Where:    US 74, Laurinburg-Maxton Bypass, west of Laurinburg, Scotland County, to near Alma, Robeson County Length:    14 Miles Needed:   Complete (except for future update to interstate standards). Currently Signed as:

Around the cities of Laurinburg and Maxton, I-74 was routed onto the existing US 74 bypass. This freeway runs a total of 14 miles around Laurinburg to the south and around Maxton to the north. This was the first section of I-74 to be signed along US 74 when this stretch of highway received Future Interstate 74 signs in 1998, creating a unique circumstance of two different highway shields with the same number standing side-by-side. (1) When signed as a future interstate, unlike the Rockingham Bypass, the Future I-74 signage existed only on the Bypass itself, and not at the entrance ramps. The Laurinburg part of the bypass was built in the 1960's and is not up to current Interstate design standards. The Maxton segment, though newer, is also not Interstate standard. NCDOT typically puts up Future Interstate shields where there is a project in place to bring the highway up to Interstate guidelines or where an interstate standard roadway exists that is not connected to a signed interstate route. There is no project to upgrade the roadway listed in the 2009-15 STIP. However, according to design documents for the new I-74 freeway being built to the east (see Segment 16) NCDOT planned to sign it as a full Interstate when that project is completed by the end of 2008. (2) However, NCDOT in the summer of 2007 began placing signposts that will hold the new I-74/US 74 signs along the highway and at exit ramps and for the new mileposts along the Bypass. In November around the time the part of the new segment of I-74 to the east opened (see I-74 Segment 16) they signed the route as full interstate I-74 and US 74 and put up exit signs matching I-74 mileage*, only the second segment of the highway to do this. Perhaps NCDOT has gotten a waiver from the FHWA to sign the interstate now with a promise to upgrade the highway later as with I-73/74 on a previously existing section of US 220 near Candor, (see I-73 Segment 9).  The I-74/US74 signage covers the complete length of the Bypass. The exits are now signed as well starting with Exit 207 (see exit list below), however these numbers need to be changed due to a correction of numbers to the east, currently there are two exits 207 and 210, for example. For a complete updated I-74 exit list, go here.

Numbers for Exits along the Laurinburg-Maxton Bypass (West to East) (2), probable revised numbers based on new 2008 numbers for the completed Segment 16 freeway are in ( ) (3):
Exit 207 (180)  Business US 74 Laurinburg (EB off-ramp only)
Exit 208 (181)  NC 79 Gibson (WB only off-ramp)
Exit 209 (182)  US 15/401 North US 501 Fayetteville Bennettsville
Exit 210 (183)  Business US 15/401 Laurinburg
Exit 211 (184)  US 501 South Rowland
Exit 212 (185)  To Business US 74
Exit 213 (186)  Business US 74
Exit 216 (189)  Laurinburg-Maxton Airport
Exit 217 (190)  NC 71 Maxton Red Springs

Photos taken December 2007:

The first exit on the bypass heading west for NC 71, now listed as Exit 217.

Gore sign for the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport Exit, Number 216.

Tab for Exit 213 added to existing sign for US 74 Business exit.

 
Interstate I-74/US 74/US 501 assembly in Laurinburg

Another new exit tab, 210 added to existing Business US 15/401 exit signage.

Here's the first I-74/US 74 BGS at the beginning of the Laurinburg Bypass heading east (photo courtesy of Adam Prince)

Junction US 74 signage approaching interchange on US 501 North

---

New signage at the same intersection showing both I-74 and US 74 (January 2008).

---

 
Directional signage nearer the US 501-Future I-74/US 74 interchange from 2002.

---

Signage at the onramp to I-74/US74 East / US 501 South (January 2008)

---

I-74/US 74 shields courtesy of David R. Kendrick's Shield's Up!.