North Carolina Highway System

Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway that is partially completed in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Currently in four distinct segments, when completed, it will traverse the state in a southeasterly direction from Virginia to South Carolina, connecting the cities of Winston-Salem, High Point, Asheboro, Rockingham, and Lumberton.

As of November 2011, there is a total of 77 miles (124 km) of Interstate 74, broken in four sections across the Piedmont Triad, Sandhills, and Cape Fear regions in the state.

The first section of I-74 begins at the Virginia state line (overlapped with I-77 for approximately 4 miles (6.4 km). After separation, it goes east and connects to US 52 near Mount Airy, where the first section ends.

Future I-74 is to be signed along US 52 from Mount Airy to Bethania, where it will then separate onto the new Winston-Salem Northern Beltway and go east around Winston-Salem before connecting to existing US 311 south of Kernersville. Under a new accelerated construction plan for the Beltway, right-of-way acquisition is to begin in 2012 and construction to start in 2015. Until construction is completed, travelers wanting to connect between the first and second section of I-74 should stay on US 52 through downtown Winston-Salem, and then take I-40 east to US 311 south towards High Point.

The second section of I-74 is called the High Point East Belt, which begins at mile marker 65 in High Point to mile marker 79 near Glenola in Randolph County. It connects High Point with both I-85 Business and I-85. Construction is scheduled to be completed by April 2013 that will extend the freeway, along US 311, to US 220/I-73 in Randleman.(Highway was to originally be completed by October 2012).

Future I-74 starts again in Randleman, overlapped with I-73 and US 220, going south to Asheboro. The freeway is already completed, but it is not up to full interstate standards yet. I-74 (and I-73)resume along a bypass of Asheboro where a project to improve US 220 to interstate standards was recently completed. This extends both interstates an additional 8 miles.

This third section of I-74 continues overlapped with I-73 and US 220 between I-73 Exits 76 to 68 and (US 220) mile markers 51-24 (34 miles (55 km)). It continues south bypassing the towns of Seagrove, Biscoe and Candor. Visitor centers (completed in 2010) are located eastbound and westbound at mile marker 44. After Exit 24 (Alternate U.S. 220), the freeway continues as Future I-73, Future I-74 and US 220 for another 16 miles (26 km) towards Rockingham. Though this part of I-73/I-74 was completed in 2008 and is up to interstate standards, it had not been accepted into the Interstate system by the FHWA by the time it was opened, necessitating the future shields. This situation was remedied on July 7, 2011 when the FHWA approved the addition of this segment to the interstate system. NCDOT is now free to put up I-73 and I-74 shields along this segment, but may wait until the Asheboro segment is brought up to standards in late 2012 and both segments can be signed at the same time. This segment ends south of Ellerbe where the US 220 converts into an at-grade expressway after Exit 9.

At Rockingham, Future I-73 and I-74 will separate from current US 220 along a to-be-built bypass around the west of the city and then join the existing US 74 bypass freeway, which goes south around Rockingham and Hamlet. Future I-73 ends near the NC 38 exit where it is planned to be routed south into South Carolina. Future I-74 continues to the end of the freeway. Between Hamlet and Laurinburg is an at-grade expressway that will eventually be upgraded to Interstate standards. At Laurinburg, I-74 is to use the Laurinburg Bypass was at the standard North Carolina freeway grade and signed as I-74 in 2008; however, NCDOT had to remove the signage the following year when FHWA ruled against using them until the freeway was up to Interstate standards.

The fourth section of I-74 is officially named the American Indian Highway, completed in 2008, this (19 miles (31 km)) section stretches from Maxton to south of Lumberton, connecting with I-95/US 301. After NC 41, I-74 ends for the final time as the highway continues on as an at-grade expressway signed as Future I-74/US 74.

Future I-74 is to continue to follow US 74, going through the city of Whiteville and bypassing the town of Lake Waccamaw. Before the town of Bolton, it will separate from US 74 onto a proposed new freeway towards Shallotte, then go west on the proposed extension of the Carolina Bays Parkway into South Carolina. This entire section of I-74 is still under a Feasibility Study with several possible routing options, it thus may take years before connecting South Carolina. Current NCDOT plans suggest that construction may not begin until after 2020, and that this will likely be the last section of I-74 to be completed.

Though the highway is commonly known as "I-74" throughout the state, the highway does have other known names it uses locally in areas.

The Intermodal Surface Transportation and Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 initially authorized the new high priority transportation corridor 5, tentatively known as Interstate 73, to travel from Michigan to South Carolina. Because of several disputes to the routing, a compromise was reached in 1995, by Senator John Warner and Senator Lauch Faircloth, that extended Interstate 74 from its then current eastern terminus of Cincinnati, Ohio to overlap Interstate 73. In Virginia, I-74 would follow I-77 into North Carolina, while I-73 would go east to Roanoke then south along US 220 towards Greensboro. However, when I-73 crossed a border between two states, the federal law authorizing the road required that the two states agree that their sections meet. Originally, both Carolinas selected a route running south from Rockingham, North Carolina. North Carolina had more money to spend on roads, though, and on May 10, 1995, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved North Carolina's plan for I-73 to run eastward to the coast and enter South Carolina at North Myrtle Beach. Another compromise, between Senator Lauch Faircloth and Senator Strom Thurmond, agreed to have both interstates enter South Carolina: I-73 south of Rockingham and I-74 south of Wilmington. After later amendments and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century of 1996 (TEA-21), on July 25, 1996, AASHTO accepted Interstates 73/74 into the Interstate Highway System within the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.

The 12.6 miles (20.3 km) portion from south of Steeds north to south of Ulah was completed August 27, 1996, and was the first road marked as I-74 (and I-73). Future signage was also installed north to the Greensboro area. The remainder of 26 miles (42 km) of existing and new freeway between Ulah and Candor was also signed as I-73/I-74 along US 220.

On January 2008, an 16.8-mile (27.0 km) section of freeway was completed from Candor to Ellerbe; however, it was signed Future I-73/I-74. On November 22, 2010, a 14-mile (23 km) section (known as the East Belt) was added between North Main Street in High Point to Cedar Square Road near Glenola. This also includes the 6.4 miles (10.3 km) section of new freeway that opened between I-85 Business Cedar Square Road. On October 4, 2012, I-74 was extended west from High Point to Interstate 40, in Winston-Salem.

Predating I-74, NC 752 was established on a 1 mile (1.6 km) freeway connector between I-77 to NC 89 in 1994. It cost $10 million to build and was regarded simply as a place-holder for a future Interstate. Four years later, in 1998, the freeway was extended to US 601 and rebannered as I-74. On June 30, 1999, the freeway was extended an additional 5 miles (8.0 km) to US 52, south of Mount Airy. In April 2001, I-74 was overlapped with I-77 from the Virginia state line to exit 101.

On September 26, 2008, a 19 miles (31 km) section of I-74/US 74 was opened between Maxton to NC 41 near Lumberton, known as the American Indian Highway. The Laurinburg Bypass was also resigned I-74/US 74 at the same time. The following year the Laurinburg Bypass was removed of its I-74 designation by NCDOT, during the Summer, after a ruling from the FHWA (it returned as Future I-74). The reason was that the section, though a freeway by North Carolina standards, it was not up to Interstate standards. It was also at this same time that NCDOT fixed an exit number error along mile markers 181-191.

From Mount Airy to Rural Hall, US 52 is planned to be upgraded to interstate standards. However it is currently flagged "Scheduled for Reprioritization," with no estimated cost or date established.

The eastern section of the proposed Winston-Salem Northern Beltway is planned to carry I-74 around Winston-Salem to existing freeway portion of US 311 towards High Point. Currently parts of the project has been funded, with the first section to be built connecting US 158 to Business Interstate 40 scheduled for construction in 2014, with total estimated cost of $190 million.

The Western Rockingham Bypass, from US 220 Alt, near Ellerbe, to US 74/US 74 Bus. interchange. Currently all right-of-way purchases have been completed along the proposed route, with construction beginning in 2012 on upgrading US 220 north of Rockingham. The remaining sections of the new bypass is currently scheduled to begin construction in late 2017; however, it is subject to reprioritization.

The Rockingham-Hamlet Bypass to Laurinburg Bypass is planned to be upgraded to interstate standards. However it is currently flagged "Scheduled for Reprioritization," with no estimated cost or date established.

Proposed new freeway in Columbus and Brunswick counties. It would traverse from Whiteville to the Carolina Bays Parkway in South Carolina. However it is currently flagged "Scheduled for Reprioritization," with no estimated cost or date established.

Interstate 274 around Winston-Salem is a bypass that is proposed, but not officially approved by AASHTO