U.S. Route 74

U.S. Route 74
Route information
Length: 497 mi[2][1] (800 km)
Existed: 1927[1] – present
Major junctions
West end: I-75 at Cleveland, TN
 

US 23 / US 441 at Dillsboro, NC
I-40 near Asheville, NC
I-26 at Columbus, NC
I-85 at Kings Mountain, NC
I-77 / US 21 at Charlotte, NC
US 1 in Rockingham, NC
US 15 / US 401 / US 501 at Laurinburg, NC
I-74 / I-95 / US 301 at Lumberton, NC
US 701 at Whiteville, NC

US 17 at Wilmington, NC
East end: Wrightsville Beach, NC
Highway system

United States Numbered Highways
List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced


← SR-73 TN I-75 →
← NC 73 NC NC 75 →

U.S. Route 74 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 497 miles (800 km) from Cleveland, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

Contents

Route description

Tennessee

Established in 1987, US-74 western terminus is exit 20 on I-75 in Cleveland. After 1.5 miles (2.4 km), it is overlapped with US-64 for the remaining 42.3 miles (68.1 km) in Tennessee before entering North Carolina (a total of 43.8 miles (70.5 km)).

Signage for US-74 is poor, as it appears more as an after-thought by TDOT. Most highways that cross US-74 will typically only mention US-64 instead; I-75 even ignores US-74 at its terminus, showing instead a connector to US-64. Unconfirmed if US-74 actually continues as a hidden highway west into Chattanooga and ends at I-24/I-75 interchange.

North Carolina

From the Tennessee state line, US 74 traverses across the southern portion of the state, connecting the cities Asheville, Charlotte, and Wilmington, for a total of 451.8 miles (727.1 km).

Western North Carolina

Established in 1987, US 74 was overlapped on pre-existing highways in the region, specifically the: Appalachian Highway (at-grade expressway, except in the Nantahala Gorge) and the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway (controlled-access freeway, which is broken in three sections along the route). The alternating named highway (depending on grade of road) is considered the commercial back-bone and main truck route of Western North Carolina, connecting the cities of Murphy, Andrews, Bryson City, Cherokee, Sylva, and Waynesville. In or around October, the fall colors create an influx of more tourists in the region. In the winter months, the highway is the first to be salted and plowed; however, both the Nantahala Gorge and Balsam Gap tend to get the most snow and/or ice in the region and should be traveled with care.

At mile marker 108, it begins a 19 miles (31 km) overlap with I-40 till Asheville, where it switches partners with I-26 for an additional 36 miles (58 km) of interstate overlap. At Columbus, it separates with I-26, going east, on the Solon David Smart Memorial Highway, towards Shelby.

Metrolina

In Cleveland County, the freeway downgrades to an expressway. US 74 then goes through the city of Shelby, notorious for its traffic tie-ups; and then nearby Kings Mountain, where it returns to freeway grade. After the Interstate 85 weave intersection, it downgrades again to an expressway through the city and downtown area of Gastonia. Entering Mecklenburg County, the highway becomes known as Wilkinson Boulevard; in Uptown Charlotte, it becomes the John Belk Freeway; then followed promptly as Independence Freeway/Boulevard before exiting Mecklenburg county. Between Matthews and Monroe, the highway is known for its chronic rush hour traffic tie-ups; this is where the proposed new toll road, the Monroe Bypass, will be established to alleviate the traffic problem. After the city of Monroe (more specifically after US 601), the highway quickly becomes less stressful; the cities of Wingate and Wadesboro follow before crossing the Pee Dee River.

Sandhills

In Rockingham, US 74 meets up with Future I-74 at mile marker 311; it will continue along the same route till Bolton. Majority of the highway in the Sandhills region is at freeway grade; however only the American Indian Highway, a 19 miles (31 km) section, is at Interstate standards allowing a true concurrency I-74. This is one of only two instances (along with proposed I-41 in Wisconsin) of similarly-numbered U.S. and Interstate routes being designated on the same road.

Cape Fear

After Lumberton, the US 74 overlaps with US 76, which will continue mostly together till Wrightsville Beach, where US 74 will dead-end north and US 76 will dead-end south. The highway connects the cities and towns of Whiteville, Lake Waccamaw, and Wilmington. The road through the Cape Fear region is flat, surrounded by parts of the Green Swamp.

Scenic byways

Nantahala Byway is an 43-mile (69 km) byway from Marble to Whittier; it is known for its scenic views of the Nantahala Gorge, The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, and the whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River . US 74 overlaps 38 miles (61 km) of the byway from Marble to Bryson City. The byway also overlaps with US 19 and US 129.[3]

Alternate names

Though the highway is commonly known as "US 74" throughout the state of North Carolina and "US-64" (or ignored) in Tennessee, the highway does have other known names it uses locally in areas.

Junction list

Tennessee

North Carolina

County Location Mile[2] Exit Destinations Notes
Cherokee 12 NC 294 – Suit, Hiwassee Dam
14 NC 60 – Culberson
15 US 19 south (Blairsville Highway) / US 129 south – Blairsville South end of US 19/129 overlap
Murphy 20
US 19 Bus. north (Hiwassee Street)
20.5 US 64 east – Hayesville, Franklin East end of US 64 overlap
23
US 19 Bus. south (Pleasant Valley Road)
Marble 29 NC 141 south
Andrews 34
US 19 Bus. north (Main Street)
Airport Road – Western Carolina Regional Airport
37
US 19 Bus. south (Main Street)
Graham Topton 44 US 129 north (Tallulah Road) – Robbinsville North end of US 129 overlap
Swain Almond 59 NC 28 north (Mtn. Waters Scenic Byway) – Robbinsville, Fontana North end of NC 28 overlap; also to Fontana Dam
Lauada 62 NC 28 south – Franklin South end of NC 28 overlap
64 64 US 19 north (Alarka Road) North end of US 19 overlap; begin of Great Smoky Mountains Expressway
Bryson City 67 67 Bryson City, Great Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park
69 69 Hyatt Creek Road – Ela
Whittler 72 72 Whittler
Jackson 74 74 US 441 north – Cherokee North end of US 441 overlap
81 81 US 23 south / US 441 south – Dillsboro, Franklin, Atlanta South end of US 19/441 overlap, Eastbound listed as exit 81A
Eastbound exit 81B has no signage, goes to Rufus Robinson Road
Sylva 83 83 Sylva Grindstaff Cove Road
85 85
US 23 Bus. to NC 107 – Sylva, Western Carolina University
Haywood Balsam 94 Blue Ridge Parkway
Waynesville 98 98
US 23 Bus. – Waynesville
100 100 Hazelwood Avenue
102 102 US 276 – Waynesville, Brevard
Lake Junaluska 103 103 US 19 south – Maggie Valley South end of US 19 overlap
104 104
US 23 Bus. / NC 209 – Lake Junaluska, Waynesville, Hot Springs
105 105 West Jones Cove
Clyde 106 106 US 19 north / US 23 north – Clyde North end of US 19/23 overlap
107 107 East Jones Cove
108 108 I-40 west – Knoxville West end of I-40 overlap; end of Great Smoky Mountains Expressway
US 74 overlaps with Interstate 40 (exits 27 to 46A) and Interstate 26 (exits 31B to 67)
Polk Columbus 161 161 I-26 east to NC 108 – Tryon, Spartanburg East end of I-26 overlap
163 163 NC 108 – Columbus, Mill Spring
167 167 NC 9 – Mill Spring, Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, New Prospect
170 170 Pea Ridge Road
Rutherford 173 173 Union Road
178 178
US 221 / US 74 Bus. – Rutherfordton, Spartanburg
Forest City 181 181 US 74A to US 64 – Spindale
182 182
US 221 Alt. – Forest City
184 184 Old Caroleen Road
187 187 Henrietta, Caroleen, Ellenboro
189 189 NC 120
Cleveland Mooresboro 191
US 74 Bus. west – Forest City
Shelby 198 NC 226 north (Polkville Road) – Polkville, Marion North end of NC 226 overlap
199
US 74 Bus. east (Marion Street)
201 To NC 18 to NC 150 – Gaffney Signage only shows TO NC 18, ignoring NC 150 overlap
201.5 NC 226 south (Earl Road) – Grover South end of NC 226 overlap
203 NC 180 (Post Road) – Gaffney
204
US 74 Bus. west (Marion Street)
Kings Mountain 209
US 74 Bus. east (Shelby Road) – Moss Lake
212 Oak Grove Road
213 NC 216 (Piedmont Avenue) – Kings Mountain, Cherryville
214 NC 161 (Cleveland Avenue) – Bessemer City
Gaston 215
US 74 Bus. west (King Street) – Kings Mountain
I-85 / US 29 south – Spartanburg		 Westbound entrance and eastbound exit
South end of US 29 overlap; eastbound US 74 goes between I-85 for almost a mile
Gastonia 220 NC 274 north (Bessemer City Road) – Bessemer City North end of NC 274 overlap
222 US 321 (Chester Street/York Street) North-south US 321 divided on one-way streets
223 NC 274 south (Broad Street) South end of NC 274 overlap; train tracks in medium of road
224 NC 279 (New Hope Road)
224.5 Aberdeen Boulevard – To Cox Road/Shopping Mall
Belmont 231 NC 7 (Main Street) To Belmont Abbey College
231.5 NC 273 (Park Street) – Mount Holly
232 NC 7 west (Catawba Street)
Mecklenburg Charlotte 235 I-485 – Pineville, Huntersville
236 Little Rock Road – Charlotte/Douglas Int'l Airport
237 Boyer Street/Billy Graham Pkwy – Charlotte/Douglas Int'l Airport
239.5 US 29 north (Morehead Street) North end of US 29 overlap
240 I-77 / US 21 – Statesville, Columbia South end of I-277 overlap
US 74 overlaps with Interstate 277 (exits 1A to 2B)
242 242 I-277 / NC 16 north (Brookshire Freeway) North end of I-277/NC 16 overlap
243 243 NC 27 west (Charlottetowne Avenue) Westbound exit and eastbound entrance, west end of NC 27 overlap
This was originally a westward extension of Independence Boulevard until June 18, 2007
244 244 Briar Creek Road – Bojangles' Coliseum Exit also for Ovens Auditorium
245 245A Wendover Road
245 245B Eastway Drive
246 246 NC 27 east (Albemarle Road) Eastbound entrance and westbound exit, east end of NC 27 overlap
Matthews 252 NC 51 (Matthews Township Parkway) – Matthews, Mint Hill
254 I-485 – Pineville, Concord
Union Monroe 265 Concord Avenue
265.5 US 601 north / NC 200 south (Skyway Drive) – Fairview, Mineral Springs North and South end of US 601 and NC 200 overlap
266 NC 200 north – Unionville North end of NC 200 overlap
268 US 601 south – Pageland South end of US 601 overlap
Marshville 276 NC 205 (Elm Street/White Street) – New Salem Brief NC 205 overlap
Anson Polkton 285 NC 218 west (Williams Street) – New Salem, Mint Hill
Wadesboro 285 US 52 north / NC 742 north – Albemarle, Anson County Airport North end of US 52 and NC 742 overlap
293 NC 109 (Greene Street) / NC 742 south – Mount Gilead South end of NC 742 overlap
295 US 52 south – Cheraw South end of US 52 overlap
304 NC 145 south – Morven, Chesterfield
Richmond 306 306
US 74 Bus. – Rockingham
308 308 Galestown Rd. – Cordova
311 311 US 1 to US 220 – Rockingham, Southern Pines, Cheraw West end of Future I-74 overlap
316 316 NC 177 – Hamlet
319 319 NC 38 east – Bennettsville
320 320 NC 381 – Hamlet, Gibson
321 321
US 74 Bus. – Hamlet		 Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Scotland Laurel Hill 329 NC 144 east (Morgan Street)
US 74 overlaps with Interstate 74 (exits 181 to 213)
Robeson 373 NC 72 west (Wilmington Highway) – Lumberton, Red Springs
374 NC 130 west – Fairmont West end of NC 130 overlap
Columbus Evergreen 380 NC 242 (Haynes Lennon Highway) – Bladenboro
Chadbourn 385
US 74 Bus. east / NC 130 east / NC 410 – Chadbourn, Bladenboro		 East end of NC 130 overlap
387 US 76 west – Chadbourn, Fair Bluff Westbound entrance and eastbound exit, west end of US 76 overlap
390 Union Valley Road – Union Valley
Whiteville 392 US 701 – Whiteville, Clarkton
395
US 74 Bus. west / US 76 Bus. west – Whiteville		 Also to NC 214
Bolton 410 NC 211 – Clarkton, Bolton, Supply
413 NC 214 west – Bolton Western terminus of NC 214
Freeman 417 NC 11 north – Sandyfield Southern terminus of NC 11
Delco 422 NC 87 north – Riegelwood North end of NC 87 overlap
Maco 426 NC 87 south – Bishop South end of NC 87 overlap
Brunswick Leland 421 Lanvale Road – Leland
435 US 17 south – Town Creek, Winnabow South end of US 17 overlap
436 NC 133 south – Belville, Southport South end of NC 133 overlap
438
US 17 Bus. south / US 76 east / US 421 – Wilmington, Carolina Beach		 North and Southeast end of US 17 Bus., 76 and 421 overlap
New Hanover Wilmington 439 US 17 / US 421 north – Clinton, Hampstead North end of US 17 and 421 overlap
440 3rd Street – Downtown Wilmington
441 McRae Street Eastbound exit only
441.5 NC 133 north – Hightsville North end of NC 133 overlap
442 23rd Street/Airport Boulevard – Wilmington International Airport
444 Kerr Avenue
445 To I-40 / US 117 / NC 132 – Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Raleigh
446
US 17 Bus. (Market Street) – Wilmington, Ogden
448 US 76 west (Military Cutoff Road) – Wilmington West end of US 76 overlap
Wrightsville Beach 449 US 76 east (Causeway Drive) East end of US 76 overlap
450 Lumina Avenue End of US 74 is 1.8 miles (2.9 km) from intersection, north on Lumina Avenue
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
     Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

History

"American Indian Highway" controversy

In Robeson County, the highway is designated "American Indian Highway", a name that was the brain child of Robert M. Chavis, the Wolfclan chief of the NC Tuscarora; Cherokee Indians of Robeson County, and Nottoway Nation, whom authored the name in the late 1990s. American Indian people of Robeson county NC had attempted to remove Andrew Jackson's name from the highway for some sixty years. Knowing that the new HWY 74 was to come Robert M. Chavis started a campaign to change the name to American Indian Highway. Mr. Chavis did this in honor of all the Indian people that had lost their lives along the Trail of Tears during the Indian Removal Act of the 1830s that was authored by Andrew Jackson. Robert M. Chavis was cited in many newspapers across North Carolina stating that the name should be changed, because that name on this section of road was tantamount to having a major road named Adolf Hitler that ran across a Jewish State or county. Robert Chavis with the help of the Tuscarora East of the Mountains obtained the information on how to attempt the name change from Rep. Ronnie Sutton and the NC-DOT. Then Robert Chavis presented orally the concerns, reasons for the name change to all the cities of Robeson county and the Robeson County Commissioners. Mr. Chavis' presentations convinced all these governmental bodies to sign on to the name change. Once he obtained approval from these entities he presented the name change to the NC-DOT. Rep. Ronnie Sutton supported the name change at the state level and the name change was approved by the NC-DOT. The new signs of American Indian Highway were placed on the new sections of I-74 once the highway construction was completed.[6] in recognition of Jackson's anti-Indian policies.[7]

Extension into Tennessee

In 1987, several highways west of Asheville were given the designation U.S. 74. This served several purposes: one number, rather than several, designated the main highway between Asheville and the Tennessee line. The other was to eliminate the designation of U.S. 19-A, used on the original U.S. 19 since 1948, when a road through Maggie Valley was improved and designated as U.S. 19. A bypass of Waynesville was finished in the 1960s, along with bypasses of Sylva and Dillsboro and of Bryson City in the 1970s. All were given the name U.S. 19A until the U.S. 74 renaming in 1987.[8]

Independence Boulevard

Independence Boulevard and Independence Expressway are two major interconnected roads in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina that carry US 74. Originally constructed in the 1940s and early 1950s, Independence Boulevard was the city of Charlotte's first expressway. The road has undergone numerous realignments, extensions, upgrades, truncations, and renamings since the mid-twentieth century.

Ben Douglas, former mayor of Charlotte and member of the North Carolina State Highway Commission, helped lead the push for the urban highway project in the 1940s that would become Independence Boulevard. In 1946, Charlotte voters passed a referendum in favor of a $200,000 bond issue to fund the project; this was coupled with over $2 million in federal funding. The expressway was to be named after Independence Park that was largely demolished to make way for the road; the name suggestion was coined by City Clerk Lillian Hoffman on May 4, 1949 after a previous suggestion naming it after the current mayor, Herbert Baxter, was rejected. Construction commenced in the late 1940s and the new expressway which traversed east–west along the southern part of the city opened in two parts; the first opened to traffic in 1949 and the other opened in 1950. US 74 and NC 27 were subsequently shifted from their central business district alignments to the new expressway.

Major changes to Independence Boulevard occurred in the 1980s. A portion of West Independence Boulevard was converted from expressway to limited-access freeway and made a part of the John Belk Freeway and Interstate 277. The portion west of Interstate 77 was renamed Wilkinson Boulevard. A new intersection with I-277 was constructed and the connecting freeway along with the updated portion of East Independence Boulevard was given the name Independence Freeway; US 74 was shifted to this new alignment. After the massive transportation revamp, a few disconnected segments of the original Independence Boulevard remained. These segments were later reorganized and given the names Carson Boulevard, Stonewall Street, and South Independence Boulevard; the latter was downgraded to a surface street and renamed Charlottetown Avenue in 2007 to prevent confusion with the unconnected East Independence Boulevard.

The freeway and bus lanes of Independence Freeway were extended to Albemarle Road in 2005. The limited-access road extension has caused numerous businesses along the corridor to leave the area and vacate their commercial real estate, resulting in brownfield land.

Future

In addition to the expected concurrency with I-74 east of Rockingham, another controlled-access facility, called the Monroe Connector / Bypass, is also in the plans for U.S. 74. The bypass will run from Charlotte to Marshville, North Carolina, relieving traffic on the current alignment between these two cities. Several environmental issues have delayed this project for a number of years and it is currently being re-studied by the North Carolina Turnpike Authority.[9]

There are also plans to build three new interchanges on Independence Boulevard. They will be located at Sharon-Amity Road, Idlewild Road and Conference Drive. Currently, all three junctions are signalized at-grade intersections.[10]

A bypass of Shelby, North Carolina (west of Charlotte) is also planned.[11] Once completed, U.S. 74 will be a continuous freeway from Waynesville, North Carolina (west of Asheville) to Kings Mountain and points east, pending the completion of those projects.

A 4-Lane Expressway with a tunnel and viaduct running from Almond in Swain County to Andrews, NC around Robbinsville is in the planning stages. The road presently runs through Nantahala Gorge and is a bottleneck with two lanes, as on each end of the Gorge is a 4-lane highway presently, and the new highway would clear the bottleneck and make Robbinsville more accessible to the outside world and Cherokee County to the rest of North Carolina. This plan has been marked with controversy, however, as it would disrupt the environment, spoil some views, and be the first four lane highway in Graham County.

In popular culture

U.S. Route 74 was the inspiration for the song "Distraction #74," by the North Carolina band The Avett Brothers.

Photo gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ a b US Highways from US 1 to US 830 Robert V. Droz
  2. ^ a b Google, Inc. Google Maps – US 74 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=US-74+W%2FUS-74+Scenic+W&daddr=35.2624,-81.16504+to:35.24866,-81.02087+to:35.23387,-80.93373+to:34.2581172,-77.9360409+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&geocode=FehhGAIdKMrv-g%3BFcAPGgIdEIUp-ynDHjT6CsBWiDE_uUyYtIhxAg%3BFRTaGQIdOrgr-ykVDtUecr1WiDHoW1q-sJHoAg%3BFU6gGQIdngwt-yl3eJFVeqJWiDEjLIcA3OrEIg%3BFcW8CgIdWMpa-ynlBw9J-h-qiTHNFr5NzTU5Kg%3BFWRoCgIdhD1d-w&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4&sll=34.254946,-77.911606&sspn=0.105988,0.222988&ie=UTF8&ll=34.551811,-80.650635&spn=6.756792,14.27124&z=7. Retrieved 2011-02-01. 
  3. ^ "NCDOT: Scenic Byways". http://www.ncdot.org/travel/scenic/. Retrieved 2011-03-01. 
  4. ^ "Media Advisory: I-74 "The American Indian Highway" Naming Ceremony". https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/pio/releases/details.aspx?r=4259. Retrieved 2010-12-31. 
  5. ^ a b c d e f "North Carolina Memorial Highways and other Named Facilities". http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/traffic/TEPPL/Topics/N-01/Sorted%20by%20County.pdf. Retrieved 2011-12-11. 
  6. ^ "I-74 North Carolina exit list". http://www.duke.edu/~rmalme/i74exit.html. Retrieved 2009-11-19. 
  7. ^ "Naming of the American Indian Highway". lumbeetribe.com. http://www.lumbeetribe.com/Press%20Room/Archived%20Stories/2008/American%20Indian%20Highway.html. Retrieved 2009-11-19. 
  8. ^ "NCRoads.com: U.S. 19". http://members.cox.net/ncroads/ushwys/us019.html#19A. Retrieved 2009-11-19. 
  9. ^ Monroe Bypass Project
  10. ^ Part of Independence to be Reworked — From Charlotte.com
  11. ^ R-2707 - U.S. 74 Shelby Bypass Project Breakdown Map - NCDOT

External links

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