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[codyg1985]

is it supposed to go further north than tennessee?

There are no plans that I am aware of to extend I-26 north or west past its current western terminus. The US 23 divided highway north of there works pretty well.

[hbelkins]

is it supposed to go further north than tennessee?

There are no plans that I am aware of to extend I-26 north or west past its current western terminus. The US 23 divided highway north of there works pretty well.

Seems like I've heard scuttlebutt in the past of a plan to bypass the Weber City area of US 23 immediately north of the state line. That section, Wise, Pikeville, and the Harold/Betsy Layne area of southern Floyd County are really the only slowdowns along the route between the Tennessee/Virginia state line and I-64. The problem is getting the road across the mountain where the current US 23 runs through a gap just north of the US 58/421 intersection and the business route at Gate City.

As for an alternative north-south number for I-26, it would be out of the grid, but I-73 would fit that corridor a lot better than what's currently being built as I-73 in North Carolina.

[wdcrft63]

is it supposed to go further north than tennessee?

There are no plans that I am aware of to extend I-26 north or west past its current western terminus. The US 23 divided highway north of there works pretty well.

Seems like I've heard scuttlebutt in the past of a plan to bypass the Weber City area of US 23 immediately north of the state line. That section, Wise, Pikeville, and the Harold/Betsy Layne area of southern Floyd County are really the only slowdowns along the route between the Tennessee/Virginia state line and I-64. The problem is getting the road across the mountain where the current US 23 runs through a gap just north of the US 58/421 intersection and the business route at Gate City.

As for an alternative north-south number for I-26, it would be out of the grid, but I-73 would fit that corridor a lot better than what's currently being built as I-73 in North Carolina.

I'm afraid there's not much interest in the grid outside of this Forum and other places road geeks might gather. Drivers don't care about the number choices: what they care about is proper and non-confusing signage.

[The Ghostbuster]

I know this is a Fictional Highways question, but where would you extend Interstate 26 silverback1065? My ludicrous answer would be all the way to Interstate 75 in Flint, Michigan.

[silverback1065]

I know this is a Fictional Highways question, but where would you extend Interstate 26 silverback1065? My ludicrous answer would be all the way to Interstate 75 in Flint, Michigan.

If money were no object, i-270 in Columbus, ohio

[Dirt Roads]

I know this is a Fictional Highways question, but where would you extend Interstate 26 silverback1065? My ludicrous answer would be all the way to Interstate 75 in Flint, Michigan.

If money were no object, i-270 in Columbus, ohio

Yes, but this would still end at fictional I-73 in either Ashland or Chillicothe, depending on which way the wind blows.

[wriddle082]

is it supposed to go further north than tennessee?

There are no plans that I am aware of to extend I-26 north or west past its current western terminus. The US 23 divided highway north of there works pretty well.

Seems like I've heard scuttlebutt in the past of a plan to bypass the Weber City area of US 23 immediately north of the state line. That section, Wise, Pikeville, and the Harold/Betsy Layne area of southern Floyd County are really the only slowdowns along the route between the Tennessee/Virginia state line and I-64. The problem is getting the road across the mountain where the current US 23 runs through a gap just north of the US 58/421 intersection and the business route at Gate City.

As for an alternative north-south number for I-26, it would be out of the grid, but I-73 would fit that corridor a lot better than what's currently being built as I-73 in North Carolina.

I had always envisioned I-26 eventually following the Mountain Pkwy and ending at I-64 in Winchester.  Would give it a little more of a legit E-W section at one end at least.  Plus I think the current US 23 from Prestonsburg north will still suffice for the years to come.  But if anything were built north of Prestonsburg, it would definitely have to connect to I-64 at the current KY 67 interchange which was built for bigger and better things, and would have to cross the river to hit I-73/74 in OH.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Here's the latest project breakdown map for the now unfunded project A-0010, which will upgrade the stretch of "Future" I-26 to Interstate standards north of Asheville. Note this also proposes widening, hence the $250 million price tag for right-of-way and construction for the three sections. NCDOT's project page still shows the project being let in 2020. 

[silverback1065]

why does it show an i-540?

[hbelkins]

I had always envisioned I-26 eventually following the Mountain Pkwy and ending at I-64 in Winchester.  Would give it a little more of a legit E-W section at one end at least.  Plus I think the current US 23 from Prestonsburg north will still suffice for the years to come.  But if anything were built north of Prestonsburg, it would definitely have to connect to I-64 at the current KY 67 interchange which was built for bigger and better things, and would have to cross the river to hit I-73/74 in OH.

There's actually a proposal on the books to extend KY 67 from I-64 to US 23 at the KY 645 intersection between Paintsville and Louisa. It would obviously have to be built in stages.

https://transportation.ky.gov/Planning/Pages/Project-Details.aspx?Project=Ky%20-%20645%20Regional%20Corridor%20Study

[Roadgeekteen]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8336756,-89.6657447,5z
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.6705412,-82.5871167,12z

Google Maps has completed it for NCDOT 

[sprjus4]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8336756,-89.6657447,5z
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.6705412,-82.5871167,12z

Google Maps has completed it for NCDOT 

It's been marked forever now... it's signed on the ground as "Future I-26" using typical interstate shields.

It's not "officially" I-26, but for continuity sakes, it is.

[tolbs17]

Same thing with I-73?

[sprjus4]

Same thing with I-73?

Everywhere I-73 is designated is official…

[SkyPesos]

Same thing with I-73?

Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.

[Henry]

Same thing with I-73?

Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.

Ditto for I-74, except only OH and WV would've been involved in this case.

[Strider]

Same thing with I-73?

Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.

MI and OH, yes. They don't have I-73 in their plans.

As of WV, you're wrong. They're trying to revive I-73 project.

[SkyPesos]

Same thing with I-73?

Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.

MI and OH, yes. They don't have I-73 in their plans.

As of WV, you're wrong. They're trying to revive I-73 project.

Someone tell WV to stop trying then. Them finishing their last 4 lane section of US 35 would help Midwest-Carolinas traffic more than I-73 could dream of.

[sprjus4]

They want to build the I-73 / I-74 corridor in West Virginia as a typical four lane 65 mph divided highway, per West Virginia’s standard, not to interstate standards.

[hbelkins]

Same thing with I-73?

Not at all here, considering MI, OH and WV have zero interest in the I-73 project.

MI and OH, yes. They don't have I-73 in their plans.

As of WV, you're wrong. They're trying to revive I-73 project.

They want to build the I-73 / I-74 corridor in West Virginia as a typical four lane 65 mph divided highway, per West Virginia’s standard, not to interstate standards.

Thank you for clearing this up. And even what they propose -- four-laning the entirety of US 52 -- is simply not going to happen.

They have the grade done for a bypass of Crum, and there hasn't even been any effort to try to make that the mainline of US 52. From what I understand, the extension of the King Coal Highway from US 460 to WV 123 is as far as the project is going to go for the foreseeable future.