Wade Avenue history

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

Does anybody know if there was ever a proposal to route I-40 along Wade Avenue in Raleigh? I know about half of it is a freeway, but it also treads close to Meredith College and several neighborhoods. I'd imagine if 40 was proposed along the Wade, it would have gotten about the same treatment as the Sam Cooper Blvd. arrangement of 40 through Memphis

[dfilpus]

Before I-40, a freeway named the Raleigh-Chapel Hill Expressway was built from the current I-440 interchange to NC-147 in RTP. In 1971, the segment from NC-147 to the current Wade Avenue/I-40 was designated I-40 while the current I-40 from Wade Avenue to the US-1 interchange was being built ( opened in 1983 or 1984 ). There is no evidence that the remaining segment of the Raleigh-Chapel Hill Expressway was ever designated as I-40.

[wdcrft63]

Before I-40, a freeway named the Raleigh-Chapel Hill Expressway was built from the current I-440 interchange to NC-147 in RTP. In 1971, the segment from NC-147 to the current Wade Avenue/I-40 was designated I-40 while the current I-40 from Wade Avenue to the US-1 interchange was being built ( opened in 1983 or 1984 ). There is no evidence that the remaining segment of the Raleigh-Chapel Hill Expressway was ever designated as I-40.

In the 1970s there were I-40 signs along the freeway from the Raleigh Beltline (I-440 today) to the Durham Freeway (then unnumbered, now NC 147). That is, I can testify that the Wade Avenue freeway between the modern I-440 and the modern I-40 was indeed signed as I-40. 

[The Ghostbuster]

Maybe the Wade Avenue Freeway could have been Interstate 340, assuming the roadway was brought up to Interstate Standards.

[tolbs17]

This is some fictional talk I see here.

I was thinking the same thing. I-40 could have went in this path

http://prntscr.com/wl8sqz

Except for the hilly parts.

[1995hoo]

I remember back in the mid-1990s when people attending football games at Carter-Finley Stadium parked on the median of Wade Avenue. I recall doing so myself once. I don't remember whether they had cops stopping traffic to let people cross the road, though. Just too long ago to recall very well.

[Evan_Th]

This is some fictional talk I see here.

I was thinking the same thing. I-40 could have went in this path

http://prntscr.com/wl8sqz

Except for the hilly parts.

Would've needed a new freeway straight through downtown, though.  I don't think anyone was ever considering that, and it would've been a very bad thing.