its ordinances to allow for lots of mixed use infill type developments or redevelopments.
While personally, I will be very happy when 140 is completed to 17, I don't see how it will affect downtown Wilmington.
There are a number of reasons Wilmington WILL become a good size city and fairly major metro area (its about 350K now).
Actually it's about 260K now; in the last MSA revisions, Brunswick County was taken from Wilmington's MSA and given to Myrtle Beach's. I don't know the justification behind that because the stats I've seen show that more people from Brunswick County travel to New Hanover County than Horry County for work, but that's what happened. I think it will eventually be re-added to Wilmington's MSA--if Wilmington's and Myrtle Beach's MSA don't combine to form a coastal Carolina CSA first.
And when you cross the Memorial Bridge you can clearly see the opportunities that exist there. They will likely be further into the future, but won't remain vacant forever.
Actually it's about 260K now; in the last MSA revisions, Brunswick County was taken from Wilmington's MSA and given to Myrtle Beach's. I don't know the justification behind that because the stats I've seen show that more people from Brunswick County travel to New Hanover County than Horry County for work, but that's what happened. I think it will eventually be re-added to Wilmington's MSA--if Wilmington's and Myrtle Beach's MSA don't combine to form a coastal Carolina CSA first.
One thing that affected that change was the Myrtle Beach bound traffic using 40 and I-140 bypass which distorted the traffic flow toward Myrtle Beach, even though that was mostly through traffic. After 140 gets finished, it will stop the flow of Myrtle Beach traffic down 421, and using 17 through Leland.
The Wilmington region obviously includes Leland south to Southport....heck the I-140 loop is in Brunswick County and is part of the "urban loop" for Wilmington. By next census, Brunswick Forest development alone will shift the population toward Wilmington.
One thing that affected that change was the Myrtle Beach bound traffic using 40 and I-140 bypass which distorted the traffic flow toward Myrtle Beach, even though that was mostly through traffic. After 140 gets finished, it will stop the flow of Myrtle Beach traffic down 421, and using 17 through Leland.
The Wilmington region obviously includes Leland south to Southport....heck the I-140 loop is in Brunswick County and is part of the "urban loop" for Wilmington. By next census, Brunswick Forest development alone will shift the population toward Wilmington.
Ahhhhh, that helps to shed light on things. Thanks for that bit of info.
Interstate 40 runs TO Wilmington, but didn't provide any way of getting around Wilmington. I-140 is being built in stages. It currently runs from 421 to 17...but a section is being built between 74 and 17 now with a section to follow between 74 and 421. Then the Hampstead Bypass will be built extending toward Surf City.
So essentially, an Interstate is now being built in Brunswick County and another will be built in Pender County to provide mobility in the Wilmington area, rather than just a dropoff point. Would be nice to see the State get serious about connecting I-140 with 31 in South Carolina, linking Wilmington and Myrtle Beach which have significant traffic between them, especially in the summer.
I am willing to bet that the new DOT ways of justifying funding for roads actually HELPS the coast, which see dramatic traffic increases in the summer months. There has been little "mobility" road improvements...however the Triad area seems to have 5 interstates going through it.
Of the total traffic on US17 in between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, what percentage destination is towards Myrtle, vs Wilmington (I don't mean return traffic).
I would assume more traffic is going south vs north, which would quell any attempt from NCDOT to break barriers allowing people to get to (& spend money in) Myrtle.
One of the big, but not only, issues with Myrtle is its relative isolation from the rest of the country. There aren't any freeways attaching it to the interstate system, which I find really weird.
What needs to happen is to extend Interstate 20 from Florence 40 miles to the Conway bypass. Then extend it another 40 miles towards the future I-140 bypass in Wilmington. That would give Wilmington a second Interstate, and maybe enough reason to fully support the idea.
I see a interstate road between Wilmington and Myrtle as helping Brunswick County and Wilmington more than Myrtle. I-40 is already to preferred route and we all know that the Grand Strand continues to expand, but it won't go as much south as it would be to stretch TOWARD Wilmington. And we all know the beach communities in Brunswick and New Hanover are much different than Myrtle. Its a tourism thing...think about getting some of that Myrtle out of state traffic to come to Wilmington if you had a real road.
What needs to happen is to extend Interstate 20 from Florence 40 miles to the Conway bypass. Then extend it another 40 miles towards the future I-140 bypass in Wilmington. That would give Wilmington a second Interstate, and maybe enough reason to fully support the idea.
SC isn't remotely interested in extending I-20 towards the state line; it doesn't want to help Wilmington compete with SC's ports.
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