Interstate 240 East

Interstate 240 through Asheville is the Billy Graham Freeway. The first reassurance marker was previously posted after the gore point for Left Exit 31 B to I-40/U.S. 74 west. It was removed after 2008.

05/31/07

I-26/240 turn east one mile from the exchange with I-40/U.S. 74 to NC 191 (Brevard Road) at Exit 1.

01/16/19

A pair of confirming markers stand between Hominy Creek and the S Bear Creek Road (SR 3413) overpass.

05/26/21

NC 191 (Brevard Road) leads south from I-26/240 to the North Carolina Arboretum and the adjacent farmers market. The state route travels 25 miles overall to U.S. 25 Business in Hendersonville.

05/26/21

NC 191 (Brevard Road) concludes 0.98 miles north of the diamond interchange (Exit 1A) with I-26/240 at U.S. 19/23 Business (Haywood Road).

01/16/19

Amboy Road (SR 3556) branches east from Exit 1C along the French Broad River by Carrier Park to French Broad River Park and Lyman Street.

01/16/19

Turning north, I-26/240 proceed into residential areas of West Asheville.

01/16/19

U.S. 19/23 Business branch 1.47 miles east along Haywood Road from U.S. 19/23 (Patton Avenue) near Wilshire Park to I-26/240 at Exit 2.

01/16/19

Exit 2 connects I-240 east with Hanover Street at Montana Avenue, two blocks south of Haywood Road (SR 3548).

05/26/21

Haywood Road (SR 3548) east to Clingman Avenue in Downtown represents an old alignment of U.S. 19A/23A. SR 3548 is also former NC 191 to Riverside Drive.

01/16/19

Construction starting in 2021 will build a new alignment for Interstate 26 extending north to U.S. 19-23-70, bypassing the substandard French Broad River crossing and exchange joining I-240 with Patton Avenue at Downtown.

01/16/19

Left Exit 3A connects with U.S. 19-23-74A (Patton Avenue) to west Asheville, Acton and I-40/U.S. 74.

01/16/19

Interstate 240 between Haywood Road (Exit 2) and Patton Avenue (Exit 3A) replaced Hanover Street, an original alignment of NC 191.¹

01/16/19

U.S. 19/23 continues north from I-240 along Future I-26 to UNC Asheville and Weaverville. A second supplemental sign references Woodfin (via NC 251), Mars Hill (at Exit 11) and Mars Hill University, all accessible from I-26/U.S. 19-23.

05/26/21

I-26/240 merge with U.S. 19/23 (Patton Avenue) at a trumpet interchange (Exit 3A). The slow or stopped traffic ahead sign was added at this exchange after 2003.

01/16/19

The succeeding exit ramp quickly departs I-26/240 onto a collector distributor roadway for Westgate Parkway and Resort Drive.

12/31/13

Resort Drive stems north from the westbound c/d roadway to the Crowne Plaza Golf Resort. Westgate Parkway serves Westgate Shopping Center adjacent to the resort. The I-26 Connector will head north from this point.

01/16/19

I-26/240 lower to cross the French Broad River ahead of their split outside Downtown Asheville.

01/16/19

I-26 west, I-240/U.S. 74A east and U.S. 19/23 north overlap for 0.48 miles. Expanding to eight overall lanes, the freeway crosses the French Broad River on substandard bridges dating from 1968 eastbound and 1950 westbound.

05/26/21

I-240 and Future I-26 split at three level interchange (Exits 4 A/B) between the French Broad River and Patton Avenue into Downtown Ashville. U.S. 19/23/70 combine with I-26 leading north from I-240. U.S. 70 joins I-240/U.S. 74A east.

05/26/21

Patton Avenue extends east from Exit 4 B, 0.9 miles to U.S. 25 at N Pack Square and Biltmore Avneue in the Asheville central business district. I-240 directly overlaid Patton Avenue when it was built.

05/26/21

The I-240/U.S. 74A overlap is first acknowledged eastbound on this shield assembly preceding the Patton Avenue overpass.

05/26/21

The first of three Downtown Asheville exits joins I-240 with adjacent Haywood Street. Haywood Street parallels I-240 on a discontinuous alignment between the French Broad River and Flint Street. Montford Avenue stems north from Haywood Street to the Montford Hills community.

05/26/21

Looping north from Patton Avenue, Haywood Street serves the Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville at Flint Street and Grove Arcade. Grove Arcade is a historic building dating from 1929 that reopened in 2002 as a Downtown destination housing boutiques, dining and crafts.²

05/26/21

U.S. 25 (Broadway Street) meets I-240 at a parclo interchange (Exit 5 A) with I-240/U.S. 70-74A at Elm Street (SR 4938) and Merrimon Avenue.

05/26/21

Broadway Street (SR 1781) branches northwest from U.S. 25 (Merrimon Avenue) at Exit 5 A to UNC-Asheville and Future I-26/U.S. 19-23-70. U.S. 25 continues north to Woodfin and south from Downtown to Biltmore Village.

05/26/21

U.S. 70/74 part ways with I-240 east at the diamond interchange (Exit 5 B) with Charlotte Street. U.S. 70/74A shift onto College Street east to the Beaucatcher Tunnel, paralleling I-240 across Beaucatcher Mountain.

05/26/21

U.S. 74 originally followed U.S. 25 northward into the city to meet U.S. 74A nearby at Merrimon Avenue. NC 694, a 6.32 mile route along Town Mountain Road to Blue Ridge Parkway, stems north from U.S. 70/74A (College Street) nearby.

10/25/15

Interstate 240 continues across Beaucatcher Mountain, turning south at a wye interchange (Exit 6) next to Piney Mountain for U.S. 70/74A (Tunnel Road) near Chunns Cove Road (SR 2042).

05/26/21

Two lanes depart at Exit 6 for the commercialized stretch of U.S. 70/74A (Tunnel Road) south from Beaucatcher Tunnel to Asheville Mall. Chunns Cove Road stems north along Ross Creek.

05/26/21

U.S. 70 (Tunnel Road) separates from U.S. 74A (S Tunnel Road) east from Asheville Mall to meet Interstate 240 at a three level interchange (Exit 7). U.S. 74A follows S Tunnel Road to NC 81 (Swannanoa River Road).

05/26/21

Exit 7 parts ways with I-240 eastbound to U.S. 70 (Tunnel Road). U.S. 70 parallels Interstate 40 east to Swannanoa and the town of Black Mountain.

05/26/21

Interstate 240 span both the Swannona River and U.S. 74A/NC 81 (Swannanona River Road) on a pair of bridges built in 1977.

05/26/21

The last Interstate 240 eastbound shield stands just south of the Swannanoa River.

12/31/13

U.S. 74A (Fairview Road) reconnects with I-240 south from NC 81 (Swannanoa River Road) and Beverly Hills at Exit 8. NC 81 heads west to Biltmore Village and east to U.S. 70 (Tunnel Road) at Oteen.

05/26/21

U.S. 74A combines with I-240 east from Fairview Road at a parclo A2 interchange (Exit 8). Fairview Road (SR 3238) extends west to the Oakley section of Asheville.

05/26/21

U.S. 74A and I-240 split at a wye interchange (Exit 9) just beyond Fairview Road. U.S. 74A links I-240 with Interstate 40 west to the Biltmore Estates and I-26 east to Hendersonville.

05/26/21

The Interstate 240 mainline defaults onto I-40 eastbound for Hickory, Statesville and Winston-Salem.

12/31/13

U.S. 74A (Charlotte Highway) branches southeast from Exit 9 en route to Minehole Gap between the Swannanoa Mountains and Chestnut Mountain and Fairview.

12/31/13

Leaving Asheville, U.S. 74A travels to Reynolds, Fairview and Bat Cave. Interstate 40 west continues back into Asheville en route to Canton, the Great Smoky Mountains and Knoxville, Tennessee.

05/26/21

Interstate 240 concludes eastbound on I-40 by Hemphill Knob.

01/16/19

U.S. 74A advances with two lanes into a cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 40.

05/26/21

An unnumbered ramp departs U.S. 74A for I-40 west ahead of a CSX Railroad overpass.

05/26/21

U.S. 74A next intersects Gashes Creek Road (SR 2834) and the eastbound ramps with Interstate 40. A truck route for U.S. 74A coincides with I-40 east to U.S. 221 south.

05/26/21

U.S. 74A meets the Blue Ridge Parkway at a grade separated intersection just beyond the end shield for I-240. U.S. 74A continues southeast to U.S. 64 at Bat Cave en route to Rutherfordton.

05/26/21