I-87 – a vital link between the Triangle, I-95, and coastal Virginia
- June 13, 2024
- Posted by: Joe Milazzo II
- Category: Blog
RTA members and partners,
The regional business community in the Research Triangle region has been focused on the advancement of the I-87 corridor for the better part of two decades.
As we have stated in prior blogs, Interstate 87 will help bring the Triangle and northeastern North Carolina together — helping grow the northeastern portion of our state — while linking us to the Hampton Roads area of coastal Virginia, including Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and nearby cities, as well as the Port of Virginia.
RTA has championed the I-87 corridor — including its predecessor designations, I-495 in Wake County and I-44 — since the first decade of this century. Former Governor McCrory made the announcement of the I-495 designation during our RTA annual meeting in 2013.
With the formal approval in 2016 of Interstate 87, North Carolina’s capital county received its first north-south primary Interstate designation.
Next week, RTA will be in Virginia for our June 2024 RTA QuickTour at the headquarters of Williams Mullen — a longtime RTA member company. We will be focused on transit, freeway caps, and other projects of mutual regional interest in both central North Carolina and central Virginia.
While I-87 will not be on the agenda this coming Tuesday, advancing the Interstate remains an important priority for the regional business community in the Research Triangle area, and we look forward to continuing and rekindling partnerships with fellow members of the business community and other partners in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, a future completed Interstate 87 can be a gift that we give to our children, rather than just to our grandchildren, if we are cooperative, focused, and purposeful in our efforts.
Let’s get moving,
Joe
Joe Milazzo II, PE
RTA Executive Director
RTA is the voice of the regional business community on transportation
