Future Future NC Interstates?
Some Other NC Interstate Possibilities

The following are some of the other interstates routes that have been suggested to NCDOT by officials or organizations, or by other groups and individuals, over the past few years.  Though some have seemingly been rejected, others could become reality in the future. NCDOT is currently studying how best to determine which highways would be the most ideal candidates to be future interstate routes.
  Gulf Coast Strategic Highway, El Paso, TX to Wilmington           Proposed in 2006
In May 2006 the Gulf Coast Strategic Alliance, a Texas based lobbying group, announced a proposal to create a highway to link military bases in Texas to a port on the Atlantic coast, dubbed the "Gulf Coast Strategic Highway." The number they suggest for this highway is Interstate 14 and the port they chose to end the route at is Wilmington. An Interstate 14 corridor has previously been written into law (along with another corridor named Interstate 3) to run between Natchez. Mississippi and Augusta, Georgia based on a proposal originally endorsed by Republican Representative Max Burns from Georgia in 2004 (for more on the original Interstate 14 and 3 proposals go HERE). Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson is to introduce a bill in the Senate in the next few months to garner funds for the corridor. (1) Though apparently NC senators have been apprised, there has been no comment by NCDOT on this proposal which, would apparently use some of the same corridors currently planned for I-74 and I-20 (or perhaps I-30, see below).
       US 74, I-26 to I-85                                  Proposed in 2003
A report issued through the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce examining ways to improve the local economy in July 2003 suggested as part of its recommendations to improve the Cleveland County infrastructure that US 74 between I-26 and I-85 be designated a 3di interstate (an I-x26 or I-x85, the I-226 number is my own idea) once the US 74 bypass of Shelby has been completed. (2)
US 74, I-26 to I-85, and I-485 to Wilmington        Proposed in 2005
 NCDOT in July 2005, at the urging of Andy Koeppel, a member of the Cape Fear Transportation Authority, said it would look into the suggestion that US 74 between I-26 and Wilmington be upgraded to an Interstate and designated Interstate 30. Koeppel, a commercial real estate agent, thinks that an interstate highway would improve commerce between Charlotte and Wilmington and be an important east-west national highway. I-30 would need to be routed along I-40 from its current end in Little Rock AR to I-26 in NC. I-30 would then follow current US 74 to Wilmington except around Charlotte where it would use I-485. (3) There has been no word since on whether NCDOT has seen any merit in the idea. For an interesting discussion as to the merits of the idea go HERE.
US 64, I-95 near Rocky Mount to I-440 Raleigh.  Proposed in 2005
The Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA), a Raleigh-based organization supported by business groups, along with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) (at the RTA's urging) passed a resolution in May 2005 calling on NCDOT to make US 64 an interstate between I-95 and I-440. The newly completed US 64/264 bypass of Knightdale is up to interstate standards, but the remainder of US 64 east to I-95 would have to be upgraded. They chose the number I-495 for the proposed highway (for their example signage, go HERE), and tout the benefits of doing so HERE. An additional benefit to this designation would be the ability of NCDOT to change the I-540 desgination to I-640 at an earlier time if it met another interstate route before reaching I-40 in Garner.    
or US 321, I-85 to I-40, Hickory              First proposed 2003
Both the Gaston County Economic Development report listed above in 2003 and a report prepared for the Centralina Council of Governments in 2004 suggested as ways to improve the economic viability of the region that US 321 from I-85 to I-40 at Hickory be designated an interstate.(2)(8)
Garden Parkway                                                         Proposed in 2003
The same Gaston County Economic Development report suggested as ways to improve the Gaston County Infrastructure that the Garden Parkway, a planned toll route from I-485 to US 321, be designated an I-85 spur. (2)
US 421 from I-40 in Winston-Salem West to at least I-77
Though there's no record of it being proposed to NCDOT, several people have suggested that US 421 be designated an I-40 or I-77 spur from the intersection of I-40 and US 421 west of Winston-Salem to at least I-77 if not further west to Boone. The roadway has been marked as 'Alternate I-40' to aide traffic detouring around I-40 construction projects between Winston-Salem and Statesville.
REFERENCES
(1) WWAY-TV. 2006. "Proposed I-14 Highway would Span from Wilmington to Texas. WWAY-TV, Wilmington. May 25, accessed from www.wwaytv3.com/global/story.asp?s=4945586, 5/26/06.
(2)  CLEVELAND-GASTON COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Report downloaded from:
http://www.gastonchamber.com/CEDSFinalWrittenReport.htm, Feb. 19, 2006.
(3) Whiteacre, Dianne. "Interstate from Charlotte to coast? Proposal links US 74 to I-30." The Charlotte Observer. October 5, 2005.
(4) "Highway wish list readied," Goldsboro [NC] News-Argus, Nov. 1, 2001.
(5) "US 117 an Interstate? 'It Ain't Going to Happen,'" Wilson Daily Times, Dec. 28, 2005.
(6) AASHTO. 2007. Standing Committee on Highways, Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering, Application Results, May 4. Downloaded from: http://www.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/USRN_Report_May42007.pdf, May 15.
(7) NCDOT. 2007. State Transportation Improvement Program, 2007-2013. Division 4, p. 4-45.
(8)
Angelou Economics. Centralina Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy(CEDS) Recommendations Report, Sept. 23, 2004


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