INTERSTATE 40 ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY: IMPACTS OF HIGHWAY BYPASSES ON COMMUNITY BUSINESSES

The bypass of a community by a transportation route has important potential impacts on the general viability and economic success of the community and businesses bypassed. While the bypass of a town center often removes the undesirable traffic congestion, truck traffic and reduces the number of auto accidents in the town, the economic viability of many businesses located along the old route is often dependent upon the flow of traffic. The purpose of this study is twofold: one, to examine how the recent completion of the link of I-40 between Raleigh and Wilmington has affected the traffic volume and businesses located along old routes through the corridor; and, two, by using the information and insight gained from the analysis, to infer potential impacts of proposed bypasses NC 24, US 117 and US 70-70A. While the nature of I-40 and these smaller state and federal highways are considerable different, the information gained from the I-40 portion of the study can well provide some insight into the impacts of bypasses on communities. Finally, individual communities will be empirically examined to infer the potential impacts of proposed bypasses.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Prepared for the North Carolina Division of Community Assistance and the I-40 Steering Committee.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of North Carolina, Charlotte

  Department of Geography and Earth Sciences
  9201 University City Boulevard
  Charlotte, NC  United States  28223
• Authors:
  • Blackburn, S P
  • Clay, J W
• Publication Date: 1991-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 55 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Businesses; Bypasses; Communities; Economic conditions; Economic impacts; Social impacts; Traffic volume
• Old TRIS Terms: Bypass highways; Community consequences
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00724624
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Transportation Pub 66
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 27 1996 12:00AM