INTERSTATE 74

'Interstate 74' (abbreviated 'I-74') is an interstate highway in the Midwestern and southeastern United States. Its western end is at an intersection with Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an intersection with Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It also exists as several other disconnected sections of highways in North Carolina (see details); also see List of gaps in Interstate Highways.

Contents

Route description

Iowa

Illinois

Indiana

Ohio

West Virginia

Virginia

North Carolina

Major intersections

Auxiliary routes

Future

Southeast Extension

Midwest extension

See also

References

External links

Route description

'Miles'	'km'	'state'
5.36	8.63	Iowa
220.34	354.60	Illinois
171.54	276.07	Indiana
19.47	31.33	Ohio
40	64	North Carolina
457	735	Total[1]

Major cities 'Bolded cities' are officially-designated control cities for signs
★ 'Des Moines, Iowa' (via I-80) ★ The Quad Cities, Iowa-Illinois '(Moline-Rock Island)' ★ 'Peoria, Illinois' ★ Bloomington, Illinois ★ Champaign, Illinois ★ Danville, Illinois ★ 'Indianapolis, Indiana' ★ 'Cincinnati, Ohio' ★ 'Wytheville, Virginia' ★ 'Winston-Salem, North Carolina'

Iowa

In the state of Iowa, Interstate 74 runs south from Interstate 80 for 5.36 miles (8.63 km) before crossing into Illinois on the I-74 Bridge. North of the Mississippi River, I-74 bisects Bettendorf and Davenport.

Illinois

Main articles: Interstate 74 in Illinois

In the state of Illinois, Interstate 74 runs south from Iowa to Galesburg; from this point it runs southeast through Peoria to the Bloomington-Normal area and Interstate 55. I-74 continues southeast to the Champaign-Urbana area, intersecting with Interstate 57. The interstate then runs east past Danville at the Illinois-Indiana state line. U.S. Route 150 parallels Interstate 74 in Illinois for its entire length.

Indiana

In the state of Indiana, Interstate 74 runs east from the Illinois state line to the Crawfordsville area before turning southeast. It then runs around the city center of Indianapolis along Interstate 465. It then enters Ohio west of the city of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ohio

In the state of Ohio, Interstate 74 runs southeast from the Indiana border to the western segment's current eastern terminus at Interstate 75 just north of downtown Cincinnati. It is also signed with U.S. Route 52 for its entire length.
The unbuilt portion of Interstate 74 in Ohio is expected to be routed along Ohio State Route 32, U.S. Route 23, and U.S. Route 52 for most of its length. However, the routing for the segment through Cincinnati, connecting Interstate 75 to Ohio State Route 32, remains a matter of dispute. Most likely Interstate 74 would run with Interstate 75, it will most likely turn east and follow the short 3 mile route known as State Route 562, over to Interstate 71. It would then run with Interstate 71 to a new section of Ohio State Route 32, that would be built.

West Virginia

As of October 2006, Interstate 74 remains unbuilt in the state of West Virginia. It is to be routed mostly along the current path of US 52, known as the Tolsia Highway. WVDOT is currently upgrading the Tolsia Highway to four lanes, but not to interstate standards.

Virginia

Main articles: Interstate 74 in Virginia

As of October 2006, Interstate 74 remains unbuilt in the state of Virginia north of Interstate 81 and unsigned along its designated path along Interstate 77 south of Wytheville to the North Carolina border.

North Carolina

Main articles: Interstate 74 in North Carolina

In the state of North Carolina, as of October 2006 the western segment of Interstate 74 runs from Interstate 77 to US 52 just south of Mount Airy, and again with the southern segment of Interstate 73 and U.S. Route 220 from just north of Asheboro to south of Candor.

Major intersections

★ Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa

★ Interstate 80 near Colona, Illinois

★ Interstate 55 in Bloomington, Illinois

★ Interstate 57 in Champaign, Illinois

★ Interstate 70 in Indianapolis, Indiana

★ Interstate 65 in Indianapolis, Indiana

★ Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio

★ Interstate 64 near Huntington, West Virginia (future)

★ Interstate 77 near Mount Airy, North Carolina

★ Interstate 40 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (future)

★ Interstate 73 near Asheboro, North Carolina, near Rockingham, North Carolina (future), near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (future)

★ Interstate 85 near High Point, North Carolina (future)

★ Interstate 95 near Lumberton, North Carolina (future)

Auxiliary routes

★ Peoria, Illinois - I-474

★ Winston-Salem, North Carolina - I-274 ''(planned)''

★ Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - I-174 ''(planned)''

Future

Southeast Extension

Long-range plans call for I-74 to continue east and south of Cincinnati to North Carolina using OH 32 from Cincinnati to Piketon, Ohio and then the proposed I-73 from Portsmouth through West Virginia (along current U.S. Route 52) to I-77. It would then follow I-77 through Virginia into North Carolina where it would connect to highways already signed as I-74. In 1996 AASHTO approved the signing of highways as I-74 along its proposed path east (south) of I-81 in Wytheville, Virginia where those highways meet interstate standards. North Carolina started putting up I-74 signs along its roadways in 1997.
Four sections of I-74 in North Carolina are currently under construction. One is the U.S. 220 bypass of Ellerbe (with I-73), which is 14 miles long and is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2007. The other is the U.S. Route 74 freeway under construction from the end of the Laurinburg-Maxton Bypass to Interstate 95 (19 miles) which is to be completed by the end of 2008. The final 4-mile segment of the U.S. 311 Bypass of High Point, North Carolina, which also will carry I-74 from Business Loop 85 to Interstate 85, started construction in May 2007. The same contract started work on the first 6 miles of the I-74 freeway between I-85 and U.S. Route 220 (Future I-73), both projects should be complete by 2011. The proposed path of I-74 east of I-95 is further along US 74 to NC 211 near Bolton then south along US 17 to near the South Carolina border. These sections are not currently proposed to be built perhaps for another 20 to 30 years. The NC Turnpike Authority at the request of officials in Brunswick County are studying whether a toll road could get the section of I-74 in that county built faster. ^[2]
On February 11, 2005, the North and South Carolina Departments of Transportation came to an agreement over where I-74 (and I-73) would cross the border between the two states. It was decided that I-74 would cross the line as a northern extension of the Carolina Bays Parkway (S.C. Highway 31). I-74 is then proposed to end south of Myrtle Beach at U.S. Route 17. Before ending, it is proposed to produce a spur into Myrtle Beach, called Interstate 174. Another spur route, which is expected to be called I-274, is proposed as the western half of the Northern Beltway loop around Winston-Salem, North Carolina (I-74 will run on the eastern half).
East of Rockingham, North Carolina, Future I-74 runs concurrent with US 74. When the highway is signed as Interstate 74, it will be the first time that a U.S. and Interstate highway with the same number would be designated on the same road. (In Wisconsin, part of U.S. Route 41 between Milwaukee and Green Bay has been proposed as Future Interstate 41.)

Midwest extension

There is still some dispute over which routes will connect the existing stretches of I-74. Ohio has proposed that the stretch should run through the city of Cincinnati and from there either along State Route 32 or U.S. Route 52; while Kentucky officials want the road to begin in the west as part of a greater Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky bypass, then running along the AA Highway from near Brooksville, Kentucky until it joins I-64 near Ashland, Kentucky.

See also

★ I-73/74 North-South Corridor

★ Interstate 74 in North Carolina

★ Interstate 73

★ U.S. Route 74

References

1. Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002 Federal Highway Administration
2. [1]


★ AA Roads - Interstate 74, http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-074.html

★ AA Roads - Interstate 174 South Carolina, http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-174_sc.html

★ I-74 in NC Progress Page, http://www.duke.edu/~rmalme/prog74.html, accessed 4/19/07.

★ 2005 Rand McNally road atlas

External links

★ I-74 in NC Progress Page

★ SCDOT - Carolina Bays Parkway Phase II (part of I-74)

★ High Priority Corridor 5 (I-73/74)

★ Upgrade 74 Renovation Project

★ I-74 on Cincinnati-Transit.net

★ Interstate 74 Cincinnati to Piketon Corridor

★ I-74 Iowa-Illinois Corridor Study

★ Illinois Highway Ends: Interstate 74

★ Indiana Highway Ends: Interstate 74