North Carolina

[74/171FAN]

NCDOT published a spreadsheet with its Final 2026-2035 STIP projects on July 9. There doesn't appear to be too much change from the earlier draft. Future interstate projects such as upgrading US 74 to I-74 between Rockingham and Laurinburg and Lumberton and Whiteville, portions of US 17 to I-87 north of Williamston, or US 117 between Goldsboro and I-40 which were listed as unfunded are still categorized that way. There are no listed projects to upgrade I-87 along US 64 except those underway except for the pavement rehab project east of Rolesville Road that may widen the shoulders and the letting of that has been delayed from Sept. to Dec. The future Kinston Bypass is listed, but only for programming purposes, no funding or date. Curiously, several US 17 projects south of Wilmington are now also listed as Future I-74, someone hasn't given up on the Myrtle Beach terminus yet (the Carolina Bays Parkway extension is also listed, but unfunded).

For those who want to peruse the document, it is available at:
https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/Transportation/stip/Pages/stip-documents.aspx

Bob:

There hasn't been a routing change to 74, nor to my knowledge a push to move 74 to Wilmington (outside of the hobby) so I'm confused by what you mean by "someone hasn't given up on the Myrtle Beach terminus yet." When nothing has changed.

My understanding from watching Mileage Mike on this was, "there is no way NC is going to let I-74 go to SC". See 3:43.

(Bonus:  Adam, your comment was second on that video.)

Having stated that, yeah I agree that officially nothing has changed regarding the proposed routing.

[Strider]

Yeah, while nothing has been changed for I-74 route down to SC, however the majority of us feel I-74 should just go east to Wilmington and end there. Since I-73 will eventually serve Myrtle Beach (if it is ever extended and built), there is no reason I-74 should go down there.