Interstate 40 in North Carolina

Interstate 40 Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Maintained by North Carolina DOT
Length:	423.55 mi[1] (681.64 km)
Formed:	1956-1990
West end:	I-40 at Tennessee state line
Major junctions:	I-26 in Asheville I-77 in Statesville US 52 in Winston-Salem I-73 in Greensboro I-85 / US 29 in Greensboro I-95 in Benson I-140 / US 17 in Wilmington
East end:	US 117 / NC 132 in Wilmington
North Carolina highways < NC 39 NC 41 >

Interstate 40 in North Carolina runs 421 miles (678 km) through the state of North Carolina from the Tennessee state line in the west to its eastern terminus in Wilmington. The middle segment of I-40 in the state is sometimes informally known as the "Tobacco Road" since it is the major thoroughfare linking the "Big Four" universities in the Tobacco Road sports rivalry.^[2]

History

Construction on I-40 through North Carolina officially began in 1956 along the Pigeon River in Haywood County. This would be the first section of I-40 to be built anywhere in the country. This section was completed in 1968 and at that time contained the only Interstate Highway tunnels east of the Mississippi River. Construction continued through the 1950s and 1960s, with much of the interstate being constructed in the 1960s. The last portion of I-40 to be completed, between Raleigh and Wilmington was opened on June 29, 1990, by Governor James G. Martin. Much of Martin's election campaign in the mid-1980s was hinged on opening this section for the sake of improving access to the North Carolina State Port at Wilmington.^[3]

A standard distance sign that once existed near the start of the westbound section of I-40 in Wilmington indicates the distance to Barstow, California as 2,554 miles (4,110 km). However, NCDOT has stated that it will not be replaced after frequent thefts.^[4]

Greensboro I-40 Relocation

On September 12, 2008, after complaints by local residents and motorists on the confusion between Interstate 40 which had been moved onto the new Greensboro Urban Loop, and Business Interstate 40 (Business 40) through Greensboro, NCDOT officials got permission from the FHWA to restore Interstate 40 back to its original route through the city, decommission Business Interstate 40, which was only established 7 months before in February 2008, and leave I-73 and I-85 as the only interstates signed along the Loop. Exit numbers on the I-40 part of the Loop that ran with I-73 will be replaced with I-73 exit numbers from the I-85/US 220 southern interchange around the loop to the western I-40 interchange. US 421 was officially rerouted to replace most of I-40 around Greensboro. Work on re-signing the Loop and the former Business 40 began on May 8, 2009, with the exception of the eastern I-40/85 interchange whose signs were changed in the fall of 2008.^[5][6] The re-signing project was completed on July 1, 2009. ^[7]

Trouble spots

I-40/85 through Burlington

One of the most dangerous portions of I-40 throughout its entirety is the section that travels through the Pigeon River Gorge in Haywood County. Known locally as simply "the gorge", this part of I-40 cuts a path west from Waynesville to the Tennessee state line. This section of the interstate is fairly curvy and tends to become a bit narrow in some places when compared to other portions of the highway. Because much of the road was cut through mountainside, concrete retaining walls have been built on both sides of the road and in the median, cutting down on the width of the breakdown lanes. Coupled with speeding vehicles, the extremely thick fog that tends to plague the area, and little room to maneuver in case of accident, this area has become notorious for its severe and many times fatal accidents. It is reported that a person is 20 times as likely to die on I-40 in Haywood County than they would be to win the Powerball lottery, which equals to be twice the average of any other Interstate Highway in North Carolina.^[8]

Even some minor accidents have been known to tie up traffic in this area, because there is little room to move accidents off or to the side of the road with the terrain. Speeding semi trucks have been a problem in the gorge and have subsequently led to many accidents. In 2002 and 2003, two state troopers were killed in two separate accidents by speeding trucks that drifted off the road and hit their police car conducting a traffic stop. This led the North Carolina Highway Patrol to crack down on speeding tractor trailers and speeders in general through the area.

This portion of the highway is, also, notorious for rockslides and rocks falling onto the highway. The main cause is an engineering flaw, in that sections of the highway have been built on the north side of the Pigeon River, where the rock strata foliate towards the highway. In July 1997 a rockslide near the Tennessee state line closed the road for nearly six months.^[9] In 1985, a severe rockslide buried the westbound entrance to one of two tunnels that carry the highway through the gorge. Repair of the slide area and the tunnel required shifting westbound traffic to the eastbound tunnel, while eastbound traffic was diverted onto a temporary viaduct around the tunnels. In October of 2009, another rock slide occured about 3 miles from the Tennessee border. The rock slide blocked both lanes of traffic and was estimated to be 100 feet long and up to 50 feet high. I-40 in this area is closed for the time being and early reports say it will take months to clean up the highway.

Another notorious problem spot is the Death Valley section in Greensboro. This stretch is so named because many people have died while trying to navigate through it. Once co-signed with I-40 here, I-85 has since been relocated to the Greensboro Urban Loop, and its former alignment renamed Business I-85. (I-40 was also relocated to the Urban Loop, but later returned to its former routing through the city.)

Intersections with other Interstates

• Interstate 26 in Asheville
• Interstate 240 in Asheville
• Interstate 77 in Statesville
• Future Interstate 274 Future Interstate 74 in Winston-Salem, both unconstructed
• Interstate 73 in Greensboro
• Future Interstate 840 and Interstate 785 near Greensboro
• Interstate 85 in Greensboro (They stay merged until Hillsborough)
• Interstate 540 between Durham and Raleigh
• Interstate 440 twice in Raleigh
• Interstate 95 in Benson
• Interstate 140 in Wilmington

Auxiliary routes in North Carolina

	Interstate	City	Type	Notes
	Business Interstate 40	Winston-Salem	Business loop
	Interstate 140	Wilmington	Spur
	Interstate 240	Asheville	By-pass
	Interstate 440	Raleigh	Beltway
	Interstate 540	Raleigh	Beltway	Partially constructed beltway
	Interstate 840	Greensboro	Beltway	Under construction

Exit list

County	Location	#		Destinations	Notes
		Old	New
Haywood			7	Harmon Den
			15	Fines Creek
			20	US 276 – Waynesville, Maggie Valley
			24	NC 209 – Lake Junaluska, Hot Springs
			27	US 19 / US 23 / US 74 west – Clyde, Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Franklin, Murphy, Atlanta	West end of US 74 overlap
			31	NC 215 – Canton
			33	Newfound Road
Buncombe			37	Candler, East Canton
	Asheville		44	US 19 / US 23 – West Asheville, Enka, Candler
			46A	I-26 east – Hendersonville, Spartanburg, Asheville Airport	East end of US 74 overlap
			46B	I-26 west / I-240 – Asheville	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
			47	NC 191 – West Asheville, Farmers Market
			50	US 25 to NC 81 – South Asheville, Biltmore House	Signed as exits 50A (south) and 50B (north) westbound
			51	US 25 Alt. – Asheville
			53A	US 74 Alt. east / Blue Ridge Parkway – Bat Cave
			53B	I-240 / US 74 Alt. west – East Asheville, Asheville
			55	To US 70 – East Asheville, VA Hospital
			59	Swannanoa
	Black Mountain		64	NC 9 – Black Mountain, Montreat
			65	US 70 west – Black Mountain	West end of US 70 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
			66	Ridgecrest
McDowell			72	US 70 east – Old Fort	East end of US 70 overlap; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	Old Fort		73	Old Fort
			75	Parker Padgett Road
			81	Sugar Hill Road - Marion
			83	Ashworth Road
			85	US 221 – Marion, Rutherfordton
			86	NC 226 – Marion, Shelby
			90	Nebo, Lake James
Burke			94	Dysartsville Road - Lake James
			96	Kathy Road
			98	Causby Road - Glen Alpine
	Glen Alpine		100	Jamestown Road, Dixie Boulevard - Glen Alpine
	Morganton		103	US 64 – Morganton, Rutherfordton
			104	Enola Road
			105	NC 18 – Morganton, Shelby
			106	Bethel Road
			107	NC 114 – Drexel
	Valdese		111	Valdese
			112	Mineral Springs Mountain Road - Valdese
	Rutherford College		113	Rutherford College, Connelly Springs
	Icard		116	Icard	Former NC 10
	Hildebran		118	Old NC 10
			119	Henry River, Hildebran	Signed as exits 119A (Henry River) and 119B (Hildebran) eastbound
Catawba	Long View		121	Long View
	Hickory		123	US 321 to US 70 / NC 127 , Lenoir, Lincolnton	Signed as exits 123A (south) and 123B (north)
			125	Hickory, Lenoir-Rhyne College
			126	To US 70 – Hickory, Newton
			128	Fairgrove Church Road
	Conover		130	Old US 70
			131	NC 16 – Conover, Taylorsville	All ramps now closed
			132	To NC 16 – Conover, Taylorsville
			133	Rock Barn Road
	Claremont		135	Claremont
			138	NC 10 west (Oxford School Road) – Catawba
Iredell			141	Sharon School Road
			144	Old Mountain Road
			146	Stamey Farm Road
	Statesville		148	US 64 / NC 90 – West Statesville, Taylorsville
			150	NC 115 – Downtown Statesville, North Wilkesboro
			151	US 21 – East Statesville, Harmony
			152	I-77 – Charlotte, Elkin	Signed as exits 152A (south) and 152B (north)
			153	US 64	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
			154	To US 64 / Old Mocksville Road
			162	US 64
Davie			168	US 64 – Mocksville
			170	US 601 – Mocksville, Yadkinville
			174	Farmington Road
			180	NC 801 – Bermuda Run, Tanglewood
Forsyth	Clemmons		182	Tanglewood, Bermuda Run	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
			184	Lewisville, Clemmons
	Winston-Salem		188	I-40 Bus. east / US 421 south – Winston-Salem	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
			188	I-40 Bus. east / US 421 – Winston-Salem, Yadkinville, Wilkesboro	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
			189	US 158 (Stratford Road)
			190	Hanes Mall Boulevard	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
			192	NC 150 (Peters Creek Parkway) – Downtown Winston-Salem
			193C	Silas Creek Parkway, South Main Street	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
			193	US 52 / NC 8 (US 311 north) – Lexington, Mount Airy	West end of US 311 overlap; signed as exits 193A (south) and 193B (north)
			195	NC 109 / Clemmonsville Road – Thomasville
			196	US 311 south – High Point	East end of US 311 overlap
			201	Union Cross Road
	Kernersville		203	NC 66 – Kernersville, High Point
Guilford			206	I-40 Bus. north / US 421 – Kernersville, Downtown Winston-Salem	West end of US 421 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Greensboro		208	Sandy Ridge Road — Farmers Market
			210	NC 68 – High Point, Piedmont Triad International Airport
			211	Gallimore Dairy Road
			212	I-73 / US 421 south / to Bryan Boulevard (via I-840) – Asheboro, PTI Airport	East end of US 421 overlap; signed as exits 212A (Bryan Boulevard) and 212B (I-73/US 421) southbound
			213	Guilford College Rd.
			214	Wendover Ave.
			216	NC 6 (Patterson Street)
			217	High Point Rd./Koury Blvd.
			218	Freeman Mill Rd.
			219	I-85 Bus. south / US 29 south / US 70 – Charlotte
			220	Randleman Road
		125 37	221	South Elm-Eugene Street – Downtown Greensboro
		126 38	222	MLK Jr. Dr./J.M. Hunt Jr Expressway	Former US 421 south
		127 39	223	US 29 north / US 70 east / US 220 north – Reidsville	North end of US 29/US 70/US 220 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
		128 41	224	NC 6 (East Lee Street) to US 29 north / US 220 north
		130 43	226	McConnell Road
		44	227	To US 70 (via Future I-840)
		44	227	I-85 I-85 South Charlotte	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
				I-40 east / I-85 north – Durham	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
I-40 overlaps with Interstate 85 (exits 131 to 163)
Orange	Hillsborough		259	I-85 north – Durham	East end of I-85 overlap
			261	Hillsborough	Former NC 86
			263	New Hope Church Road
			266	NC 86 – Chapel Hill
Durham	Chapel Hill		270	US 15 / US 501 – Chapel Hill, Durham
			273	NC 54 – Chapel Hill, Durham	Signed as exits 273A (west) and 273B (east) westbound
			274	NC 751 – Jordan Lake
			276	Fayetteville Road - Southpoint–North Carolina Central University
			278	NC 55 to NC 54 – Apex
			279A	Alexander Drive
			279B	NC 147 north (Durham Freeway) – Downtown Durham
	RTP		280	Davis Drive
			281	Miami Boulevard
			282	Page Road
			283	I-540 east / NC 540 west to US 70 / NC 55 – Apex	Signed as exits 283A (west) and 283B (north) westbound
Wake			284	Airport Boulevard - RDU International Airport	Signed as exits 284A (west) and 284B (east) eastbound
			285	Aviation Parkway - Morrisville, RDU International Airport
			287	Harrison Avenue - Cary
			289	To I-440 / US 1 north / Wade Avenue
	Cary		290	NC 54 – Cary
			291	Cary Towne Boulevard - Cary
			293	I-440 east / US 1 / US 64 west – Sanford, Asheboro, Wake Forest, Raleigh	West end of US 64 overlap; signed as exits 293A (south/west) and 293B (north/east)
			295	Gorman Street
			297	Lake Wheeler Road
	Raleigh		298	US 70 / US 401 / NC 50 (South Saunders Street) – Fayetteville, Downtown Raleigh	Signed as exits 298A (east/south) and 298B (west/north)
			299	Hammond Road, Person Street
			300	Rock Quarry Road	Signed as exits 300A (south) and 300B (north) westbound
			301	I-440 west / US 64 east – Rocky Mount	East end of US 64 overlap
			303	Jones Sausage Road
			306	US 70 – Garner, Clayton US 70 Business	Signed as exits 306A (west) and 306B (east) westbound
			308	US 70 – Smithfield, Goldsboro
Johnston			312	NC 42 – Clayton, Fuquay-Varina, Wilson
			319	NC 210 – Smithfield, Angier
	Benson		325	NC 242 to US 301 – Benson
			328	I-95 – Benson, Dunn, Fayetteville, Smithfield	Signed as exits 328A (south) and 328B (north)
			334	NC 96 – Peacocks Crossroads
Sampson	Newton Grove		341	NC 50 / NC 55 – Newton Grove, Dunn
			342	US 13 – Newton Grove, Goldsboro, Spivey's Corner
			343	US 701 – Clinton, Newton Grove
			348	Suttontown Road
			355	NC 403 – Faison
Duplin			364	NC 24 west / NC 24 Bus. east to NC 50 – Warsaw, Clinton	West end of NC 24 overlap
			369	US 117 – Warsaw, Magnolia
			373	NC 24 east / NC 903 – Magnolia, Kenansville	East end of NC 24 overlap
			380	Brices Store Rd Rose Hill Greenevers
			384	NC 11 – Teachey, Wallace, Kenansville
			385	NC 41 – Wallace, Chinquapin, Beulaville
Pender			390	US 117 – Wallace, Burgaw
			398	NC 53 – Burgaw, Jacksonville
			408	NC 210 – Hampstead, Rocky Point, Topsail Island
New Hanover	Castle Hayne		414	Holly Shelter Rd Castle Hayne, Hampstead
			416	I-140 west / US 17 – Topsail Island, New Bern, Jacksonville, Shallotte, Myrtle Beach	Signed as exits 416A (west/south) and 416B (north)
	Wilmington		420	US 117 north / NC 132 north / Gordon Road	Signed as exits 420A (Gordon Road) and 420B (US 117/NC 132) westbound
				US 117 south / NC 132 south	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance

References

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Interstate 40
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