North Carolina's New and Future Interstates*

21 Years2004-2025

The following is a list of Interstate highways in North Carolina either proposed, planned, partially completed, or completed within the past 5 years. For additional information, where available, click on the link(s) below the highway number**:

NC Interstate 26 Shield Image, from Shields Up!I-26 Connector, Asheville

Planned, First contract awarded in May 2024 (NCDOT didn't accept earlier bids, all seen as too high)

Right of Way acquisition for project started in December 2025


NCDOT's I-26 Connector Project Site

I-42 North Carolina shield image from Shields Up!


image of updated logo

Interstate 42, I-40 in Garner to Morehead City (Updated 2/12/26)

Part Complete, Rest Planned

                                                                                       I-42 Exit List (Updated 12/19/25 with opening of Havelock Bypass)

                       Highway 70 Corridor Commission (Super 70) Site

AARoads Interstate Guide - I-42

I-87 North Carolina Shield image from Shields Up!



image of updated logo

Interstate 87, Raleigh to Norfolk, VA (Updated 3/4/26)f

Part complete, Remainder Planned

        I-87 Preliminary Exit List

Regional Transportation Alliance's Raleigh to Norfolk Corridor Site

AARoads Interstate Guide - I-87 in NC

Image of NC Interstate 73 shield, from Shields Up!

Interstate 73 (Updated 12/7/25)

                        Partially Complete-Under Construction



Image of NC Interstate 74 shield, from Shields Up!

image of updated logo

Interstate 74 (Updated 3/7/26)

                        Partially Complete-Under Construction



Image of NC Interstate 140 shield, from Shields Up!

Wilmington Bypass (Updated 5/22/25)

Complete

Image of NC 140 shield, from wikimedia

Governor Easley's 8/22/05 Ribbon Cutting Remarks

Route Description and Photos (AA Roads)

 

Image of NC Interstate 295 shield, from Shields Up!

image of updated logo

Fayetteville Outer Loop (Updated 3/7/26)

Complete-Opened to Traffic on November 25, 2025


NCDOT Fayetteville Outer Loop Completion Project Site

NCDOT 2005 Ribbon Cutting Remarks

NCDOT August 2016 Ribbon Cutting Press Release

Image of NC Interstate 74 shield, from Shields Up! Image of NC Interstate 274 shield, from Shields Up!


    


  aWinston-Salem Northern Beltway (Updated 3/9/26)
image of updated logo

Part Planned - Part Under Construction

NC 74 shield image from Shields Up! NC 452 shield image from Shields Up!

NCDOT's Northern Beltway Project Site

Route Description (AARoads.com)

Image of NC Interstate 285 shield, from Shields Up!



I-85 Winston-Salem Connector (Updated 8/14/25)

I-85 to I-40 Section Completed, signed in November 2018

I-40 to I-74 Section Planned, Date Undetermined, for now designated as Future I-285

Route Description (Kurumi.com)

Route Description (AARoads.com)

Image of NC Interstate 485 shield, from Shields Up! Charlotte Outerbelt

Complete



Image of NC Interstate 495 shield, from Shields Up! Connecting I-95 to Raleigh (Signed 2014-2017)

Route Now Signed as I-87, FHWA Decommissioned Route in Feb. 2017

See webpage for Historical Overview and Photos

Image of NC Interstate 540 shield, from Shields Up! Image of NC 540 shield, from Shields Up! Raleigh Outer Loop b

Partially Complete, Remainder Under Construction


Free Portion (I-540)

Toll Portion (NC 540)

NCDOT's Western Wake Freeway Project Site

Image of I-587 Interstate shield, from Shields Up!

image of updated logo

Zebulon to Greenville Spur (Updated 2/21/26)

                     Partially Signed (I-95 to Greenville), Rest Planned

AARoads Interstate Guide - I-587

Future I-685 from Carolina Core website


image of updated logo

Central Carolina Freeway (Updated 12/31/25)

Proposed


                 This Future Interstate would use US 421 from I-85 to Greenville to I-40 in Dunn (or routed along NC 87 to Fayetteville). The future interstate was approved by AASHTO at their Spring 2022 meeting and later by the FHWA.

Image of NC Interstate 785 shield, from Shields Up!

image of updated logo

Greensboro to Danville (VA) (Updated 2/23/26)

Partially Complete, Remainder Planned for Construction in 2031

See Greensboro Urban Loop page for the Loop section of I-785

Route Description and Photo (AA Roads)

I-785 Article on Wikipedia

Image of NC Interstate 795 shield, from Shields Up!


image of updated logoWilson-Goldsboro Freeway (Updated 2/14/26)

(I-95 at US 264 to US 70)

Complete*/Extension to I-40 in Faison now unfunded, perhaps starting after 2035

I-795 Exit List

Image of NC Interstate 73 shield, from Shields Up! Image of NC Interstate 85 shield, from Shields Up! Image of NC Interstate 785 shield, from Shields Up! Image of NC Interstate 840 shield, from Shields Up! Image of US 421 shield, from Shields Up! Greensboro Urban Loop c image of updated logo

Complete as of January 23, 2023 (Last Updated 2/16/26)

Official NCDOT Greensboro Urban Loop Website

Northern half (I-840) Description and Photos (AA Roads)

Image of Interstate 885 NC shield, from Shields Up!image of updated logoDurham East End-RTP Connector (Updated 2/14/26)

Completed


This new interstate, number approved as of May 9, 2022 by AASHTO, runs from the current I-85/US 70 interchange in Durham to I-40 in Research Triangle Park using the newly constructed East End Connector that opened to traffic the afternoon of June 30, 2022.

AARoads Interstate Guide - I-885

   

Map of NC Future Interstates posted on NCDOT website, December 2017:

Image of NC Future Interstate routes as of Dec. 2017, by NCDOT









Future, Future NC Interstates?

Other Possible Interstate routes that have been suggested to NCDOT over the years
(Updated 4/8/24)

A Couple Other Future Interstate Suggestions

Completely unofficial ideas of mine

Image of NC Interstate 273 shield, from Shields Up!PTI Airport Connector



Possible number for proposed freeway that would run from I-73/Bryan Blvd near PTI Airport to split of I-40 and US 421 (Former Business 40) west of Greensboro, or for an alternate proposal (the I-73/74 Connector) that would run the highway from Bryan Blvd. at NC 68 to the I-74 Winston-Salem Beltway (if both parts are built the part running from the I-73/74 Connector south to I-40, (called the 'I-40 Connector' in some proposals) could get another number).  The I-73/74 Connector proposal was added to the NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) in November 2005 for environmental and planning purposes only, it was never funded and disappeared in the document by the mid 2010s. It was under study by the North Carolina Turnpike Authority for a short period as to whether it could be built as a toll road. Apparently, this proved unfeasible, and is no longer listed as a NCTA proposal. The proposed highways can be seen in this map courtesy of the Winston-Salem Journal:










Downloaded from: http://media.gatewaync.com/media/wsj/2004/roadimprov_lg.gif, 10/19/2005.



Image of MA Interstate 193 shield, from Shields Up! Interstate 193 - Braintree to Cape Cod



Yes, this is not a North Carolina route, but one from my home state of Massachusetts. The proposed designation for current MA 3 between I-93 in Braintree and US 6 at the Sagamore Bridge in Bourne. If one can take an interstate spur from Providence, RI to Cape Cod why can't drivers from Boston to the Cape? Besides, doesn't America's Hometown (Plymouth) deserve its own interstate? Especially with a new modern bridge planned to be constructed in the early 2030s.

For the complete proposal, and others, visit my Improving the Massachusetts Highway System Website.