Welcome to the US 70 Corridor Web Site

CLAYTON BYPASS OPENS

To much fanfare, the long-anticipated US 70 Clayton Bypass opened June 9th,
a year ahead of schedule.

Read more about the opening on the "Corridor Projects" page.

Last Update: 7/24/08

FUEL COSTS AND FREEWAYS

Have you ever wondered how much gasoline cars and trucks use every day on US 70 from Clayton to Morehead City? Or, how much it costs to make the trip? With gasoline topping $4 per gallon, these questions are becoming more and more important – not just to those making the trip but also to those businesses and industries concerned with the cost of doing business and the travel mobility of the US 70 corridor.

“Fuel economy” and “miles per gallon (mpg)” are becoming household terms these days. Assume the average automobile gets 18 mpg in city driving conditions and 24 mpg in highway conditions, compared with trucks at 5 mpg and 7 mpg respectively. The more stop-and-go driving you do (i.e. city driving), the worse your mpg ratio will be. Most people think of smaller cars, octane boosters, and inflated tires as ways to improve fuel economy. But, did you know road design and the number of signals can have a dramatic impact on how we drive and how much fuel we consume?

Consider the 135 miles of US 70 connect Clayton and Morehead City and realize an average of 24,000 vehicles travel this route on a typical day, approximately 10% of which are trucks. Currently, US 70 is a major arterial with 60 signals, 264 median openings, and thousands of curb cuts that create a stop-and-go environment for vehicles.

2007 - $3 per gallon gas

3,173,492 vehicle miles traveled per day on US 70 between Clayton and Morehead City
Approximately 202,400 gallons of fuel consumed
Daily fuel cost of $607,000 and an annual fuel cost of $221,000,000

2008 - $4 per gallon gas

Assume same vehicle miles traveled and gasoline consumption as in 2007
Daily fuel cost of $800,000 and an annual fuel cost of $292,000,000
31.8% increase in costs from 2007

2008 - $4 per gallon gas
Assume US 70 upgraded to freeway

Consider what would happen if US 70 were to become a freeway. A freeway boosts fuel economy by eliminating stop-and-go traffic and encouraging consistent rates of speed.

Assume same vehicle miles traveled (2008) and lower (freeway) gasoline consumption
Daily fuel cost of $657,000 and an annual fuel cost of $240,000,000
17.9% reduction in fuel costs

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