Interstate 85 North Carolina – North

06/22/05

Interstate 85 when it was just a four-lane freeway at Poplar Tent Road (Exit 52). 06/22/05

06/01/12

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06/22/05

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06/01/12

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A previous cloverleaf interchange joined I-85 with U.S. 29 (Cannon Boulevard) north into Kannapolis and U.S. 29/601 (Concord Parkway) south to Concord. 05/30/05

06/01/12

One quarter mile west from U.S. 29/601 south on Interstate 85 north. 06/01/12

A collector distributor system joined I-85 and the ramp system at Exit 58 from the Kannapolis Highway (SR 1008) overpass. Kannapolis Highway is former U.S. 29A. 06/01/12

U.S. 29/601 (Concord Parkway) south pass by Carolina Mall and Carolinas Medical Center to a short merge with NC 73. 06/01/12

Expansion of Interstate 85 around Kannapolis replaced the cloverleaf interchange at U.S. 29 and U.S. 601 south with a DDI. 06/01/12

The guide sign for U.S. 29 north included a blank space leftover from when U.S. 601 continued north to Kannapolis and Landis. 06/01/12

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Widening of Interstate 85 through Kannapolis tied into an eight-lane stretch leading north to Salisbury. 06/01/12

06/22/05

06/01/12

Pine Ridge Road (SR 1232) crossed overhead, 1.25 miles south of Exit 68 to NC 152. 06/01/12

The addition of ramps on the north side of NC 152 in 2019 provided full access, eliminating the need for the adjacent wye interchange with the U.S. 29 connector (SR 2664). 06/01/12

Exit 68 was originally a half diamond interchange. 06/01/12

Shields for I-85/U.S. 601 beyond the Exit 68 gore point. 06/01/12

Exit 76B looped onto Innes Street (old U.S. 52) north into Downtown Salisbury. 08/04/04

A lane drop occurred along I-85 northbound at Exit 79 previously. 06/01/12

06/01/12

06/01/12

The previous four lane freeway at the McCanless Road (SR 2114) under crossing. This stretch predated the Interstate system as U.S. 29. 05/30/05

Reconstruction of Exit 79 moved SR 1915 from an underpass to an overpass above the expanded freeway. 08/04/04

The lane drop at Exit 81 was removed when the Yadkin River Veterans Memorial Bridge was completed. 06/01/12

I-85 passes through the exchange at Exit 81 with eight overall lanes now. 06/01/12

Guide sign replacements for Exit 81 display Long Ferry Road instead of Spencer. 06/01/12

Exit 81 prior to expansion work. 08/04/04

The wye interchange for NC 150 north was numbered Exit 83. Exit 83 followed a second wye interchange that brought motorists from U.S. 29-70 and NC 150 east onto the freeway from Yadkin. 06/22/05

The 1955 Yadkin River bridge carried just four lanes with no shoulders on either side. 06/22/05

A left side merge added U.S. 29/NC 150 north and U.S. 70 east onto I-85 north just ahead of Exit 83 for NC 150 to Tyro, Reeds and Winston-Salem. 08/04/04

Shields for I-85 and U.S. 29-52-70 followed the gore point for NC 150 north. U.S. 29-70/NC 150 now follow a roadway paralleling the north side of I-85 to Exit 84. 05/30/05