Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census. The town c ...

I-24 Interstate 24 (I-24) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from I-57, south of Marion, Illinois, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at I-75. It travels through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, ...

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

expressway Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. * Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road. *Expressway, the fictional s ...

Ocoee Scenic Byway The Ocoee Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway and Tennessee Scenic Byway that traverses through the Cherokee National Forest, in East Tennessee. It is part of both U.S. Route 64 in Tennessee, U.S. Route 64 and U.S. Route 74, and featu ...

expressway Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. * Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road. *Expressway, the fictional s ...

Nantahala Gorge The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Great Smoky Mountains Expressway The Great Smoky Mountains Expressway is a four-lane divided highway that serves as the main east–west corridor through Southwestern North Carolina; connecting the towns of Bryson City, Sylva and Waynesville to Interstate 40. Its establishmen ...

(controlled-access freeway, which is broken in three sections along the route); it shares a revolving door of concurrency changes with US 19, US 129, US 441 and US 23. 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 Murphy () ( ga, Ua Murchadha) is an Irish surname and the most common surname in the Republic of Ireland. Origins and variants The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh"), and "Mac ...

,

Andrews Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States *Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana * Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina * Andrews, Oregon * Andrews, Sou ...

, 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 The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Balsam Gap Balsam Gap (el. ) is a mountain pass between the Plott Balsam Range to the northwest and the Great Balsam Mountains to the southeast on the county line dividing Haywood and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The gap allows bot ...

tend to get the most snow and/or ice in the region and should be traveled with care. North of Clyde, US 74 merges with Interstate 40 and goes east, in concurrency, to Asheville. From there, it then goes southeast, in concurrency with Interstate 26 till

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, where it separates and continues east along a mostly

controlled-access highway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

, except in Shelby, to Interstate 85, in Kings Mountain. After crossing a unique weave intersection with Interstate 85, it joins with

US 29 U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Was ...

and travels through downtown Gastonia along Franklin Boulevard. East of Gastonia, it becomes Wilkinson Boulevard as it go through McAdenville, Cramerton and

Belmont Belmont may refer to: People * Belmont (surname) Places * Belmont Abbey (disambiguation) * Belmont Historic District (disambiguation) * Belmont Hotel (disambiguation) * Belmont Park (disambiguation) * Belmont Plantation (disambiguation) * Belmon ...

. After crossing the Lake Wylie/Catawba River, via

Sloans Ferry Bridge The Sloans Ferry Bridge is a four-lane automobile bridge spanning the Catawba River/ Lake Wylie between Belmont, in Gaston County, and Charlotte, in Mecklenburg County. The bridge carries US 29/ US 74 and is utilized mostly by local tr ...

, it enters Charlotte, with connections with Interstate 485 and Interstate 85/

Charlotte Douglas International Airport Charlotte Douglas International Airport ( IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles we ...

, via Little Rock Road. At Morehead Street, west of Center City, it splits with US 29 for Interstate 277 along the John Belk Freeway. East of Center City, it goes solo again along Independence Freeway/Boulevard to

Matthews Matthews may refer to: People * Matthews (surname) Places * Matthews Island, Antarctica * Matthews Range, Kenya * Mount Matthews, New Zealand United States * Matthews, Georgia * Matthews, Indiana * Matthews, Maryland * Matthews, Missouri * Mat ...

, where it connects again with Interstate 485. After leaving the Charlotte city limits, the route turns southeast as it goes through Stallings, Indian Trail and Monroe, where it briefly overlaps with US 601, before continuing east again through Wingate, Marshville, Peachland, Polkton, Wadesboro and Lilesville. On this stretch, prior to 2018, signage for the route was very poor, only being found at a few locations along the route. As part of the US 74 Monroe Bypass project, signage along the route was improved by the NCDOT. Crossing the

Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River The Uwharri ...

and into the Sandhills region, US 74 meets up with Future Interstates I-73/ I-74, in Rockingham. After a future interchange near NC 38 that will end its overlap with Interstate 73, US 74/Future I-74 continues southeast, bypassing Laurinburg and Maxton. East of Maxton and through Lumberton, the highway is officially US 74/Interstate 74, before dropping back to Future I-74 west of Boardman; the concurrency with Future I-74 ends at Bolton, where a future interchange will split from US 74 to continue south towards South Carolina. This is one of only two instances (along with I-41 in Wisconsin) of similarly-numbered U.S. and Interstate routes being designated on the same road. Near

Chadbourn Chadbourn is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,856 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History A post office called Chadbourn has been in operation since 1882 ...

, US 74 overlaps with US 76, which continue mostly together till

Wrightsville Beach Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census. The town co ...

, where US 74 dead-ends north and US 76 dead-ends south. The highway connects the cities and towns of Whiteville,

Lake Waccamaw Lake Waccamaw is a fresh water lake located in Columbus County in North Carolina. It is the largest of the natural Carolina Bay lakes. Although bay trees (''Magnolia virginiana L.'', ''Gordonia lasianthus Ellis'', and ''Persea'') are present w ...

, and Wilmington. The road through the Cape Fear region is flat, surrounded by parts of the Green Swamp.

ADHS corridors

US 74 overlaps with two corridors that are part of the

Appalachian Development Highway System The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historical ...

(ADHS), which is part of Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Passed in 1965, the purpose of ADHS is to generate economic development in previously isolated areas, supplement the interstate system, connect Appalachia to the interstate system, and provide access to areas within the Region as well as to markets in the rest of the nation. * Corridor A – From I-285, in Sandy Springs, Georgia to I-40, near Clyde, North Carolina. US 74 overlap from US 23, in Dillsboro, to I-40, near Clyde; it is also completed with divided four-lane

limited-access A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...

and controlled-access sections. This corridor is signed as "Appalachian Highway," in white text on blue background. * Corridor K – From I-75, in

Cleveland, Tennessee Cleveland is the county seat of and largest city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 47,356 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Cleveland metropolitan area, Tennessee (consisting of Bradley and neigh ...

, to US 23, in Dillsboro, North Carolina. The entire section of US 74 is authorized for ADHS funding. The majority of the route is a four-lane

limited-access road A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...

, with a section that is controlled-access between Bryson City and Cherokee. Current two-lane sections that are impending improvements are: Ocoee River to Ducktown and the

Nantahala Gorge The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Scenic byways

The

Ocoee Scenic Byway The Ocoee Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway and Tennessee Scenic Byway that traverses through the Cherokee National Forest, in East Tennessee. It is part of both U.S. Route 64 in Tennessee, U.S. Route 64 and U.S. Route 74, and featu ...

is a National Forest Scenic Byway that traverses through the Cherokee National Forest, in

East Tennessee East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 count ...

. 19 miles of the Byway are concurrent with US 74 (in addition to U.S. Route 64). Features include the

Ocoee Whitewater Center The Ocoee Whitewater Center, near Ducktown, Tennessee, United States, was the canoe slalom venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and is the only in-river course to be used for Olympic slalom competition. A 1,640 foot (500 m) stretch of t ...

and scenic bluffs along Ocoee River and Gorge. Nantahala Byway is a byway from Marble to Whittier; it is known for its scenic views of the

Nantahala Gorge The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is a freight and heritage railroad based in Bryson City, North Carolina, United States. Since late 1999, the railroad is currently owned and operated by American Heritage Railways, Inc., which also owns and ...

, and whitewater rafting on the

Nantahala River The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Marble to Bryson City. The byway also overlaps with US 19 and US 129.

Dedicated and memorial names

US 74 features several dedicated bridges and stretches of highway throughout its route. * American Indian Highway – this name was authored by Tuscarora Indian Robert M. Chavis, he launched a campaign to obtain support from all the city councils and the Robeson county Commissioners, they all signed onto the partition Mr. Chavis sent to the NCDOT and it was approved by the state DOT, official North Carolina name of the section of US 74/I-74 in Robeson County (mile marker 191-213). It is named to honor the large American Indian population in Robeson County (approved: November 8, 2001). * Andrew Jackson Highway – Official North Carolina name of US 74 throughout the state, 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 (approved: April 4, 1963). Signage is found primarily east of Charlotte, overlapping other official North Carolina dedicated sections. * C. Heide Trask Bridge – Official North Carolina name of bridge over the Inland Waterway, in

Wrightsville Beach Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census. The town co ...

(approved: June 9, 1958). * Cameron Morrison Bridge – Was an official North Carolina name of the first bridge and later westbound US 74 bridge, over the

Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River The Uwharri ...

. It was named in honor of Governor Morrison, who was a Richmond County native. The bridge, built in 1925, was dedicated to Morrison originally at an unknown date; in 1983, after the bridge was reconstructed to modern standards, it was rededicated to R.W. Goodman. * Dean Arledge Memorial Highway – Official North Carolina name of US 74 between

I-26 I26 may refer to: * Interstate 26 Interstate 26 (I-26) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Nominally east–west, as indicated by its even number, I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W ...

and NC 9, in Polk County (approved: March 3, 2000). * G R Kindley Freeway – Official North Carolina name of US 74/ I-74 along the Rockingham-Hamlet bypass. It is named in honor of the former mayor of Rockingham (approved: September 8, 2000). * Herman H. West Bridge – Official North Carolina name of bridge over the

Valley River A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

, in

Cherokee County Cherokee County is the name of eight counties in the United States: * Cherokee County, Alabama * Cherokee County, Georgia * Cherokee County, Iowa * Cherokee County, Kansas * Cherokee County, North Carolina * Cherokee County, Oklahoma * Cherokee Cou ...

. It was dedicated in honor of the former state Senator and Representative (approved: September 8, 2000). * Hezekiah Pridgen, Sr. Bridge – Official North Carolina name of bridge over US 701, in Columbus County (approved: August 4, 1995). * James Archibald Hardison Bridge – Official North Carolina name of the eastbound US 74 bridge, over the

Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River The Uwharri ...

. It is named in honor of the former Highway Commissioner and member of the Highway Commission under three governors, from 1933-1937 and 1953-1961 (approved: December 30, 1958). * J. Ollie Harris Highway – Official North Carolina name of US 74 Bypass at Kings Mountain (approved: October 3, 1997). * James Arthur Callahan Freeway – Official North Carolina name of a section of US 74/

I-26 I26 may refer to: * Interstate 26 Interstate 26 (I-26) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Nominally east–west, as indicated by its even number, I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W ...

in Rutherford County (approved: May 10, 1992). * John Belk Freeway – Official North Carolina name of US 74/ I-277, from

I-77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...

/

US 21 U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway in the Southeastern United States that travels . The southern terminus is in Hunting Island Sta ...

to Independence Boulevard, in Uptown Charlotte. It is named in honor of John M. Belk, who was mayor of Charlotte from 1969-1977 (approved: September 11, 1981). * R.W. Goodman Bridge – Official North Carolina name of the westbound US 74 bridge, over the

Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River The Uwharri ...

. It is named in honor of the former Richmond County sheriff

R. W. Goodman Raymond Wallace Goodman (August 23, 1915 – April 5, 2007) was an American law enforcement officer and businessman who served as Sheriff of Richmond County, North Carolina from 1950 until 1994, making him the longest serving sheriff in North Ca ...

(approved: March 11, 1983). * Senator Jesse Helms Freeway – Official North Carolina name of US 74 between US 601 to the Anson- Union County line (approved: January 8, 1993). Named in honor of the late five-term U.S. senator who was born in Union County in 1921. * Solon David Smart Memorial Highway – Official North Carolina name of highway from NC 120 to US 221A, in Rutherford County (approved: December 1, 2000). * W Cliff Martin Highway – Official North Carolina name of US 74 from Union County line to Wadesboro, in Anson County (approved: May 2, 1997).

History

Established as an original U.S. Route in late 1926, US 74 traversed from Asheville to

Chadbourn Chadbourn is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,856 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History A post office called Chadbourn has been in operation since 1882 ...

, in North Carolina. It was extended eastward in late 1934 to Wilmington, replacing an old alignment of US 17. In 1936, US 74 was extended eastward again from Wilmington, via Market Street, to

Wrightsville Beach Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census. The town co ...

, then going north on Lumina Avenue to its current eastern terminus. US 74 also spawned two alternate routes the same year, the first and shortest () in Leland, and a second in Shelby; which eventually replaced all of US 74 through the downtown area by 1949 (later renamed US 74 Business in 1960). In 1937, US 74 was rerouted through Kings Mountain, replacing part of NC 7. Its old alignment became an alternate route, but was replaced a year later by both NC 161 and NC 274. By 1949, US 74 was on its first bypass around Rutherfordton, via Ruth; its former route becoming an alternate route (later renamed US 74 Business in 1960). In 1952, the first Monroe Bypass was completed, leaving a short-lived alternate route going through the downtown area. By 1953, the first bypass around Rockingham was completed, leaving a short lived alternate route through the downtown area. In 1970, US 74 was placed on new freeway alignment bypassing Spindale, Forest City, Ellenboro, and Mooresboro; the old route was replaced by an extension of US 74 Business. In 1973, US 74 was realigned onto new road south of Lumberton. In 1975, US 74/US 76 was rerouted onto new freeway bypass south of Leland and then east of Belville, its old alignment becoming secondary roads. In 1976, US 74/US 76 was bypassed north of

Chadbourn Chadbourn is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,856 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History A post office called Chadbourn has been in operation since 1882 ...

and Whiteville, leaving behind US 74 Bus./ US 76 Bus. In 1984, Maxton was bypassed, replaced by an extension of US 74 Bus. In 1985, US 74 was rerouted north of Kings Mountain onto new freeway bypass; its old alignment becoming US 74 Bus. In 1986, Hallsboro and

Lake Waccamaw Lake Waccamaw is a fresh water lake located in Columbus County in North Carolina. It is the largest of the natural Carolina Bay lakes. Although bay trees (''Magnolia virginiana L.'', ''Gordonia lasianthus Ellis'', and ''Persea'') are present w ...

were bypassed; its old alignment replaced by NC 214. Also in 1986, US 74 was extended west, from Asheville to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The routing extension started at its former western terminus with US 70, going northerly, in concurrency with US 70, to I-240, where it overlapped briefly before joining US 19/ US 23. From Asheville, in concurrency with US 19/US 23, it went through

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

and

Lake Junaluska Lake Junaluska is a census-designated place (CDP) in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States, and a manmade lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lake Junaluska is named after nearby ...

. From Lake Junaluska, in concurrency with US 23, it went through Waynesville. Near Dillsboro it switches US 23 for US 441 and continues till it splits north within the

Qualla Boundary The Qualla Boundary or The Qualla is territory held as a land trust by the United States government for the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who reside in western North Carolina. The area is part of the large historic Chero ...

. West of Bryson City, it overlaps with NC 28. In Topton, it joins with US 129 and continues southwesterly till at

Murphy Murphy () ( ga, Ua Murchadha) is an Irish surname and the most common surname in the Republic of Ireland. Origins and variants The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh"), and "Mac ...

, where it joins with US 64 and separates from US 19/US 129. Heading west, in concurrency with US 64, it enters Tennessee; traversing through Ducktown, it reaches Cleveland, where it then follows the US 64 Bypass to I-75. Continuing southeasterly, as a hidden concurrency with I-75, it connects with

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

, ending at its new terminus at

I-24 Interstate 24 (I-24) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from I-57, south of Marion, Illinois, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at I-75. It travels through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, ...

. In 1988, US 74 was extended east to its current eastern terminus in

Wrightsville Beach Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census. The town co ...

. In 1990, US 74 was rerouted onto I-277 (John Belk Freeway), this left a section of Independence Boulevard that was still overlapped with

NC 27 North Carolina Highway 27 (NC 27) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The route traverses through southern and central North Carolina, about of it as a concurrency with NC 24. Route description NC&nb ...

. In 1992-1993, Bolton was bypassed to the north, with its old alignment becoming an extension of NC 214. In 1994, US 74 was rerouted onto I-40 for , in Asheville, and then onto

I-26 I26 may refer to: * Interstate 26 Interstate 26 (I-26) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Nominally east–west, as indicated by its even number, I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W ...

, from Asheville to

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

. East of Columbus, it traverses along new freeway to Forest City, where it meets back with its old alignment. The former routing between Asheville and Forest City becomes US 74A. In 1996, US 74 was rerouted through Wilmington. In late 1997, US 74 was rerouted onto I-40, between Clyde and Asheville. In 2002, US 74 was placed on its second bypass around both Rockingham and Hamlet, its old alignment becoming US 74 Business. In 2005, US 74 was rerouted north of downtown Wilmington. In 2007, US 74 was placed on new freeway, in concurrency with I-74 from Maxton to just east of I-95; its old alignment becoming US 74 Alternate. In 2018, US 74's new toll bypass around Monroe was completed.

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 Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. * Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road. *Expressway, the fictional s ...

. The road has undergone numerous realignments, extensions, upgrades, truncations, and renamings since the mid-20th 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 Independence Park may refer to: * Independence Park Botanic Gardens, a botanical garden in Baton Rouge, Louisiana * Independence Park (Charlotte, North Carolina), a park in Charlotte, North Carolina * Independence Park (Chicago), a park in Chicag ...

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 North Carolina Highway 27 (NC 27) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The route traverses through southern and central North Carolina, about of it as a concurrency with NC 24. Route description NC&nb ...

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 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...

was renamed Wilkinson Boulevard. A new intersection with I-277 (which would also connect to the

Brookshire Freeway Interstate 277 (I-277) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of North Carolina. It serves as a partial loop around Uptown Charlotte. Route description I-277 is a four to eight-lane beltway that surrounds Uptown Charlotte. ...

that was upgraded as part of the I-277 project) 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. In 2021, Stonewall Street was renamed to Brooklyn Village Avenue to honor a Charlotte neighborhood that had been demolished for expansion of the Uptown area. 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.

"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, who 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 US 74 was to come, Chavis started a campaign to change the name to American Indian Highway. 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 authored by Andrew Jackson. 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. 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 NCDOT. Then Chavis presented the reasons for the name change to all the cities of Robeson county and the Robeson County Commissioners. Once he obtained support from these entities he presented the proposal to the NC-DOT. Rep. 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.

Future

In Graham County, NCDOT has proposed to relocate US 74 onto a new divided four-lane highway from Robbinsville to Stecoah. This new routing will feature controlled at-grade intersections, viaduct and tunnel (at Stecoah Gap). At a cost of $383 million, right-of-way acquisition is scheduled to begin in 2014 and construction to begin in 2016; however, this is subject to reprioritization. The project is part of an overall project to bypass the current routing through the

Nantahala Gorge The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Nantahala National Forest. The overall project, from

Andrews Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States *Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana * Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina * Andrews, Oregon * Andrews, Sou ...

to

Almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...

, would complete a four-lane expressway from

Cherokee County Cherokee County is the name of eight counties in the United States: * Cherokee County, Alabama * Cherokee County, Georgia * Cherokee County, Iowa * Cherokee County, Kansas * Cherokee County, North Carolina * Cherokee County, Oklahoma * Cherokee Cou ...

to Asheville. The US 74 Bypass, in

Cleveland County Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

, is a

controlled-access highway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

bypassing north of Shelby. When completed, it will improve vehicle capacity along the US 74 corridor, reduce future traffic congestion, increase safety and improve roadway continuity between I-26 and I-85. Being built in six sections, the cost is estimated at $295.9 million; currently, three of the six sections are fully funded with construction starting in 2014, ending in 2017. In Mooresboro, there are plans to convert the last remaining at-grade intersections (US 74 Business/Lattimore Road/Academy Street) into an interchange, as well as improving the bridges over Sandy Run Creek. When the interchange and the rest of the Shelby Bypass are completed, US 74 will become a full freeway between I-26 in Tryon and I-85 in Kings Mountain. The Independence Widening project, in Mecklenburg County, is to enhance and improve traffic flow and safety along US 74 in east Charlotte, by converting the corridor into an expressway grade highway from Center City to

Matthews Matthews may refer to: People * Matthews (surname) Places * Matthews Island, Antarctica * Matthews Range, Kenya * Mount Matthews, New Zealand United States * Matthews, Georgia * Matthews, Indiana * Matthews, Maryland * Matthews, Missouri * Mat ...

. Current construction is being done on three new interchanges at Sharon-Amity Road, Idlewild Road and Conference Drive. The cost of this section is at $101.2 million, with construction completed by October 15, 2016. In Union and Anson counties, the US 74 freeway upgrade and Wadesboro Bypass is an estimated $741 million project. Plans include linking with future Monroe Bypass to existing Rockingham Bypass with upgrading to existing facilities to freeway standards and bypass the cities of both Marshville (to the south) and Wadesboro (to the north). The project is currently unfunded.

Junction list

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Route description

Tennessee

North Carolina

ADHS corridors

Scenic byways

Dedicated and memorial names

History

Independence Boulevard

"American Indian Highway" controversy

Future

Junction list

See also

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External links