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[Henry]

An Interstate 74, a US 74, and a NC 74 all co-existing in North Carolina? This really is the Twilight Zone!

The concurrence of I-74 and US 74 is an unfortunate result of Congressional action, not something that North Carolina sought specifically. NC 74 is simply a placeholder for future sections of I-74, not a separate highway.

What makes it worse is that it will not connect to Cincinnati, due to the lack of interest from the states in between. In a perfect world, I-73 would be I-79, and US 74 would be a I-3x route from Asheville to Wilmington, but we'll never know that now.

[Katavia]

An Interstate 74, a US 74, and a NC 74 all co-existing in North Carolina? This really is the Twilight Zone!

The concurrence of I-74 and US 74 is an unfortunate result of Congressional action, not something that North Carolina sought specifically. NC 74 is simply a placeholder for future sections of I-74, not a separate highway.

So basically NC 74 is just a fancy unbuilt unsigned highway?   

[WashuOtaku]

An Interstate 74, a US 74, and a NC 74 all co-existing in North Carolina? This really is the Twilight Zone!

The concurrence of I-74 and US 74 is an unfortunate result of Congressional action, not something that North Carolina sought specifically. NC 74 is simply a placeholder for future sections of I-74, not a separate highway.

So basically NC 74 is just a fancy unbuilt unsigned highway?   

Will be, for just a few years.

[wdcrft63]

An Interstate 74, a US 74, and a NC 74 all co-existing in North Carolina? This really is the Twilight Zone!

The concurrence of I-74 and US 74 is an unfortunate result of Congressional action, not something that North Carolina sought specifically. NC 74 is simply a placeholder for future sections of I-74, not a separate highway.

So basically NC 74 is just a fancy unbuilt unsigned highway?   

Will be, for just a few years.

NCDOT has started construction on a 4 mile segment of the Winston-Salem Beltway (Future I-74) extending from US 421 (aka Business I-40) to US 158. This segment should be completed in 2019. It will be at least five years, maybe longer, before this segment will be connected to the completed portion of I-74. So for at least five years IMO this segment would be signed as NC 74.

[CanesFan27]

An Interstate 74, a US 74, and a NC 74 all co-existing in North Carolina? This really is the Twilight Zone!

The concurrence of I-74 and US 74 is an unfortunate result of Congressional action, not something that North Carolina sought specifically. NC 74 is simply a placeholder for future sections of I-74, not a separate highway.

What makes it worse is that it will not connect to Cincinnati, due to the lack of interest from the states in between. In a perfect world, I-73 would be I-79, and US 74 would be a I-3x route from Asheville to Wilmington, but we'll never know that now.

Question: at night, do you lose sleep over this?

[Henry]

An Interstate 74, a US 74, and a NC 74 all co-existing in North Carolina? This really is the Twilight Zone!

The concurrence of I-74 and US 74 is an unfortunate result of Congressional action, not something that North Carolina sought specifically. NC 74 is simply a placeholder for future sections of I-74, not a separate highway.

What makes it worse is that it will not connect to Cincinnati, due to the lack of interest from the states in between. In a perfect world, I-73 would be I-79, and US 74 would be a I-3x route from Asheville to Wilmington, but we'll never know that now.

Question: at night, do you lose sleep over this?

No more than over I-99 in PA!

[CanesFan27]

An Interstate 74, a US 74, and a NC 74 all co-existing in North Carolina? This really is the Twilight Zone!

The concurrence of I-74 and US 74 is an unfortunate result of Congressional action, not something that North Carolina sought specifically. NC 74 is simply a placeholder for future sections of I-74, not a separate highway.

What makes it worse is that it will not connect to Cincinnati, due to the lack of interest from the states in between. In a perfect world, I-73 would be I-79, and US 74 would be a I-3x route from Asheville to Wilmington, but we'll never know that now.

Question: at night, do you lose sleep over this?

No more than over I-99 in PA!

Well judging from your posts - you must never get any sleep then.

[The Ghostbuster]

Interstate 74 in North Carolina is here to stay, just like Interstate 99 in Pennsylvania and New York. Maybe we should stop whining about it and just accept those facts.

[CanesFan27]

Any guesses to where this photo was taken: US 64 East of Raleigh.

U.S. 64 east of Raleigh sometime around the late 1940s. #tbt pic.twitter.com/MT4ezKZqvo

— NCDOT (@NCDOT) April 28, 2016

Personally I think somewhere near the current WakeMed campus.

[Mapmikey]

Any guesses to where this photo was taken: US 64 East of Raleigh.

U.S. 64 east of Raleigh sometime around the late 1940s. #tbt pic.twitter.com/MT4ezKZqvo

— NCDOT (@NCDOT) April 28, 2016

Personally I think somewhere near the current WakeMed campus.

Pretty sure it is here:
https://goo.gl/maps/hdZ4ZoBu4pP2

1965 Aerials support this...  current aerials show that a flock of trees has sprung up in front of the building that is visible up the hill in the NCDOT picture...

[CanesFan27]

Any guesses to where this photo was taken: US 64 East of Raleigh.

U.S. 64 east of Raleigh sometime around the late 1940s. #tbt pic.twitter.com/MT4ezKZqvo

— NCDOT (@NCDOT) April 28, 2016

Personally I think somewhere near the current WakeMed campus.

Pretty sure it is here:
https://goo.gl/maps/hdZ4ZoBu4pP2

1965 Aerials support this...  current aerials show that a flock of trees has sprung up in front of the building that is visible up the hill in the NCDOT picture...

So yes just West of Wake Med.

[wdcrft63]

NCDOT has completed the formal designation of its Preferred Alternative for the NC 540 beltway south and southeast of Raleigh. No surprise on the route, which was announced earlier this year. Next up is work on the Final Environmental Impact Statement, with construction by the NC Turnpike Authority expected sometime during the 2017-18 fiscal year. Here's the announcement:
https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=12458

[The Ghostbuster]

How long will it be before we can drive around the entire 67-mile circle?

[bob7374]

How long will it be before we can drive around the entire 67-mile circle?

According to the NCDOT site, the work will be done in 3 phases:
1. N.C. 55 Bypass to U.S. 401
2. U.S. 401 to I-40, and
3. I-40 to U.S. 64/264 Bypass (I-495)
Construction could start in FY 2017, but with the Final EIS still due, I think 2018 is more likely. Assuming they don't start the next phase until the prior one is complete and it takes 2-3 years to complete each section, you're probably looking at 2025 as the earliest possible completion date for the entire loop, which, by the way is 70 miles around, not 67.

[WashuOtaku]

3. I-40 to U.S. 64/264 Bypass (I-495)

When everything is completed, that interchange with I-40, US 70/Future Interstate and NC 540 is going to be crazy looking.  I wish they already had designs how that interchange will look.

[froggie]

I wish they already had designs how that interchange will look.

They do. (Warning:  119mb file)

[CanesFan27]

3. I-40 to U.S. 64/264 Bypass (I-495)

When everything is completed, that interchange with I-40, US 70/Future Interstate and NC 540 is going to be crazy looking.  I wish they already had designs how that interchange will look.

I wish they already had designs how that interchange will look.

They do. (Warning:  119mb file)

Yes, the existing trumpet will stay then you have a cloverleaf and turbine interchange right on top of it plus widening of 40 to this point to six lanes.  It's gonna be fun to watch in 10 years.

[wdcrft63]

I believe the STIP has the widening of I-40 for construction starting in 2018. So that may precede the NC 540 construction. And it can't come too soon.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Now that I am living in NC,  I caught an article about the STIP update for Charlotte's MPO.  Widening 85 to 8 lanes down to the 29/74 exit by Kings Mountain and 6 lanes thereafter to the border.  But the big lock surprise: Upgrading Us 74 to interstate standards to Asheville to be redesignated I-426

[mvak36]

Now that I am living in NC,  I caught an article about the STIP update for Charlotte's MPO.  Widening 85 to 8 lanes down to the 29/74 exit by Kings Mountain and 6 lanes thereafter to the border.  But the big lock surprise: Upgrading Us 74 to interstate standards to Asheville to be redesignated I-426

Do you have a link to the article, by chance? I tried looking for it, but couldn't find anything.

[froggie]

You may not have found anything because the referenced projects are not in the Charlotte MPO area.  Gaston, Lincoln, and Cleveland Counties are their own MPO.

[WashuOtaku]

Now that I am living in NC,  I caught an article about the STIP update for Charlotte's MPO.  Widening 85 to 8 lanes down to the 29/74 exit by Kings Mountain and 6 lanes thereafter to the border.  But the big lock surprise: Upgrading Us 74 to interstate standards to Asheville to be redesignated I-426

The designation makes sense, as it would be a connector interstate between I-26 and I-85.  However, we do need a source, if possible.

[Mapmikey]

All I can find is this discussion, which provides a link to the updated STIP which does include converting US 74 to an interstate west of Shellby but does not specify a number.

Later in this discussion I-426 is speculated as a number...

http://www.city-data.com/forum/charlotte/2569030-new-transportation-projects-submitted-charlotte-region.html

[The Ghostbuster]

How difficult would it be to connect the two freeway segments of US 74 between Interstate 26 and Interstate 85? Approximately how much condemning of homes and businesses would be necessary?

[wdcrft63]

All I can find is this discussion, which provides a link to the updated STIP which does include converting US 74 to an interstate west of Shellby but does not specify a number.

Later in this discussion I-426 is speculated as a number...

http://www.city-data.com/forum/charlotte/2569030-new-transportation-projects-submitted-charlotte-region.html

The new STIP is in a very early phase, so it's too early to put a lot of stock in this. However, it's a reasonable idea. Since the road is west to east, the I-x26 number is preferable to I-x85, I think.