Interstate 85 in North Carolina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the section of Interstate 85 in North Carolina. For the entire route, see Interstate 85.
Interstate 85 marker
Interstate 85
I-85 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length234.6 mi[1] (377.6 km)
Existed1958–present
Major junctions
South end I-85 at the South Carolina line near Blacksburg, SC
  I-485 in Charlotte (twice)
I-77 / US 21 in Charlotte
I-285 / I-85 BL / US 29 / US 52 / US 70 near Lexington
I-74 near Archdale
I-73 / US 421 in Greensboro
I-40 in Greensboro
US 15 / US 501 in Durham
US 1 in Henderson
North end I-85 at the Virginia line near Bracey, VA
Location
CountiesCleveland, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Rowan, Davidson, Randolph, Guilford, Alamance, Orange, Durham, Granville, Vance, Warren
Highway system
  • Interstate Highway System
← NC 84→ NC 86

Interstate 85 (I-85) is an Interstate highway that runs from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia. In North Carolina, I-85 travels 234.6 miles (377.6 km) from the South Carolina state line near Grover, North Carolina to the Virginia state line near Wise. Despite being signed north–south, I-85 physically travels in a southwest-northeast direction across the state. The Interstate highway connects the three most populous metropolitan areas of North Carolina, Metrolina, Piedmont Triad, and Research Triangle, as well as nine of the twenty largest municipalities in the state. Outside of North Carolina, I-85 connects the state with Richmond, Virginia to the north, and Upstate South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia to the south. I-85 follows several U.S. Highways including US 29 between South Carolina and Greensboro, US 70 between Greensboro and Durham, and US 15 between Durham and Oxford, and US 1 between Henderson and Virginia.

Route description[]

I-85 northbound at the exit for US 29/NC 49 in Charlotte

I-85 enters the state from Cherokee County, South Carolina near Grover in Cleveland County, an outer suburb of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After only a few miles, the highway enters Gaston County. Near Kings Mountain, I-85 turns from a northeast trajectory to an eastward one and goes through Gastonia, where it widens from four to six lanes. It stays at six lanes until it reaches Belmont, where the highway widens again to eight lanes.

The highway crosses the Catawba River as it enters Mecklenburg County, then interchanges with I-485 as it passes north of Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. After crossing I-485, it turns northeastward again, bypassing Uptown Charlotte to the west and north. While the route does not enter Uptown, several exits do provide access to the area. An interchange with Interstate 77 north of Uptown provides direct freeway access. The route through Charlotte traverses the northern portion of the city and is more suburban than urban in character, with light industry such as truck terminals, warehouses, small manufacturing facilities, and small office parks lining the highway. It also passes by the University City area and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

North of Charlotte, I-85 interchanges with I-485 a second time as it continues northeastward into Cabarrus County. In Concord, it passes through a dense commercial district and provides access to both Concord Mills shopping mall and Charlotte Motor Speedway, afterwards passing south and east of Kannapolis. As of February 2019, the highway between exit 58 (near Concord) and exit 68 near the Rowan County town of China Grove is being rebuilt and expanded from 4 lanes total (two in each direction) with no shoulders. When complete, the route will have 8 total lanes through to its junction with Business 85 south of Lexington.

Between Exits 96 and 102, the northbound and southbound lanes switch places. The southbound lane crosses over the northbound lane just before the northbound lane passes over a small bridge over Hamby Creek. East of the northbound overpass and southbound underpass with Squire Bowers Road, a pair of rest areas which contain the North Carolina Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park are entered from the right, but are still in the median. Only after the underpasses beneath Johnsontown Road does the northbound lane run over the southbound one returning to its proper location.

Approximately 70 miles (110 km) northeast of the Charlotte area is the Triad area, anchored by the cities of Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point. I-85 bypasses High Point and also largely bypasses Greensboro. Up until February 2004, I-85 went through the heart of Greensboro and joined Interstate 40 near downtown. Today, I-85 is routed along the Greensboro Urban Loop and meets I-40 east of downtown. Its former route is now known as Business 85.

Interstates 85 and 40 remain joined as they continue eastward to the Triangle region, anchored by the cities of Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh. West of Durham near Hillsborough, the two highways split, with I-40 heading southeast through Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh while I-85 continues eastward through Durham, then northeastward as it exits the city. In between Greensboro and Durham, 85/40 is 8 lanes wide even through the more suburban stretches. Once 85 hits Durham it temporarily widens to 10 lanes. It takes on a more suburban character once it leaves Durham and then heads into rural areas, bypassing Oxford and Henderson before crossing into Mecklenburg County, Virginia.

Dedicated and memorial names[]

Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Gene Conti and NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon unveiling a sign for the Jeff Gordon Expressway
Sign dedicating the Blue Star Memorial Highway.

I-85 in North Carolina feature a few dedicated or memorialized stretches of freeway.

  • Blue Star Memorial Highway – official North Carolina honorary name of Interstate 85 throughout the state (approved: May 5, 1967).[2][3]
  • Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway – official North Carolina name of Interstate 85 through Gaston County (approved: October 3, 1997)[3]
  • William James Pharr Bridge – official North Carolina name of Bridge over South Fork River on Interstate 85 in Gaston County (approved: August 5, 1994).[3]
  • Cameron Morrison Bridge – official North Carolina name of Bridge over Catawba River on Interstate 85 between Gaston and Mecklenburg counties (approved: March 11, 1983). It is named in honor of Cameron A. Morrison, known as the Good Roads Governor.[3]
  • Julius Chambers Highway – official North Carolina name of I-85 between I-77/US 21 and the I-85 Connector (four miles (6.4 km)), in Charlotte. It is named in honor of Julius L. Chambers, who was a lawyer, civil rights leader and educator (dedicated May 24, 2018).[4][5]
  • Jeff Gordon Expressway – official North Carolina name of I-85 from Charlotte city limit to the Mecklenburg/Cabarrus county line in Northeast Mecklenburg County (1.6 mi (2.6 km)).[6] It is named in honor of NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon (dedicated May 25, 2012).[7][8][9][10]
  • Yadkin River Veterans Memorial Bridge – official North Carolina name of Bridge over Yadkin River on Interstate 85 between Rowan and Davidson counties (approved: May 11, 2011).[11]
  • Bob Timberlake Freeway - official North Carolina name of I-85 from exit 92 to exit 96 in Davidson County.[12]
  • Richard Childress Freeway - official North Carolina name of I-85 from exit 96 to exit 102 in Davidson County.[12]
  • Congressman J. Howard Coble Highway – official North Carolina name of I-85 from I-40 to Alamance Church Road in Guilford County (approved: December 1, 2016). It is named in honor of Congressman Howard Coble, who represented North Carolina's 6th district for 30 years.[13]
  • Sam Hunt Freeway – official North Carolina name of I-85/I-40 from the Guilford County line to one mile east of NC 54 in Graham (approved: September 5, 1997).[3]
  • Dr. John H. Franklin Highway – official North Carolina name of I-85/US 70, between Cole Mill Road (exit 173) and US 70 (exit 178), in Durham. It is named in honor of John Hope Franklin, an American Historian and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[14]

History[]

I-40/85 through Burlington
I-85 passing through Durham

Parts of Interstate 85 were already constructed before federal aid was available in the 1950s, as the state had been constructing sections of the Interstate Highway System since 1949. The Lexington Bypass north of Lexington - which at the time was signed U.S. 29 and U.S. 70 - is now a part of Business I-85.[15] This was part of an 80-mile expressway completed in 1955 between Lexington and Hillsborough.[16]

One planned road was the Salisbury bypass, 15 miles (24 km) long with a $1 million 880-foot (270 m) twin-span bridge over the Yadkin River. Construction on the bridge started in 1955 (this date is shown on a plaque, and most sources have used the date), but the lanes were not as wide as federal standards required, and the road had a sharp curve north of the bridge. Both of these characteristics saved money.

The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 provided for 90 percent federal funding of highways that would become part of the Interstate Highway System, and the N.C. Highway Commission used the funds to build the rest of the highway, which opened as I-85 in 1958. The bridge, finished a year earlier, was "grandfathered" despite not meeting standards.[17]

Another section of I-85 opened to traffic on September 9, 1958 when an 11.3-mile (18.2 km) stretch in Mecklenburg County was opened.

The year 1960 saw several sections of the highway open to traffic:[15]

  • An 18.3-mile (29.5 km) section of Interstate 85 between Henderson and the Virginia border as well as a 46-mile (74 km) section between Greensboro and western Durham opened to traffic.
  • A 15.4-mile portion of U.S. 29/U.S. 70 between Salisbury and Greensboro was incorporated into I-85 when further grade separations and access control were completed.
  • A 14-mile (23 km) segment of I-85 known as the "Charlotte Bypass" in Charlotte.
  • A 13.8-mile (22.2 km) segment between Greensboro and Whitsett.

By 1965, I-85 from the South Carolina border to Charlotte was complete, while it took until 1970 for the section between Charlotte and Durham to be completed. However, the "Temporary 85" designation would remain on the segment between Lexington and Greensboro until 1984 because there were too many access roads. That year, a new six-lane section opened, resulting in the "Temporary 85" designation to be dropped.[18]

Since its completion, many widening projects have been undertaken on I-85, particularly along the stretch of highway between Gastonia and Durham. By 1988, widening I-85 to six lanes from Greensboro to Burlington was being considered.[19] The plan was later changed to eight lanes.[20] The $175 million project began in 1989. With the opening of a 2.3-mile (3.7 km) section in Alamance County on November 23, 1994, 21 miles (34 km) of I-85/I-40 were eight lanes. An additional 14 miles (23 km) were to be ready by 1996, giving the interstate eight lanes all the way to where I-40 turned southward at Hillsborough.[21]

In addition, Interstate 85 was relocated in 2004, south of Greensboro, forming part of the Greensboro Urban Loop, allowing through traffic to bypass that city's downtown area.[citation needed] Between 2004 and 2008, I-85 was widened to eight lanes around Salisbury.[17]

The I-85 Corridor Improvement Project, located in Rowan County and Davidson County, was a two-phase project to replace the narrow bridge over the Yadkin River and widen the freeway from four to eight lanes.[22] In the first phase, all traffic from the old bridge moved to a new $201 million bridge in August 2012.[17] On March 9, 2013, all eight lanes of the I-85 bridge opened to the public.[23] The project finished eight months ahead of schedule and $44 million under budget.[24]

From May 2010 through April 2014, I-85 was widened from four to eight lanes between exit 49 (near Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Mall) and Exit 55.[25]

Current projects[]

Following the completion of the widening of I-85 between exits 49 and 55, a new project was started to widen I-85 from exit 55 (NC 73) in Concord, Cabarrus County northward to exit 68 (NC 152) in China Grove, Rowan County. Like the prior project, I-85 is being doubled in capacity, expanding from two travel lanes in each direction to four travel lanes in each direction. The project is now complete as of May 2021. The first phase (from Exit 55 to Exit 63) begun in Spring 2014, and the second phase (from Exit 63 to Exit 68) begun in Spring 2017.[26] Construction is scheduled to be completed by December 2017.[27] When finished, that will leave I-85 in North Carolina with at least six lanes of highway between Exits 10 (US 29 north / US 74 – Kings Mountain, Shelby) and 164 (I-40 in Hillsborough).

Auxiliary routes[]

Interstate City Type Notes
Business Loop 85.svg Interstate 85 Business Lexington, High Point, and Greensboro Business loop Expressway grade from Lexington-High Point
I-285.svg Interstate 285 Lexington and Winston-Salem Connector Complete concurrency with US 52
I-485.svg Interstate 485 Charlotte Beltway Uses Huntersville, Matthews and Pineville as control cities
I-785.svg Interstate 785 Greensboro and Danville Spur Currently a 7-mile (11 km) freeway in eastern Guilford County; to be extended.
I-885.svg Interstate 885 Durham Connector Proposed designation along NC 147 and US 70

Exit list[]

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
ClevelandGrover0.00.0 I-85 south – SpartanburgContinuation from South Carolina
​1.82.92 NC 216 – Kings Mountain National Military Park
​3.65.84 US 29 southSouth end of US 29 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
​4.87.75Dixon School Road
Kings Mountain7.612.28 NC 161 – Kings Mountain
Gaston10.016.110 US 29 north / US 74 – Kings Mountain, ShelbyNorth end of US 29 overlap; signed as exits 10A (north/east) and 10B (west)
Bessemer City12.820.613Edgewood Road – Bessemer City
Gastonia14.523.314 NC 274 – East Bessemer City, West Gastonia
17.027.417 US 321 – Gastonia, LincolntonSigned as exits 17A (south) and 17B (north) southbound
19.030.619 NC 7 – East Gastonia
19.731.720 NC 279 (New Hope Road) – Dallas
20.633.221Cox Road – Ranlo
Lowell22.335.922Main Street – Cramerton, Lowell
23.237.323 NC 7 – Lowell, McAdenville
Belmont25.741.426Belmont–Mount Holly Road – Belmont, Mount HollyTo Belmont Abbey College
26.943.327 NC 273 – Belmont, Mount Holly
Mecklenburg​29.447.329Sam Wilson RoadTo U.S. National Whitewater Center
​30.348.830
 I-485 to I-77 – Pineville, Huntersville		Signed southbound as exits 30B (north/inner) and 30A (south/outer)
Charlotte32.051.532 Little Rock Road – CLT Airport
33.253.433Billy Graham Parkway (Charlotte Route 4) – Farmers MarketTo Billy Graham Library
34.755.834 NC 27 (Freedom Drive) / Tuckaseegee Road
35.457.035Glenwood Drive
36.258.336
 NC 16 (Brookshire Boulevard) to US 74 east – Downtown Charlotte
37.860.837Beatties Ford Road – Johnson C. Smith University
38.261.538 I-77 / US 21 – Statesville, ColumbiaHybrid interchange
38.862.439Statesville Avenue / Statesville Road
40.565.240Graham Street
41.366.541Sugar Creek Road (Charlotte Route 4)
42.368.142

 To US 29 / NC 49 (North Tryon Street)		Northbound exit and southbound entrance
43.069.243
 To NC 49 / University City Boulevard		To Ikea Boulevard
44.571.645 NC 24 (W.T. Harris Boulevard)Signed as exits 45A (east) and 45B (west)
46.274.446Mallard Creek Church RoadSigned northbound as exits 46A (east) and 46B (west)
47.576.448
 I-485 to I-77 north – Huntersville, Matthews		Turbine interchange; I-77 signed southbound
CabarrusConcord49.279.249Bruton Smith Boulevard / Concord Mills BoulevardTo Concord Mills and Charlotte Motor Speedway
51.883.452Poplar Tent RoadDDI[28]
53.686.354George W. Liles Parkway / Kannapolis Parkway
55.088.555 NC 73 – Concord, HuntersvilleTo Rowan-Cabarrus Community College South Campus; DDI[29]
58.093.358 US 29 / US 601 south – Kannapolis, ConcordSouth end of US 601 overlap
Kannapolis59.996.460Dale Earnhardt Boulevard / Copperfield BoulevardSigned as exits 60A and 60B northbound
62.5100.663Lane Street – Kannapolis
RowanLandis65.0104.665Old Beatty Ford Road – LandisOpened November 14, 2019.
China Grove68.0109.468 US 29 / NC 152 – China Grove, Rockwell
Salisbury70.4113.370Webb Road
71.5115.171Peeler Road
72.3116.472Peach Orchard Road
73.7118.674Julian Road
74.5119.975 US 601 north (Jake Alexander Boulevard)North end of US 601 overlap; to Rowan–Cabarrus CC North Campus
76.0122.376 US 52 south (Innes Street) – Albemarle, SalisburySouth end of US 52 overlap; formerly signed as exits 76A (south) and 76B (north)
East Spencer79.0127.179Andrews Street – Spencer, East Spencer
Spencer80.4129.481Long Ferry Road – Spencer
Yadkin River82.2132.3Yadkin River Veterans Memorial Bridge
Davidson​82.7133.182 US 29 south / US 70 west / NC 150 east – SpencerPermanently closed as of April 2010[22][30][31][32]
​83.1133.783 NC 150Permanently closed as of May 2013[22][31][32]
​83.4134.284
 US 29 south / US 70 west to NC 150 – Spencer		South end of US 29 and west end of US 70 overlap
​84.4135.885Clark RoadPermanently closed as of November 2012[33]
​85.5137.686Belmont Road
​87.2140.387 I-285 north / I-85 BL north / US 29 north / US 52 north / US 70 east – Lexington, Winston-SalemNorth end of US 29/US 52 and east end of US 70 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
​88.0141.688

 NC 47 (Hargrave Road) to I-285 / US 52
Lexington91.1146.691 NC 8 – Lexington, Southmont
93.7150.894Old US 64
96.0154.596 US 64 – Asheboro, Lexington
Thomasville101.5163.3102Lake Road
103.4166.4103 NC 109 – Thomasville
RandolphTrinity105.5169.8106Finch Farm Road
107.5173.0108Hopewell Church Road – Trinity
Archdale111.0178.6111Main Street – Archdale, Downtown High Point
Guilford112.7181.4113A NC 62 – Archdale
113.4182.5113B-C I-74 – Asheboro, Winston-SalemSigned as exits 113B (east) and 113C (west)
Greensboro118.1190.1118 I-85 BL south / US 29 south / US 70 west – High PointSouth end of US 29 and west end of US 70 overlap
119.5192.3119Groometown Road to Grandover ParkwaySigned as exit 122A southbound
120.0193.1120A US 29 north / US 70 east – GreensboroNorth end of US 29 and east end of US 70 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
120.4193.8120B I-73 north / US 421 north – Winston-Salem, MartinsvilleSigned as exit 121 southbound; north end of US 421 overlap
121.7195.9122 I-73 south / US 220 – Asheboro, GreensboroSouthbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 122B (south) and 122C (north)
123.7199.1124South Elm–Eugene Street
126.0202.8126 US 421 south – SanfordSigned as exits 126A (US 421 South) and 126B (Greensboro); south end of US 421 overlap
128.2206.3128Alamance Church Road
130.2209.5129Youngs Mill Road
132.0212.4131 I-40 west / I-785 north – Greensboro, Winston-Salem, DanvilleWest end of I-40 overlap; hidden I-840 west
McLeansville133.3214.5132Mount Hope Church Road
Whitsett136.3219.4135Rock Creek Dairy Road
138.6223.1138 NC 61 – Gibsonville
AlamanceBurlington141.5227.7140University Drive – ElonTo Elon University
142.5229.3141Huffman Mill Road
144.2232.1143 NC 62 – Downtown Burlington, Alamance
146.3235.4145 NC 49 – Downtown Burlington, Liberty
Graham148.0238.2147 NC 87 – Graham, Pittsboro
149.0239.8148 NC 54 – Chapel Hill, Carrboro
Haw River150.8242.7150Jimmie Kerr Road – Haw River, Roxboro
Mebane153.2246.6152Trollingwood Road
154.0247.8153 NC 119 – Mebane
155.5250.3154Mebane–Oaks Road – Mebane
Orange​158.2254.6157Buckhorn Road
Efland161.3259.6160Mount Willing Road – Efland
161.9260.6161

 To US 70 / NC 86 north (U.S. 70 Connector)
Hillsborough164.0263.9163 I-40 east – RaleighEast end of I-40 overlap
165.2265.9164Old NC 86 – Hillsborough
166.5268.0165 NC 86 – Chapel Hill, Hillsborough
Eno170.8274.9170

 US 70 west / US 70 Bus. east to NC 751 – Duke University		West end of US 70 overlap; to Bennett Place
DurhamDurham173.3278.9172 NC 147 south – Downtown Durham, Research Triangle ParkNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; to North Carolina Central University
174.2280.3173Cole Mill Road
174.7281.2174A


 US 15 south / US 501 south to US 70 Bus. / NC 751 / Hillsborough Road – Chapel Hill		South end of US 15/US 501 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
175.3282.1174BHillandale Road
176.0283.2175 NC 157 (Guess Road)To NC School of Science & Math and Duke Homestead
177.2285.2176 US 501 north (Duke Street) / Gregson Street – RoxboroNorth end of US 501 overlap; signed northbound as exits 176A (Gregson St) and 176B (Roxboro)
178.2286.8177

 US 15 Bus. south / US 501 Bus. (Roxboro Street) / NC 55 east (Avondale Drive)		To North Carolina Central University
179.2288.4178 US 70 east – RDU Airport, RaleighEast end of US 70 overlap
180.6290.6179East Club Boulevard
181.3291.8180Glenn School Road
Gorman183.0294.5182Red Mill Road
184.5296.9183Redwood Road
Granville​186.7300.5186 US 15 north – Creedmoor, ButnerNorth end of US 15 overlap; signed northbound as exits 186A (US 15) and 186B (Butner)
Butner189.7305.3189Gate Two Road – Butner
192.0309.0191 NC 56 – Butner, Creedmoor
​202.8326.4202 US 15 – Oxford, Clarksville VA
Oxford205.1330.1204 NC 96 – Oxford
207.5333.9206 US 158 – Oxford, Roxboro
Vance​210.6338.9209Poplar Creek RoadTo Vance–Granville Community College
Henderson213.0342.8212Ruin Creek Road
214.0344.4213
 US 158 Byp. west / Dabney Drive		West end of US 158 overlap
215.5346.8214 NC 39 – Downtown Henderson
216.4348.3215
 US 158 Byp. east / Parham Road		East end of US 158 overlap
218.0350.8217Satterwhite Point RoadTo Satterwhite Point
219.0352.4218 US 1 south – RaleighSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Middleburg221.0355.7220 US 1 / US 158 / Fleming Road – Norlina
WarrenManson224.5361.3223Manson-Drewry Road
​226.8365.0226Ridgeway-Drewry Road
​229.7369.7229Oine Road
​233.8376.3233 US 1 / US 401 – Wise, Norlina
​234.6377.6 I-85 north – PetersburgContinuation into Virginia
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Closed/former
  •       Concurrency terminus
  •       Incomplete access

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Google (December 27, 2012). "Interstate 85" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  2. ^ "NCDOT: NC Blue Star Memorial Marker Locations". Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "North Carolina Memorial Highways and other Named Facilities" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  4. ^ Crump, Steve (May 25, 2018). "A highway honor for a civil rights hero". Charlotte, NC: WBTV. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  5. ^ Lowe, Jonathan (May 24, 2018). "Part of I-85 named after prominent attorney, civil rights activist". Charlotte, NC: Spectrum News. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  6. ^ Busbee, Jay (May 26, 2013). "There is, alas, a speed limit on the Jeff Gordon Expressway". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  7. ^ Flores, Adrianne; Brad Broders (October 19, 2011). "Mecklenburg County Commissioners approve 'Jeff Gordon Expressway'". Raleigh, NC: News 14 Carolina. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  8. ^ Lyttle, Steve (May 24, 2012). "Ready for the Jeff Gordon Expressway?". Gulfport, MS: Sun Herald.com. Retrieved June 19, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "Flickr - I-85 Jeff Gordon Expressway Ceremony". Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  10. ^ "NCDOT dedicates section of I-85 in Mecklenburg County as the Jeff Gordon Expressway". Hendrick Motorsports. May 25, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  11. ^ "Bill to rename Yadkin River Bridge passes". Salisbury Post. May 13, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Stratton, Seth (December 16, 2008). "DOT dedicates part of I-85 as Childress freeway". the-dispatch.com. The-Dispatch.com. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  13. ^ "State names part of I-85 in Guilford County for late Rep. Howard Coble". News & Record. Greensboro, NC. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  14. ^ Baumgartner Vaughan, Dawn (November 27, 2017). "Why I-85 in Durham is now the 'Dr. John H. Franklin Highway'". News & Observer. Raleigh, NC. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b North Carolina Department of Transportation. Facts: Interstate 85, Page 1. NCDOT Web site. Accessed April 21, 2007. Archived February 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "This day in history". News and Record. January 9, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c Turner, Walter R. (August 5, 2012). "The mysterious Yadkin River bridge". Salisbury Post. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  18. ^ North Carolina Department of Transportation. Facts: Interstate 85, Page 2. NCDOT Web site. Accessed April 21, 2007.
  19. ^ "I-85 Traffic Flow May Be Smoother". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, NC. Associated Press. December 16, 1988. p. 5B.
  20. ^ "North Carolina - Wider I-85 Recommended". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, NC. January 27, 1989. p. 2B.
  21. ^ Hall, David A. (November 23, 1994). "Interstate 40/85 Freeway Isn't Free of Construction". Greensboro News & Record. Greensboro, NC. p. A1.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b c "NCDOT: I-85 Corridor Improvement Project". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  23. ^ "NCDOT to open new I-85 Yadkin River bridge on Friday". WBTV. Charlotte, NC. April 6, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  24. ^ "The I-85 Yadkin River Bridge, Salisbury, NC". Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  25. ^ Lyttle, Steve (April 3, 2012). "Part of widened I-85 to open this weekend". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  26. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  27. ^ Lyttle, Steve (April 12, 2012). "DOT awards contract for I-85 widening in Cabarrus County". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  28. ^ Lyttle, Steve (September 8, 2014). "Diverging diamond opens on Poplar Tent Road". Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  29. ^ Marusak, Joe (February 4, 2012). "New interchange planned for bottlenecked I-77 exit". Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  30. ^ "SalisburyPost.com: Safety concerns lead to closing of Wil-Cox Bridge; no timeframe on reopening". Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b "NC 150 Route Change (2012-03-01)" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. March 1, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b NC 150 Route Change (2012-01-04) (PDF) (Map). North Carolina Department of Transportation. January 4, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  33. ^ Staff (July 27, 2011). "NCDOT to close Clark Road entrance and exits ramps on I-85 north, section of Snider Kines Road in Davidson County starting Monday". Project Details. North Carolina Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2012.

External links[]

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