Winchester

[DCMetro34 576]

Wow! Very nice, the signs are better than ever! The city is awesome, too!

[dfnva 34]

With the snowpocolypse going on in the DC area, I've actually had some time to play SimCity.... woohoo!

@Schulmanator

Haha... if there's one thing that bothers me about SC4, it's the lack of realism of excessive truck traffic in rural areas.

@Computerguy890100

That's cool, I'm going to look at the Wikipedia roads project when I have more time. It sounds like, with you, there's someone worthy of the project working on it.

@Raysfan16

Yep... gotta love the sprawl, and a wider MP-427 will probably encourage it.

@Larks2242

Thanks! Happy (Belated) New Year to you. 

@PhilsCafe

Thanks! I really appreciate it. And a Happy Late New Year to you as well.

@TmiguelT

Thanks! I appreciate your nomination. I'm glad you're having fun making signs, good luck, I'd love to see them sometime. I'll look into the Road Road Plugin. The reason I use RHW-2, is for a "higher speed" 2-lane road for MP-427.

@MayorM

Thanks! It's just as much fun to make the signs.

@Willfish

Thanks!

@Sloppy182

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the drive through the region.

@Subedei

Thanks, I appreciate it!

@DCMetro34

Thanks!

And now...

Here's where we left off going South on MP-427, the western bypass of Winchester and Salem. Currently, this portion is being widened to four lanes.

This portion of widening has recently been completed.

You can see here how MP-427's route cuts through farms and how existing roads were made discontinuous.

This bridge, carrying SR-646/Edwards Ferry Rd over MP-427, is brand new. There was originally an at-grade intersection here. However, it was decided not to build an interchange when the bridge was built.

Some signs for an upcoming interchange...

MP-427 narrows, once again, to two lanes to cross the Wanata River. With current budget constraints and lack of stimulus money, plans to build an additional span are being put off indefinitely, as it would be be an expensive proposition.

Upon reaching land again, MP-427 widens back to four lanes. This construction was completed about 1.5 years ago.

MP-427 approaches the interchange with MP-130/Swanson Rd. We watched the construction of this interchange and the shopping center on Page 20.

Here's the gantry of exit signage.

And we continue on past some McMansions. Quite a bit of construction and work on demolishing hills occurred here to add the second span of highway.

And thus MP-427 keeps going on... one last picture...

Thanks for visiting. Hopefully it won't be over a month until I update again!

-Dan

[Benedict 3,119]

Great stuff as always!

[simcityx100 0]

Where do you get the turn lanes on the roads?

[Raysfan16 5]

Yay another update!

Great update, I like that rural highway, reminds me of I-295 around Richmond. I also like the interchange with MP-130/Swanson Rd alot. Random shopping center amidst wide roads and forests...suburbia at its "best".

[SounderBruce 173]

Wow! Fantastic update! I love the construction...nice sign gantry!

[Schulmanator 5,787]

I think they did a good job on the expansion. I can understand delaying the bridge.... they cost lotsa simoleons! The last picture is cool - I like how the space between carriageways narrows around the curve. Looks very nice and definitely RoadGeek Gold!

[Keegan V50 15]

Great road network layouts there Dan,great work as always!

All the best

Victor

[dfnva 34]

@Benedict

Thanks!

@Simcityx100

Turning lanes and other road goodies await you in the Network Addon Mod. You can download it here. https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=21355

@Raysfan16

Thanks. I've been on parts of I-295, It kind of goes in and out of rural areas. 

@Computerguy890100

Thanks! I made new sign gantry graphics to use from now on that I think look more realistic.

@Schulmanator

Thanks. The bridge would cost so much, another economic stimulus, or simulus, would have to be passed. I vary the width of the carriageways because I often see that in highways depending on where terrain is easier to build the road.

@Victor Valdes

Thanks!

And now...

We're going to continue down MP-427 to its terminus at I-79/US-27 today.

Here is the interchange with SR-696/Kirkwood Rd. This interchange was completed about 1.5 years ago, before that there was an at-grade intersection.

SR-696/Kirkwood Rd meanders into the ever growing sprawl of South Winchester.

Off of SR-696, on Mirimar Rd, is the Telex Pavilion, which is the region's largest and most popular outdoor concert venue. Major recording artists perform here and other events are also held here. Telex is a technology company that is headquartered in the area.

Here's a closeup.

Further down on SR-696, lots of urban sprawl absorbs what was once farmland.

But we must continue on MP-427...

We're getting close to the end...

Here is where the exit ramp diverges for I-79/US 27 South...

The ramp we're taking to go onto I-79/US-27 north...

And here is the whole trumpet interchange in context as we head off on I-79/US-27 North toward Winchester.

We'll continue northward next time!

Thanks for visiting!

-Dan

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Looking good- and I see you have a #D effect on the roadsigns on the in-game pix. A nice touch. It looks like a great place for a concert - but not with the current weather!

[SounderBruce 173]

Cool! Love the concert! The trumpet is very nice, although I would suggest some of the RHW wide curves to fill in the OWRs.

[Renedius 25]

great job my friend

[Raysfan16 5]

Wait, so you're going south towards Frederick? If that's Maryland, you must be somewhere in Pennsylvania!

Anyways, nice update. I wish I could find some concert venues in my area in the middle of nowhere!

[dedgren 830]

Dan- Huge 'grats on the Trixie and another year of Winchester.

David

[TmiguelT 10]

I love it !! can we go again to TELEX PAVILION for Rockfest 2011? Say yes please

[Benedict 3,119]

Looking great! And one small step closer to 1000 replies...

[newcrusader92 0]

I'd like to give you a belated congratulations on your Trixie award.

Now, with my new 64-bit machine set up and all of that snow out of the way (for the time being), I can resume following things in Massopax Piedmont in peace. It's a good thing the Sims don't have to worry about traffic congestion around Telex Pavillion - I've seen on a couple of occasions how things go near a particular concert venue similar to it, which is why I now go south, then west to get home in the evening and not the other way around. (Hint!)

[packerfan386 3]

Good work! I love this CJ !!!

please don't let it die!!

[jacqulina 162]

wonderfull work here my friend

[MTLT_17 26]

Very interesting style. Kinda grass roots SC4 meets, modded SC4. Quite nice.

[Mayorm 14]

very nice, i have to catch up to this as i haven't visited your cj in a while

[wwetom1 831]

I love your intersections and suburbs. Very nice job here.

[dfnva 34]

Well, Ladies and gentlemen... it was bound to happen....

Through thick and thin... a busy school year... a broken computer... waning interest in SimCity (but renewed by the new NAM!!)

... I bring you an update.... 5 months in the making...

But first:

Thank you for your support despite my lack of updates. It was an honor to be #1 on Phat's List!

@Schulmanator: Thanks. Glad you like the embossed look on the in-game shield and text effects. It's been a while since I've read Schulmania... gotta catch up on the war and everything going on.

@Computerguy890100: Thanks... the trumpet is definitely a vestige of something I made before I downloaded the RHW, yet it still works.

@Renedius: Thanks!

@Raysfan16: If only, haha, just making up names for control cities. Frederick is just a medium sized city somewhere in the Massopax universe.

@Dedgren: Thanks so much. Congrats (a bit late, haha) on your Trixie as well, well-deserved, you've brought a lot of great road/rail related stuff to use to use, esp. the FAR.

@TmiguelT: I may be able to afford some VIP Backstage passes.

@Benedict: Thanks... yet a larger step than I thought as I have not been updating much.

@Newcrusader92: Thanks! I know what you mean, roads around concert venues get swamped. I always hate it.

@Packerfan386: Thanks... nah... it won't die, not yet anyhow.

@Jacqulina: Thanks much!

@MTLT_17: Thanks!

@Mayorm: Likewise, I have to catch up on this as I haven't updated in a while lol.

@wwetom1: Thanks... intersections and suburbs are some of the things I like doing best!

And now...

What better way to get back into the scheme of things but to continue from where we left off? We just have turned North onto I-79/US-27 from the southern terminus of MP-427, heading toward... where else? Winchester!!

Here is Exit 143... Garrison Rd used to be known as S. Union Ave. (once part of US-27) but its name was changed due to discontinuity.

Gore point signage...

And thus we continue north...

This area is known as South Winchester.

Here is a unique shot of three parallel thoroughfares that have all been part of US-27 at some point. SR-814/Garrison Rd was the original routing for US-27. It then switched to Kings Hwy (SR 3027), when it was built in the early 1980s. Then I-79 was built in between both roads in 2008.  

Here is Exit 144, a non-descript partial cloverleaf, yes, with OWRs as opposed to RHW, however, I liked how it looked... if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

MP-379 goes east to Mountain View Regional Airport whilst SR-970 goes northwest as an arterial toward MP-130 to get to Salem. There's a map a couple pages back for context.

The South Winchester Town Center along SR-970/Vista Pkwy...

After Exit 144, we see this sign for the next exit...

And here is Exit 145...

And with that, we are now in the Winchester city limits.

Next time, which hopefully won't be 5 months, we'll continue northward.

Thanks for your support!

-Dan

[SounderBruce 173]

Yay! You're back! Love South Winchester!

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Awesomeness! Glad to have you back again. Your updates are always excellent, and have certainly been missed.

[Benedict 3,119]

Great to see you back - and with a great update!

[kj3400 178]

You're back at it! Awesome!

[newcrusader92 0]

It's great to see the revival of this CJ. I wonder if there's been any growth, any more urban sprawl that went on behind the scenes.

[wwetom1 831]

Great update. Glad to see you back!

[packerfan386 3]

Awesome, thanks for the updates!