Acknowledgments
(and other Misc. Stuff)
I would like to
thank all the creators of highway web sites, particularly
those about North Carolina
roadways, who've inspired me to start
one of my own. I would also like to thank the
many contributors to the misc.transport.road newsgroup
whose own questions about Interstates 73
and 74 have encouraged me to find out more about
these highways. I would also like to thank everybody
who has provided suggestions on how to improve
these pages, and Adam Prince for his suggestions
and photo contributions. Lastly, I'd like to
thank my parents who, by giving me road maps during
those long family trips, contributed to a life-long interest
in highways and finding out where they go.
A note on sources:
much of the information for this site
was gathered on several road trips to
many places along the I-73 and I-74
corridors and the perusal of I-73/74 stories
in local papers along the interstate corridors.
Where I've supplemented my knowledge elsewhere,
through news sources or highway web sites,
I have tried to fully reference where the information
was gathered. Where I do not have specific information
or sources I have tried to make educated guesses,
hopefully any gaps in information will be filled
in over time (feel free to help in this regard).
All the opinions expressed are those of the author along
with full responsibility for any errors that may
be contained here.
All the photos appearing
on this page are by the author,
except where noted. Photos or other information
may be used if proper credit is given
to the author and permission has been given
by the author. If you have any comments and questions
about photos or the site in general, feel free
to send me e-mail.
If you wish to know
more about the author of this site,
Go Here.
UPDATES:
November 6: Updated I-73 Segment 2
with additional information and photos provided by local resident Barbara
Wilcox.
October 20: Updated I-74 Segments 6 and 7 with more new photos of freeway
construction taken on 10/12/09.
October 7: Updated I-74 Segments 6
and 7 with new photos of freeway construction taken on 9/18/09. Also added
information regarding the future of Business 311 through High Point to same
pages.
September 23: Updated I-74 Segments 2 and 5 with new photos. Updated I-74
Segment 19 with new information regarding possible construction date.
September 7: Altered text and coding for I-74 Segment 4 (Winston-Salem
Beltway) to reflect NCDOT's changing of status of project to unfunded, and
not to start until at least 2015.
August 4: Added additional photos of sign revisions and End I-73 North
Sign on I-73 Segment 5 page.
July 24 and 29: Added additional photos to I-73 Segment 5 page showing
new signage on I-40 and I-73 portion of the Greensboro Loop, south and west
of Greensboro.
June 28: Added photos from trip to I-73 Segments 5, 6, 7 and 8 on
June 26. Includes revised photos along I-73 Segment 5 due to signage changes
due to re-routing of I-40.
June 18: Added photos from trip to I-74 Segments 6 and
7 on June 14. Corrected attribution of photos along Bryan Blvd. on I-73
Segment 4 page.
June 1: Revised progress page for I-73 and I-74 to June. Added map
showing intersections needed to be upgraded on I-74 Segment 17 for it
to be eligible to become an interstate (more photos to be added soon).
May 17: Added photos of new exit numbers placed on I-74 Segments
15 and 16 between Laurinburg and NC 41. Also added photo to I-74 Segment
13A. All photos courtesy of James Mast.
April 12: Added photos showing construction progress on I-74 Segments
6 and 7 near High Point.
March 8: Pages back up. Revisions to I-73 Segments 2 and 3 page
and I-74 Segments 6 and 7 page.
March 3: Problems with Duke servers cause pages to go offline
temporarily.
February 8: Added photos and new information to I-74 Segment
16 and 17 pages after road trip to area on 2/7.
February 3: Added new information and photos to I-73 Segments
1 and 2 pages.
January 5: Added photo of I-74 East End sign on I-74 Segment
16 page, updated I-74 Exit list to show construction finished at NC
41 interchange.
2008
December 14: Added information and photos to I-74 Segment
5 regarding Future I-74 signs put up and new exit signs. Updated I-74
Segment 6 with photos of signs with new I-74 based exit numbers.
December 8: Updated I-74 Exit list and I-74 Segment 6 page
with news that NCDOT was replacing US 311 based exit numbers between
Business 311 and Business 85 to I-74 milepost based exits.
December 2: Updated I-74 Segment 6 and 7 pages with photos
taken to new freeway construction area on Halloween and mid-November.
November 25: Updated I-74 exit list with new numbers for
US 311 segment put up by NCDOT in mid-November and added new photos
to I-74 Segment 5 page showing signs put up with the new numbers as
of Nov. 23.
November 19: Added information to I-74 Segment 5 page
about new signs going up with I-74 exit numbers along existing stretch
of US 311 freeway between I-40 and Business 311.
November 4: Added photos for I-74 Segment 7 page from
trip to area on 10/31.
October 24: Revised I-73 Segment 4 page to report yet
another new official routing of I-73 from the Greensboro Loop to
NC 68.
October 23: Added news to I-73 Segment 13 page about
progress in South Carolina's effort to build I-73 which includes
southern NC segment.
October 14: Added additional photos and information
to I-74 Segment 16 page from another trip to I-74 freeway.
September 26: Made remaining changes to I-74 exit
list and I-74 Segment 16 page due to NCDOT press release confirming
the remainderof the I-74/US 74 freeway is completely open.
September 20: Made
changes to I-74 exit list and I-74 Segment 16 page due to road trip that
confirmed eastbound freeway is completely open. Photos were added the following
day.
September 13: Changed I-73 Segment 5 page and
I-73 Exit List as result of information from NCDOT concerning
the re-routing of I-40 through Greensboro.
September 9: Added new photos to I-73 Segment
4 page showing progress of Bryan Blvd. PTI Airport interchange.
August 28: Added photos to I-74 Segment 16 page
showing progress constructing I-74 near I-95 in Lumberton.
August 13: Updated I-74 Segment 7 page with
news of awarding final construction contract for 311 Bypass.
July 22: Updated I-74 Segments 5, 15, and
18 with information from new photos and news reports.
June 15: Updated most pages with revised
references from Final NCDOT STIP document released June 3.
May 26: Updated I-74 Segments 6, 7,16 and
17 with new news about construction progress and completion
dates.
March 3: Added more photos of I-74 construction
(Segment 7) and Ellerbe Bypass signage (I-73 Segment 10).
February 21: Updated I-73 Progress Summary
Page and Segment 4/5 page with news of opening of next section
of Greensboro Urban Loop
February 10: Updated I-73 Segment 5 section
with photos of I-73 signage on highway and on approaching roadways.
January 14: Added photos of newly opened
Ellerbe Bypass (I-73 Segment 10) and additional photos of
I-74 signs along Ellerbe Bypass I-74 Segment 15).
January 8: Updated I-73 Segment 10
page with news of segment opening, continued to revise exit
lists needed due to many recent highway openings.
2007
December 18: Added photo link to new
open section of Greensboro Urban Loop for I-73 Segment 4,
Updated I-73 Exit List for new opened segment and list of Ellerbe
exits (I-73 Segment 10) to open by end of year.
December 16: Added new information
regarding opening dates and interstate signage for Greensboro
Loop (I-73 Segment 5) and US 220 Ellerbe Bypass (I-73 Segment
10).
December 3: Added photos from road
trip to I-73 Segment 10, and I-74 Segments 15 and 16 showing
new I-74 shields along those two sections. Change !-74 Progress
Page based on new signage situation.
November 30: Added to I-74 Segment
16 page about the opening of 6 + miles of 20 mile segment
to traffic.
November 12: Added news about
early opening of I-74 segment 16 and posted some additional
photos.
November 8: Updated I-73 Segment
10 page with news of delay in completing I-73/74 Ellerbe
Bypass.
November 2: Revised Progress and Segment
Pages to reflect new construction dates appearing in
the draft 2009-2015 State TIP document. Updated I-73 Segment
4 page with new information on completion date for Greensboro
Urban Loop. Will start revising segment pages to reflect Draft
STIP completion dates and costs.
October 8: Updated I-73 Segments
4 and 10 pages with updated completion percentages for
segment projects.
September 23: Added photos
to I-73 Segments 4 and 5 and I-74 Segments 6 and 7 taken
during trip to Greensboro area.
September 15: To mark the
5th anniversary of the official opening of the site.
I've revised the look of most of the pages, including the main
page. I added photos to I-73 Segment 4 and I-74 Segment 16 pages.
I will also added new information to the I-74 Segment 2 and Segment
15 pages, and the I-73 Segment 13 page.
September 9: Added additional photos
to I-73 Segment 10 showing additional progress in
building the Ellerbe bypass. Added additional photos to
I-74 Segment 14 showing progress in building the I-95/I-74
interchange. Look for additional web site changes to mark the
fifth anniversary of the website's debut on September 15.
August 19: Updated I-74
Segment 16 page further with photo of the new signs
along with photo of progress at the I-95/I-74 interchange.
Updated I-74 Exit Page with finalization of I-73's route between
Hamlet and the SC border (will get to the I-73 list later).
Updated wording of I-73 Segment 4 page with news that the final
I-73 route through Greensboro will likely be the Urban Loop to
Bryan Blvd.
August 1: Updated I-74 Segment 16
page with word signs for the new freeway have been spotted at the eastern
end of the Maxton Bypass.
July 19: Updated I-73
Segment 13 page with news about announcement of preferred
alignment from US 74 to SC border. Later updated I-73 Segment
12 and I-74 Segment 13A based on the same information.
July 12: Updated I-73
Segment 4 page with new (and later) dates for completion
of the next segments of the Greensboro Urban Loop and I-74
Segment 6 page about starting date for construction for
that segment and Segment 7.
July 1: Updated
I-74 Segment 18 page with news about results of study
examining the viability of building part of the segment as
a toll road.
June 6: Updated I-73
Segment 10/I-74 Segment 11 page with new completion
date for Ellerbe Bypass project.
June 1: Updated
I-74 Segments 6
and 7 pages with news that construction has begun on these
segments on May 29.
May 3:
Updated I-74 Segments 6 and 7 pages with news of the
approval of the contracts to build the remainder of the
High Point East Belt and the first segment of the US 311 bypass
route from I-85 to US 220 (I-73).
March 18: Added
several new photos to the I-73 Segment 10 page taken
on a weekend road trip.
March 5: Updated
most segment pages with new page references for projects
listed in newly released final edition of 2007-2013 State
Transportation Improvement Program.
February 25:
Updated I-74 Exit List and I-74 Segments 5,6,7,16 and
17 with new exit number and I-74 signing information obtained
from NCDOT contract documents.
February 5:
Updated the I-74 Segments 6 and 7 pages with new information
about the letting of the contracts to build the last
part of the High Point East Belf (US 311 Bypass) and US
311 Bypass between I-85 and US 220.
January 24:
Updated the I-74 Segment 16 Page with information
about a possible early opening of part of the new I-74 freeway
between Maxton and I-95.
January
13: Updated I-73 Segment 10 Page with news on further
delay in Ellerbe Bypass completion. Updated I-74
Segment 4 with information from recent newspaper article on
Winston-Salem Northern Bypass.
2006
November
1: Updated Links page with a few new links and some
revised link addresses. Updated I-74 Segment 13
page with news about progress on constructing the I-95/I-74
interchange.
October
14: Updated I-73 Segment 8 and 12 pages with new photos
courtesy of Chris Lawson.
October
11: Updated I-73 Segment 4 Page with news from article about progress in
building new roadways around the Piedmont
Triad International Airport.
September
30: Updated I-74 Segment 14 Page with news about meeting
NCDOT officials held in Laurel Hill to discuss options
for building this segment.
September
18: Added photo of current US 17/NC 130
interchange, a possible future I-74 exit, to I-74 Segment
18 page. Finished upgrade of page design project to
each site page.
September
6: Updated I-73 and I-74 Progress Pages with new dates for construction
projects from NCDOT's Draft State Transportation Improvement Program,
2007-2013.
July
25: To commemorate the I-73's '10 Birthday' (AASHTO
route approval) added I-73 exit list and an updated
I-74 exit list.
July 9: Based on Roadtrip along I-74 and I-73/74 corridors
have put in new photos and updated information for
I-73 Segment 10 and I-74 Segments 16, 17 and 18.
June 21: Updated I-74 Segment 4 page with news about
rising cost of building the eastern section of the
Winston-Salem Beltway.
June 15: Added information to I-74 Segment 18 page
regarding the agreement by the NC Turnpike Authority
to study building I-74 in Brunswick County as a
toll road.
June 1: Added link to SC I-73 page with posting of
EIS for their preferred routing from I-95 to Myrtle
Beach. Alternatives for route from I-95 to NC due
in July.
May 8: Updated I-73 Segment 4 Page with news that
the NC Turnpike Authority is studying the I-73/74 Connector
(a separate highway to run from I-73 at Bryan Blvd to
the I-74 Winston-Salem Beltway) for inclusion as one of
its projects. Updated I-74 Segment 16 with additional road
closings related to building of new I-74 freeway. Started
process of updating pages in a more
highway sign like font.
May 6: Updated Why I-73/74 in NC? page with more
detailed description of the politics involved in
routing the two highways. Updated I-73 Segment 10/I-74
Segment 11 page with link to more construction photos.
April 24: Updated I-74 Segments 2 and 7 with new
information gleaned from recently discovered news
articles.
April 3: Updated I-74 Segments 6 and 7 with
latest news as to start of construction on next segment
of US 311 Bypass. Updated FAQ with more detail as
to how interstates are signed.
February 1: I've
added a FAQ section at the bottom of the
I-73/74 in NC page with 2 questions and will plan
to add more in the future. I updated the links page with
a link to the I-73 Wikipedia article which includes an exit
list.
January 11: Updated I-73 Segment 10 Page with
latest information on the completion date of
the US 220 Ellerbe Bypass Project.
2005
December 14: Updated I-74 Segments 18 and 19
page with new information from recently posted I-74
feasibility study. Change scope of Segment 19 page
to be from US 17 at future Carolina Bays Parkway extension
to SC border. Will plan further updates to Segment
18 page.
November 29: Updated I-73 Segment 13 Page with
information about public meeting over I-73 corridor
plans in Hamlet, NC.
November 26: Added link to recent newspaper
series on I-73 in Florence, SC Morning News.
November 17: Updated I-74 Segment 18 and
19 pages with news about a proposal for making
I-74 in this area a toll highway. Also updated information
about the not yet public I-74 feasibility study.
October 31: Updated I-73 Segments 10 and
11 with photos from road trip to tour progress
on the US 220 Ellerbe Bypass.
October 16: Updated I-73 Segments 4 and 5
Page with news about the I-73 Greensboro Route
Evaluation Study under way to determine the final
route from the NC 68-US 220 Connector to I-40.
October 12: Updated I-74 Segment 19 page
with news about a public meeting regarding potential
alignments for the NC portion of the Carolina Bays
Parkway Extension. Updated I-73 Segment 10 page with
an updated completion date for the US 220 Ellerbe Bypass
and NC 73 connector.
August 2: Updated I-73 Segment 13 page
about a reported starting date for construction
on that segment. Updated I-74 Segment 3 page with
additional historical information about a rejected
AASHTO designation for US 52.
July 10: Updated I-73 and I-74 Progress Summary
Pages with information from NCDOT's Final 2006-2012
State Transportation Improvement Program Document.
May 8: Updated I-74 Exit list and I-74 Segment
4 page with information from new documents
recently posted on NCDOT's Winston-Salem Northern
Beltway website.
April 6: Updated I-73 and I-74 Progress
Pages with information from newly released
2006-2012 Draft TIP. Segment pages will be updated
shortly.
March 16/17: Updated I-74 Segment 18
page with word about a possible new alternative
routing for I-74 through SE NC and latest on
the study of the proposed NC 211 route.
February 12: From announced agreement
between NC and SC over final I-73 border
routing, have created new I-73 segment 13 page and
updated information on I-73 Segment 12 and I-74
Segment 13 pages. Will be adding new page regarding I-74
routing to SC, Segment 19, soon.
February 7: Updated I-74 Exit list
with refined mileage based on documentation
at NCDOT's Strategic Highway Corridors Site.
Updated I-73 Segment 12 page with revised information
about I-73 routing to South Carolina.
January 7: Updated
I-74 Segment 16 page with information
about start of construction on US 74
freeway, from Maxton to NC 41 near Lumberton.
2004
November 28: Updated I-74 Exit List
to include new information about US 311 High
Point Bypass and Additional exits from I-73/74
portion.
November 22: Updated I-74 Segment
6 Page further with new photos and exit
information from the US 311 High Point Bypass.
Updated I-73 Segment 10 page with photos of construction
along the US 220 Ellerbe Bypass.
November 20: Updated I-74 Segment
6 Page with the completion of the second
part of the US 311 High Point Bypass.
November 15: Revised updated I-74
Segment 4 page again with new information
about NCDOT's plans, advocated by this website,
to designate the western half of the Winston-Salem
Northern Beltway as Interstate 274. Updated I-73
Segment 4 page with updated information of construction
of the Greensboro Urban Loop, including new
maps indicating the segment north of I-40 will be signed
as Interstate 73 and Interstate 840.
November 10: Updated I-74 Segment
4 page with new information on hearings
regarding construction of the Winston-Salem
Northern Beltway. Updated Construction Progess
on Why I-73/74? Page
November 5: Updated I-74 Segment
16 with the word that NCDOT has begun to
let contracts for constructing new I-74/US 74 freeway
from Maxton to Lumberton.
October 23: Updated I-74 Segment 6 with new
projected opening date of US 311 High Point
Bypass.
September 19: Updated I-73 Segments 7 and
8 with new information as to when these
segments could be signed as full interstate
highways.
September 16: Updated NC
Future Interstates linked page with new
information on I-140, I-285, and I-295.
July 29: Updated I-74 Segment 6 page with
latest information on the opening date
for the US 311 Bypass (and added a link to a traffic
camera along this segment). Updated I-74 Segment
7 page with interesting information that may
reflect the moving up of the construction date for
this segment. Updated I-74 Segment 16 page to reflect
latest information on the start of construction
on this segment later this year.
May 28: Updated I-74 Segment 6 Page with
new information on the planned opening
date for the US 311 High Point Bypass.
May 8: Upgraded I-74 Segment 14 to include
new information of the status to upgrade
US 74 to interstate standards.
April 26: Added new Future NC Interstate
page to Links Page. Updated information
on proposal to extend I-20 to Wilmington
which is apparently not strongly supported in
SC.
April 23: I-73
Segments 4 and 5 pages updated with
new routing information for I-73 that will take
it to the north of the PTI Airport to the Greensboro
Urban Loop (I-840). Information also added about
starting date of construction of a rerouted segment
of Bryan Blvd which will now carry I-73.
April 6: Updated I-73
Segments 6-8 pages to note new date for
start of project to upgrade US 220 through Asheboro,
2007.
March 25: Link added
to Report on I-73/74 economic benefits
(which has maps of route through each county) from
Piedmont Triad Council of Governments.
March 15: Added photos
to I-73 Segment 1 and I-74 Segments 3
and 6 pages.
February 15: Updated
I-74 Segment 18 Page with news NCDOT is
beginning to hold hearings on potential
I-74 routings in SE North Carolina. Added website
of newly formed SC I-73 Association to Links
page.
February 1, 2004:
Updated Project Status Page with information
of meeting of I-73/74 Corridor Association
in Rockingham on January 22.
2003
December 3: Updated
I-74 Segment 7 Page with new information
about Randolph County supporters lobbying
NCDOT and the state legislature about moving
up the construction timetable from 2008 to 2005.
September 1: Updated I-73 and I-74 Progress
pages along with I-73 Segment 10 page
with information about construction on
the US 220 Ellerbe Bypass. Additional I-73 page
added to Links Page. Revised information on
I-73 Segment 4 page about I-73 Routing. First Anniversary
of Site Acknowledged.
August 10: Included
a Project Status section on the I-73/74
in North Carolina page to provide the latest
on construction progress information.
June 6: NCDOT released the final version
of its 2004-2010 Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP) report. I have updated
most of the pages with reference information
about I-73 and I-74 from this new document. There
are changes to information in the I-73 Segment 2 and
I-74 Segment 16 pages. I also fixed a broken link
regarding the NCDOT map of the proposed Interstate 20
and I-74 routings in Southeastern North Carolina,
on the I-74 Segment 18 page.
May 30: Updated
I-73 Segment 4 Page with information
about a proposed new I-73 routing around
the Piedmont Triad International Airport.
May 11: Updated
I-74 Segment 7 Page with information from
April High Point newspaper article. Finished
updating of I-74 Segment 18 Page,
with news of a new routing proposal announced
(and first put on page) on May 5 by NC Governor
Easley.
April 7: Updated
I-74 Segments 4, 5, 6, 7 with new information
about the Winston-Salem Beltway and
US 311 Bypass projects.
March 24:
Updated I-73 Segment 10 and 11 pages with
information about date of contruction
of US 220 Ellerbe Bypass from December 2002
speech of NCDOT Secretary.
February
2: Changed date of completion of segment
2 of US 311's bypass around High Point to
early 2004 from late 2003 based on December
2002 article in the Greensboro News &
Record.
2002
November 30: Based
on two road trips to I-74 corridor
from High Point North and West and around
Rockingham South and East, and information
in recent articles from papers along the corridor,
added new information and photos to I-74 segments
1-5 and 13-17. Added I-74 exit
list for freeways in these segments. Updated
information in I-73 Segment 4 page and added
NC 68 Exit List, also update info on I-40 widening
project in I-73 Segment 5 page.
October 20: Updated
I-73/74 in North Carolina page to include
information on the total mileage of the
each interstate, if all sections
are built as proposed, and how they compare to the
lengths of the other interstate routes
in North Carolina. Added a link to I-73 exit
list from links page to segments 6 through 9 in lieu,
for now, of creating own exit lists for these segments.
Updated Interstate 73 Segment 10 page with planned
construction completion date information.
September 29: Updated
I-74 Segment 18 Page with new info
about the designation of I-140 along the
future US 17 bypass around Wilmington
and its possible effects on the routing of
I-74.
September 22: Updated
I-74 Segment 4 Page with new info
about a possible upgrade of US 52 in
Wisnton-Salem to an Interstate, Updated
Links Page
September 15: Official
Site Grand Opening
September 1: Unofficial
Site Opening, Updated Links Page
Links to the other
pages:
Last Updated: November 6,
2009
