| North Carolina : Cape Fear |
|---|
| County |
Location |
Mile |
Exit |
Destinations |
Notes |
|---|
| Cherokee |
|
12 |
|
|
|
| 14 |
|
|
|
| 15 |
|
- Blairsville |
South end of US 19/129 overlap |
| Murphy |
20 |
|
|
|
| 20.5 |
|
|
East end of US 64 overlap |
|
23 |
|
|
|
| Marble |
29 |
|
|
|
| Andrews |
34 |
|
Airport Road - Western Carolina Regional Airport |
|
| 37 |
|
|
|
| Graham |
Topton |
44 |
|
|
North end of US 129 overlap |
| Swain |
Almond |
59 |
|
|
North end of NC 28 overlap; also to Fontana Dam |
| Lauada |
62 |
|
|
South end of NC 28 overlap |
|
64 |
64 |
|
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 |
|
North end of US 441 overlap |
| 81 |
81 |
, 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 |
, Western Carolina University |
|
| Haywood |
Balsam |
94 |
|
Blue Ridge Parkway |
|
| Waynesville |
98 |
98 |
|
|
| 100 |
100 |
Hazelwood Avenue |
|
| 102 |
102 |
|
|
| Lake Junaluska |
103 |
103 |
|
South end of US 19 overlap |
| 104 |
104 |
|
|
| 105 |
105 |
West Jones Cove |
|
| Clyde |
106 |
106 |
|
North end of US 19/23 overlap |
| 107 |
107 |
East Jones Cove |
|
| 108 |
108 |
- 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 |
, Spartanburg |
East end of I-26 overlap |
| 163 |
163 |
|
|
|
167 |
167 |
|
|
| 170 |
170 |
Pea Ridge Road |
|
| Rutherford |
|
173 |
173 |
Union Road |
|
| 178 |
178 |
, Spartanburg |
|
| Forest City |
181 |
181 |
|
|
| 182 |
182 |
|
|
|
184 |
184 |
Old Caroleen Road |
|
| 187 |
187 |
Henrietta, Caroleen, Ellenboro |
|
| 189 |
189 |
|
|
| Cleveland |
Mooresboro |
191 |
|
|
|
| Shelby |
198 |
|
|
North end of NC 226 overlap |
| 199 |
|
|
|
| 201 |
|
- Gaffney |
Signage only shows TO NC 18, ignoring NC 150 overlap |
| 201.5 |
|
|
South end of NC 226 overlap |
| 203 |
|
- Gaffney |
|
| 204 |
|
|
|
| Kings Mountain |
209 |
|
- Moss Lake |
|
| 212 |
|
Oak Grove Road |
|
| 213 |
|
|
|
| 214 |
|
|
|
| Gaston |
|
215 |
|
- 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 |
|
|
North end of NC 274 overlap |
| 222 |
|
|
North-south US 321 divided on one-way streets |
| 223 |
|
|
South end of NC 274 overlap; train tracks in medium of road |
| 224 |
|
|
|
| 224.5 |
|
Aberdeen Boulevard - To Cox Road/Shopping Mall |
|
| Belmont |
231 |
|
|
To Belmont Abbey College |
| 231.5 |
|
|
|
| 232 |
|
|
|
| Mecklenburg |
Charlotte |
235 |
|
|
|
| 236 |
|
Little Rock Road - Charlotte/Douglas Int'l Airport |
|
| 237 |
|
Boyer Street/Billy Graham Pkwy - Charlotte/Douglas Int'l Airport |
|
| 239.5 |
|
|
North end of US 29 overlap |
| 240 |
|
, Columbia |
South end of I-277 overlap |
| US 74 overlaps with Interstate 277 (exits 1A to 2B) |
| 242 |
242 |
|
North end of I-277/NC 16 overlap |
| 243 |
243 |
|
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 |
|
Eastbound entrance and westbound exit, east end of NC 27 overlap |
| Matthews |
252 |
|
|
|
| 254 |
|
|
|
| Union |
Monroe |
265 |
|
Concord Avenue |
|
| 265.5 |
|
|
North and South end of US 601 and NC 200 overlap |
| 266 |
|
|
North end of NC 200 overlap |
| 268 |
|
- Pageland |
South end of US 601 overlap |
| Marshville |
276 |
|
|
Brief NC 205 overlap |
| Anson |
Polkton |
285 |
|
|
|
| Wadesboro |
285 |
|
, Anson County Airport |
North end of US 52 and NC 742 overlap |
| 293 |
|
|
South end of NC 742 overlap |
| 295 |
|
- Cheraw |
South end of US 52 overlap |
|
304 |
|
, Chesterfield |
|
| Richmond |
|
306 |
306 |
|
|
| 308 |
308 |
Galestown Rd. - Cordova |
|
| 311 |
311 |
, Cheraw |
West end of Future I-74 overlap |
| 316 |
316 |
|
|
| 319 |
319 |
- Bennettsville |
|
| 320 |
320 |
|
|
| 321 |
321 |
|
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Scotland |
Laurel Hill |
329 |
|
|
|
| US 74 overlaps with Interstate 74 (exits 181 to 213) |
| Robeson |
|
373 |
|
|
|
| 374 |
|
|
West end of NC 130 overlap |
| Columbus |
Evergreen |
380 |
|
|
|
| Chadbourn |
385 |
|
|
East end of NC 130 overlap |
| 387 |
|
|
Westbound entrance and eastbound exit, west end of US 76 overlap |
|
390 |
|
Union Valley Road - Union Valley |
|
| Whiteville |
392 |
|
|
|
| 395 |
|
|
Also to NC 214 |
| Bolton |
410 |
|
|
|
| 413 |
|
|
Western terminus of NC 214 |
| Freeman |
417 |
|
|
Southern terminus of NC 11 |
| Delco |
422 |
|
|
North end of NC 87 overlap |
| Maco |
426 |
|
|
South end of NC 87 overlap |
| Brunswick |
Leland |
421 |
|
Lanvale Road - Leland |
|
| 435 |
|
|
South end of US 17 overlap |
| 436 |
|
|
South end of NC 133 overlap |
| 438 |
|
|
North and Southeast end of US 17 Bus., 76 and 421 overlap |
| New Hanover |
Wilmington |
439 |
|
|
North end of US 17 and 421 overlap |
| 440 |
|
3rd Street - Downtown Wilmington |
|
| 441 |
|
McRae Street |
Eastbound exit only |
| 441.5 |
|
|
North end of NC 133 overlap |
| 442 |
|
23rd Street/Airport Boulevard - Wilmington International Airport |
|
| 444 |
|
Kerr Avenue |
|
| 445 |
|
|
|
| 446 |
|
|
|
| 448 |
|
|
West end of US 76 overlap |
| Wrightsville Beach |
449 |
|
|
East end of US 76 overlap |
| 450 |
|
Lumina Avenue |
End of US 74 is 1.8 mi (2.9 km) from intersection, north on Lumina Avenue |
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. in recognition of Jackson's anti-Indian policies.
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.
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.
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.
A bypass of Shelby, North Carolina (west of Charlotte) is also planned. 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.
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.
*American Indian Highway - Official name of the 19 mi (30.6 km) section of I-74/US 74 in Robeson County (mile marker 191-213). It is named to honor the large American Indian population in Robeson County.
*Andrew Jackson Highway - Official name of US 74 throughout the state of North Carolina, except in Robeson County (it is still named along the old sections of US 74 now called US 74 Business and Alternate). It was established to honor of the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson.
*Appalachian Highway - Road name of the expressway sections in Cherokee, Graham, Swain, Jackson, and Haywood counties.
*Causeway Drive - Road name on Harbor Island in Wrightsville Beach.
*Eastwood Road - Road name in Wilmington.
*Great Smoky Mountains Expressway - Road name of the freeway sections in Swain, Jackson, and Haywood counties.
*Independence Boulevard/Freeway - Road name east of Uptown to Mecklenburg county line, named after nearby Independence Park.
*John Belk Freeway - Road name of freeway in Uptown Charlotte, named after John M. Belk, who was mayor of Charlotte from 1969-1977.
*Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway - Road name in Wilmington.
*Laurinburg Bypass - Road name of freeway that bypasses around Laurinburg.
*Lumina Avenue - Road name in Wrightsville Beach.
*Salisbury Street - Road name connecting Causeway Drive and Lumina Avenue in Wrightsville Beach.
*Solon David Smart Memorial Highway - Road name in Polk and Rutherford Counties.
*Wilkinson Boulevard - Road name west of Uptown to Mecklenburg county line.
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
Image:Gsme.jpg|Great Smoky Mountains Expressway through Waynesville (2006-10-01).
Image:CharlotteSkyline2008123456789.jpg|The Charlotte Skyline from Independence Freeway (2008-07-01).
Image:Interstate 277 Directional Signs.jpg|I-277/US 74 directional signs at Stonewall Street, Charlotte (2009-10-18).
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