Interstate 73
Encyclopedia
Interstate 73 is a main route of the Interstate Highway System
, currently located entirely within the U.S. state
of North Carolina
. It is part of a longer planned corridor, defined by various Federal laws to run from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
, to Grayling, Michigan
, but only the part south of West Virginia
is currently under study. Closely related is the extension of Interstate 74
from Cincinnati, Ohio
to Myrtle Beach, with several concurrencies planned.
There are currently two sections signed as I-73:
There are also three sections signed as future I-73, with the word FUTURE replacing INTERSTATE in the route shield:
Rockingham Bypass freeway south of Hamlet; a proposed western alternative would have had it meeting US 74 a mile east of the NC 177 interchange. I-73 will join I-74 (the freeway is currently signed as Future Interstate 74
), where the two will run south of the Rockingham area, and then turn north on a proposed (U.S. Route 220
) western bypass of Rockingham scheduled to be built starting in 2018; right-of-way purchases have begun. From south of Ellerbe to south of Candor, I-73/74 will use a new US 220 freeway completed on January 8, 2008 which connects with the existing I-73/74 freeway; the new highway is signed as Future I-73/74.
Interstate 73 currently begins south of Candor. The portion from south of Steeds
north to south of Ulah
was completed in 1996, and was the first road marked as I-73 (and I-74), with signs going up by May 1997. Future signage was also installed north to the Greensboro area, and standard signage was later placed south on the early 1980s freeway to south of Candor. Shields north of near Ulah are marked Future, as the older road does not meet Interstate standards. Planned upgrades of this route are scheduled to be started by 2009, after which the route can be marked as a standard interstate. Future I-74 signage ends at the U.S. Route 311
interchange
near Randleman, as it will split onto a new freeway being constructed paralleling US 311 to High Point due to open by 2012, while Future I-73 continues north to Greensboro.
Approaching Greensboro, where the US 220 freeway crosses the southern part of the Greensboro Urban Loop
completed in 2004 carrying Interstate 85 and US 421 (formerly I-40), I-73 will exit US 220 and turn west onto the Greensboro Urban Loop, a planned full beltway of Greensboro. It actually never joins I-85 but continues along the existing Groometown Road exit ramp paralleling I-85/US 421, joining US 421 to travel the south and west sides of the Loop after I-85 has split off at Exit 121 (the reverse is also true, I-73 South exits the Loop at the US 220 South exit before it joins I-85). From there it heads northwest and north with US 421 to the interchange with the redesignated (to the east) I-40 where Interstate 73 currently ends. Plans formally approved in October 2008 have I-73 proceeding onto the northern half of the beltway (currently signed as Future Interstate 73/Interstate 840), turning west onto Bryan Boulevard
, a freeway that has been partially rebuilt around the north side of the Piedmont Triad International Airport
, for 1.8 miles (2.9 km). This will lead to a short stint (1.2 miles) continuing west on a new freeway north of existing Bryan Blvd called, at least for now, the 'I-73 Connector' (TIP ID I-5110). At its end, I-73 will turn briefly north onto an upgraded NC 68 freeway to the planned NC 68-US 220 Connector, a 12.4-mile $191 million segment running northeast to return to US 220 at its intersection with NC 68 in Rockingham County
. Work was to start on upgrading US 220 in 2010 (the date is now 2012), but not to interstate standards at first. The remainder of the NC 68-US 220 connector was to begin work in 2013 (the date is now 2014), with the upgraded US 220 later receiving additional improvements to make it an interstate. The upgrade of NC 68 and building the I-73 Connector will take place after 2015. The final section of I-73 in North Carolina will again be a relocation and upgrade of US 220 north to the Virginia border, work again not scheduled to start until after 2015.
worked on reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act, the Bluefield-to-Huntington Highway Association wanted an interstate highway, which would be called Interstate 73, to run from Detroit
to Charleston, South Carolina
. In West Virginia
, the highway would run alongside U.S. Highway 52
, which was only two lanes but was still being used to transport coal
from mines to barges on the Ohio River
. The influential Robert Byrd
, at the time West Virginia's senior senator, chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee, but even Byrd said funding for such a highway would be hard to find. In North Carolina, Marc Bush of the Greensboro Area Chamber of Commerce admitted the plan would benefit his area, but said it was not a priority.
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) defined High Priority Corridor 5, the "I-73/74 north–south Corridor" from Charleston, South Carolina
, through Winston-Salem, North Carolina
, to Portsmouth, Ohio
, to Cincinnati, Ohio
, and Detroit, Michigan
." This would provide for a single corridor from Charleston, splitting at Portsmouth, with I-74 turning west to its current east end in Cincinnati, and I-73 continuing north to Detroit.
In North Carolina, any new construction would require more money than the state had available, but Walter C. Sprouse Jr., executive director of the Randolph County
Economic Development Corporation pointed out that most of the route of I-73 included roads already scheduled for improvements which would make them good enough for interstate designation. A connector between Interstate 77
and U.S. 52 at Mt. Airy
was planned, and U.S. 52 from Mt. Airy to Winston-Salem and U.S. 311 from Winston-Salem to High Point
were four-lane divided highways. A U.S. 311 bypass of High Point was planned, which would eventually connect to U.S. 220 at Randleman. I-73 would follow U.S. 220 to Rockingham. Another possibility was following Interstate 40
from Winston-Salem to Greensboro. In Winston-Salem, congestion on U.S. 52 was expected to be a problem. The route through High Point was approved in May 1993.
However, by November of that year, an organization called Job Link, made up of business leaders from northern North Carolina and southern Virginia, wanted a major highway to connect Roanoke
with the Greensboro area. It could be I-73, the group said, but did not have to be. In April 1995, John Warner
, who chaired the Senate
subcommittee which would select the route of I-73, announced his support for the Job Link proposal. This distressed Winston-Salem officials who were counting on I-73, though Greensboro had never publicly sought the road. But an aide to U. S. Sen. Lauch Faircloth
said the 1991 law authorizing I-73 required the road to go through Winston-Salem. Faircloth got around this requirement, though, by asking Warner to call the highway to Winston-Salem Interstate 74. In May, Warner announced plans to propose legislation that made the plan for two interstates official.
The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 added a branch from Toledo, Ohio
to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
via the U.S. Route 223
and U.S. Route 127
corridors. (At the time, US 127 north of Lansing was part of US 27
.) It also gave details for the alignments in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. I-73 and I-74 were to split near Bluefield, West Virginia
, joining again between Randleman, North Carolina
and Rockingham, North Carolina
; both would end at Charleston. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO) approved the sections of I-73 and I-74 south of Interstate 81
in Virginia (with I-74 ending at I-73 near Myrtle Beach) on July 25, 1996, allowing for them to be marked once built to Interstate standards and connected to other Interstate routes. The final major change came with the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
of 1998 (TEA-21), when both routes were truncated to Georgetown, South Carolina
.
North Carolina took the lead in signing highways as I-73 following AASHTO's approval in 1997 and since has approved construction projects to build new sections of the Interstate Highway. Currently two new sections of what will be I-73 have been completed, the southwestern part of the Greensboro Urban Loop around Greensboro, North Carolina
(referred to above) and the US 220 Bypass of Ellerbe, south of Asheboro, North Carolina
. The only other progress in building I-73 can be seen in Virginia and South Carolina. In 2005 Virginia completed an environmental impact statement for its recommended route for I-73 from I-81 in Roanoke to the North Carolina border. The Federal Highway Administration approved the EIS report in April 2007. Virginia can now go ahead and draw up plans to construct the highway and proceed to build it once funds are obtained. South Carolina also has shown recent interest in building its section of I-73 with a corridor selected for the route from I-95 to Myrtle Beach in 2006 and a final decision on how the highway should be routed north of I-95 to the NC border in July 2007. In January 2006 the South Carolina state legislature introduced bills to construct Interstate 73 as a toll highway. It is hoped a guaranteed stream of revenue will allow it to build its section of I-73 within 10 years. The FHWA approved South Carolina's proposal on August 10, 2007.
Ohio and Michigan both abandoned further environmental studies on their portions of I-73. It is important to note that most of the I-73 corridor in both of these states follows existing freeways or highways scheduled to be upgraded to freeways under plans that predate I-73.
near Briarcliffe Acres. It will then proceed northwest crossing the proposed routing of Interstate 74
(currently SC Highway 31, the Carolina Bays Parkway). After passing Conway I-73 will leave SC 22 at a new interchange to be constructed two miles (3 km) west of U.S. Route 701
, and will then use a new highway to be built between SC 22 and SC 917 north of Cool Springs. I-73 will then use an upgraded SC 917 to cross the Little Pee Dee River. It will then proceed on a new freeway alignment between SC 917 and I-95 that would have an interchange with U.S. Route 76
west of Mullins and then would proceed northwest to an exit with U.S. Route 501
near Latta, passing that city to the south before intersecting Interstate 95 near S.C. Highway 38
. After crossing Interstate 95
, I-73 will use the chosen middle route, one of six potential alternative corridors that were studied all of which roughly paralleling SC 38 to proceed further north to the North Carolina state line. These alternative corridors were formally announced to the public on September 7, 2006 at a meeting in Bennettsville, South Carolina
. A final decision was announced on July 19, 2007. The North
and South Carolina Departments of Transportation
previously agreed to an I-73 corridor crossing the state line along SC/NC 38 near Hamlet, North Carolina
on February 11, 2005. Previously I-73 had been planned to cross the state line further west, near U.S. Route 1
south of Rockingham, North Carolina
.
On November 7, 2011, Myrtle Beach city council member Wayne Gray asked area elected officials to consider using RIDE
funds to pay for a portion of I-73.
. U.S. 220 is currently a rural four-lane highway with many safety issues. As such, Virginia has decided to have I-73 immediately diverge from U.S. 220 upon entering the state from North Carolina and travel around the east side of Martinsville
, with U.S. 220 as a freeway around the west side of Martinsville. The two will meet briefly south of Rocky Mount. I-73 will continue its northbound journey paralleling US 220 to the east until they converge south of Roanoke. At that point, I-73 and U.S. 220 will run concurrent to Interstate 581
, which I-73 will follow to I-81. I-73 Location Study
If I-73 is extended northward, from Roanoke, it will turn southwest on I-81, running concurrent to east of Blacksburg
, and then using the Smart Road
to Blacksburg. The rest of the way to West Virginia will be an upgrade of U.S. 460
, Corridor Q of the Appalachian Development Highway System
.
Interestingly, I-73/81 will be the second wrong-way concurrency in Virginia on I-81, the first being I-77
in Wytheville
to the south. (A future section of I-74
is planned to overlap I-77 for its entire distance in Virginia, including the section shared with I-81.)
. (I-74 will use I-77
through Virginia.) For the rest of its path through West Virginia, from Bluefield to Huntington, I-73 will follow U.S. Route 52
, which is currently being upgraded to a four-lane divided highway as the King Coal Highway to Williamson and the Tolsia Highway the rest of the way to Huntington. This section has been sporadically marked as the Future I-73/I-74 Corridor with signs, but is not being built to Interstate standards.
to Portsmouth, where it would split with I-74
, and U.S. Route 23 the rest of the way through Columbus to Toledo and the Michigan state line. The part from Portsmouth to Columbus is Corridor C of the Appalachian Development Highway System
. Ohio has abandoned further study of the I-73 corridor, since much of the US-23/US-52 corridor is scheduled to be upgraded to freeway status under separate projects. Nonetheless, the option to designate the corridor as I-73 once all upgrades are complete remains open, contingent upon what happens with the route in West Virginia.
On 5 February 2009, the governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland
, proposed allowing tolls to be collected on newly built sections of highway. One of the proposed routes includes the Columbus-Toledo corridor which is currently served by US 23 as an expressway largely without limited access.
to Detroit. However, the definition was amended in 1995 to have a branch along the U.S. Route 223
corridor to south of Jackson
and the US 127
corridor north to I-75 near Grayling
. North of Grayling, the corridor definition continues along I-75 to Sault Ste. Marie
. Except south of Jackson, where it is a two-lane road (as well as a brief stretch of road north of Lansing where the freeway reverts to a divided highway with grade-level intersections), this is mostly a rural four-lane freeway. MDOT abandoned further study of I-73 in 2001, since existing freeways make up the vast majority of the specified corridor, although not all freeway segments are built to Interstate Highway standards. MDOT has plans to upgrade the few remaining non-freeway segments, but it is expected that the routes will retain their original designations instead of receiving the I-73 designation.
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, currently located entirely within the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It is part of a longer planned corridor, defined by various Federal laws to run from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
, to Grayling, Michigan
Grayling, Michigan
Grayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
, but only the part south of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
is currently under study. Closely related is the extension of Interstate 74
Interstate 74
Interstate 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...
from Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
to Myrtle Beach, with several concurrencies planned.
There are currently two sections signed as I-73:
- 26 miles (42 km) along the U.S. Route 220U.S. Route 220U.S. Route 220 is a long U.S. Route in the eastern United States.US 220 is a spur route of U.S. Route 20 but at present, the two routes do not intersect nor do they connect via other spurs of US 20. The former U. S. Route 120, which was signed in Pennsylvania between 1926 and 1967, intersected...
freeway in North Carolina, from south of CandorCandor, North CarolinaCandor is a town in Montgomery County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 825 at the 2000 census. Candor is the home of the North Carolina Peach Festival, which is held every year on the third Saturday of July. The town's welcome sign reads: Welcome to Candor...
to south of UlahUlah, North CarolinaUlah is an unincorporated community in Randolph County, south of the neighboring county seat of Asheboro, North Carolina.-References:...
(co-designated Interstate 74Interstate 74 in North CarolinaIn the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway that is partially completed. Currently in four distinct segments in the state; when completed, it will traverse in a southeasterly direction from Virginia to South Carolina, connecting the cities of Winston-Salem, High...
); - 7.5 miles (12 km) along the southwestern portion of the Greensboro Urban LoopGreensboro Urban LoopThe Greensboro Urban Loop is a planned 41-mile beltway around Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The loop carries Interstate 85 and U.S. Route 421 on its southern section, and Interstate 73 from U.S. 220 to Bryan Boulevard along the west side of Greensboro...
along with U.S. Route 421U.S. Route 421U.S. Route 421 is a spur route of U.S. 21. It runs for from Michigan City, Indiana, at U.S. 20, to Fort Fisher in North Carolina. The highway goes through the cities of Indianapolis, Indiana, Lexington, Kentucky, Boone, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina and...
from the Loop's interchange with U.S. 220 to its interchange with Interstate 40Interstate 40 in North CarolinaInterstate 40 runs through the state of North Carolina from the Tennessee state line in the west to its eastern terminus in Wilmington.-Pigeon River Gorge:...
west of Greensboro, which opened February 21, 2008. This part of the Loop originally was part of I-40, but NCDOT got permission from the FHWA to return I-40 to its original routing through Greensboro in September 2008, signing was completed by July 2009.
There are also three sections signed as future I-73, with the word FUTURE replacing INTERSTATE in the route shield:
- 27 miles (43 km) from near Ulah north to Interstate 85Interstate 85Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
near GreensboroGreensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, (including a section co-designated Interstate 74Interstate 74 in North CarolinaIn the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway that is partially completed. Currently in four distinct segments in the state; when completed, it will traverse in a southeasterly direction from Virginia to South Carolina, connecting the cities of Winston-Salem, High...
); - 17 miles (28 km) section from Candor to EllerbeEllerbe, North CarolinaEllerbe is a town in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census. It is perhaps best known as the one-time home of professional wrestler André the Giant, who operated a nearby ranch/farm in his spare time and retirement. His ashes were scattered on...
, opened in January 2008 and co-designated Future I-74; - 3.5 miles (5 km) of the Greensboro Urban Loop that opened in December 2007, co-designated Future Interstate 840Interstate 840Interstate 840 may refer to:*Interstate 840 , the northern section of the Greensboro Urban Loop .*Interstate 840 , a former designation for a beltway around Nashville, currently State Route 840....
.
North Carolina
Based on the preferred I-73 corridor announced by South Carolina in July 2007, I-73 will be routed at the North Carolina border to just to the east of the current NC 38 interchange. There it would connect to the U.S. Route 74U.S. Route 74
U.S. Route 74 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Cleveland, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.-Tennessee:Established in 1987, US-74 western terminus is exit 20 on I-75 in Cleveland...
Rockingham Bypass freeway south of Hamlet; a proposed western alternative would have had it meeting US 74 a mile east of the NC 177 interchange. I-73 will join I-74 (the freeway is currently signed as Future Interstate 74
Interstate 74
Interstate 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...
), where the two will run south of the Rockingham area, and then turn north on a proposed (U.S. Route 220
U.S. Route 220
U.S. Route 220 is a long U.S. Route in the eastern United States.US 220 is a spur route of U.S. Route 20 but at present, the two routes do not intersect nor do they connect via other spurs of US 20. The former U. S. Route 120, which was signed in Pennsylvania between 1926 and 1967, intersected...
) western bypass of Rockingham scheduled to be built starting in 2018; right-of-way purchases have begun. From south of Ellerbe to south of Candor, I-73/74 will use a new US 220 freeway completed on January 8, 2008 which connects with the existing I-73/74 freeway; the new highway is signed as Future I-73/74.
Interstate 73 currently begins south of Candor. The portion from south of Steeds
Steeds, North Carolina
Steeds is an unincorporated community located in the north eastern part of Montgomery County, North Carolina, United States.-Location:Steeds is located on US 220 two miles north of the Community of Ether...
north to south of Ulah
Ulah, North Carolina
Ulah is an unincorporated community in Randolph County, south of the neighboring county seat of Asheboro, North Carolina.-References:...
was completed in 1996, and was the first road marked as I-73 (and I-74), with signs going up by May 1997. Future signage was also installed north to the Greensboro area, and standard signage was later placed south on the early 1980s freeway to south of Candor. Shields north of near Ulah are marked Future, as the older road does not meet Interstate standards. Planned upgrades of this route are scheduled to be started by 2009, after which the route can be marked as a standard interstate. Future I-74 signage ends at the U.S. Route 311
U.S. Route 311
U.S. Route 311 is a United States highway that runs for entirely within the state of North Carolina. On its route from Eden it passes through the cities of Madison, Winston-Salem and High Point. Originally a spur route from US 11 starting in Roanoke, Virginia and ending at Rowland, North Carolina,...
interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
near Randleman, as it will split onto a new freeway being constructed paralleling US 311 to High Point due to open by 2012, while Future I-73 continues north to Greensboro.
Approaching Greensboro, where the US 220 freeway crosses the southern part of the Greensboro Urban Loop
Greensboro Urban Loop
The Greensboro Urban Loop is a planned 41-mile beltway around Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The loop carries Interstate 85 and U.S. Route 421 on its southern section, and Interstate 73 from U.S. 220 to Bryan Boulevard along the west side of Greensboro...
completed in 2004 carrying Interstate 85 and US 421 (formerly I-40), I-73 will exit US 220 and turn west onto the Greensboro Urban Loop, a planned full beltway of Greensboro. It actually never joins I-85 but continues along the existing Groometown Road exit ramp paralleling I-85/US 421, joining US 421 to travel the south and west sides of the Loop after I-85 has split off at Exit 121 (the reverse is also true, I-73 South exits the Loop at the US 220 South exit before it joins I-85). From there it heads northwest and north with US 421 to the interchange with the redesignated (to the east) I-40 where Interstate 73 currently ends. Plans formally approved in October 2008 have I-73 proceeding onto the northern half of the beltway (currently signed as Future Interstate 73/Interstate 840), turning west onto Bryan Boulevard
Bryan Boulevard (Greensboro)
Joseph M. Bryan Boulevard is a limited-access corridor connecting North Carolina Highway 68 with Benjamin Parkway in Greensboro, North Carolina. Segments of this road may be used as the Future Interstate 73 corridor. The 4-lane highway serves as the main entrance for Piedmont Triad International...
, a freeway that has been partially rebuilt around the north side of the Piedmont Triad International Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport is an airport just west of Greensboro, serving Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem as well as the entire Piedmont Triad Region in North Carolina. The airport has 3 runways; the third opened January 27, 2010 for traffic. The airport is located just off...
, for 1.8 miles (2.9 km). This will lead to a short stint (1.2 miles) continuing west on a new freeway north of existing Bryan Blvd called, at least for now, the 'I-73 Connector' (TIP ID I-5110). At its end, I-73 will turn briefly north onto an upgraded NC 68 freeway to the planned NC 68-US 220 Connector, a 12.4-mile $191 million segment running northeast to return to US 220 at its intersection with NC 68 in Rockingham County
Rockingham County, North Carolina
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 93,643. Its county seat is Wentworth.- History :The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford County...
. Work was to start on upgrading US 220 in 2010 (the date is now 2012), but not to interstate standards at first. The remainder of the NC 68-US 220 connector was to begin work in 2013 (the date is now 2014), with the upgraded US 220 later receiving additional improvements to make it an interstate. The upgrade of NC 68 and building the I-73 Connector will take place after 2015. The final section of I-73 in North Carolina will again be a relocation and upgrade of US 220 north to the Virginia border, work again not scheduled to start until after 2015.
History
In 1991, as CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
worked on reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act, the Bluefield-to-Huntington Highway Association wanted an interstate highway, which would be called Interstate 73, to run from Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
to Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. In West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, the highway would run alongside U.S. Highway 52
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
, which was only two lanes but was still being used to transport coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
from mines to barges on the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. The influential Robert Byrd
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
, at the time West Virginia's senior senator, chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee, but even Byrd said funding for such a highway would be hard to find. In North Carolina, Marc Bush of the Greensboro Area Chamber of Commerce admitted the plan would benefit his area, but said it was not a priority.
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) defined High Priority Corridor 5, the "I-73/74 north–south Corridor" from Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, through Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
, to Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Scioto County. The municipality is located on the northern banks of the Ohio River and east of the Scioto River in Southern Ohio. The population was 20,226 at the 2010 census.-Foundation:...
, to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, and Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
." This would provide for a single corridor from Charleston, splitting at Portsmouth, with I-74 turning west to its current east end in Cincinnati, and I-73 continuing north to Detroit.
In North Carolina, any new construction would require more money than the state had available, but Walter C. Sprouse Jr., executive director of the Randolph County
Randolph County, North Carolina
-Notable people:*Naomi Wise, murder victim*Richard Petty - Nascar driver.*Lee Petty - Nascar pioneer. Richard Petty's father.*Kyle Petty - Nascar driver. Son of Richard Petty*Adam Petty - Nascar driver. Kyle Petty's son...
Economic Development Corporation pointed out that most of the route of I-73 included roads already scheduled for improvements which would make them good enough for interstate designation. A connector between Interstate 77
Interstate 77
Interstate 77 is an 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 old U.S...
and U.S. 52 at Mt. Airy
Mount Airy, North Carolina
Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,388.-History:Mount Airy was settled in the 1750s as a stagecoach stop on the road between Winston-Salem and Galax, Virginia. It was named for a nearby plantation...
was planned, and U.S. 52 from Mt. Airy to Winston-Salem and U.S. 311 from Winston-Salem to High Point
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
were four-lane divided highways. A U.S. 311 bypass of High Point was planned, which would eventually connect to U.S. 220 at Randleman. I-73 would follow U.S. 220 to Rockingham. Another possibility was following Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
from Winston-Salem to Greensboro. In Winston-Salem, congestion on U.S. 52 was expected to be a problem. The route through High Point was approved in May 1993.
However, by November of that year, an organization called Job Link, made up of business leaders from northern North Carolina and southern Virginia, wanted a major highway to connect Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
with the Greensboro area. It could be I-73, the group said, but did not have to be. In April 1995, John Warner
John Warner
John William Warner, KBE is an American Republican politician who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Senator from Virginia from January 2, 1979, to January 3, 2009...
, who chaired the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
subcommittee which would select the route of I-73, announced his support for the Job Link proposal. This distressed Winston-Salem officials who were counting on I-73, though Greensboro had never publicly sought the road. But an aide to U. S. Sen. Lauch Faircloth
Lauch Faircloth
Duncan McLauchlin "Lauch" Faircloth , served one term as a Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina.Before his Senate service, Faircloth was a prominent and wealthy hog farmer...
said the 1991 law authorizing I-73 required the road to go through Winston-Salem. Faircloth got around this requirement, though, by asking Warner to call the highway to Winston-Salem Interstate 74. In May, Warner announced plans to propose legislation that made the plan for two interstates official.
The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 added a branch from Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
via the U.S. Route 223
U.S. Route 223
US Route 223 or US Highway 223 is a diagonal US Highway lying in the US states of Michigan and Ohio. The southern most section is completely concurrent with the US 23 freeway, including all of the Ohio segment. It connects US 23 in the south near Toledo, Ohio with US 127 and...
and U.S. Route 127
U.S. Route 127
U.S. Route 127 is a long north–south United States highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 near Grayling, Michigan...
corridors. (At the time, US 127 north of Lansing was part of US 27
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
.) It also gave details for the alignments in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. I-73 and I-74 were to split near Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
, joining again between Randleman, North Carolina
Randleman, North Carolina
Randleman is a city in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,557 at the 2000 census. It is the home of NASCAR's Petty family, the Richard Petty Museum, and the Victory Junction Gang Camp.-Geography:...
and Rockingham, North Carolina
Rockingham, North Carolina
Rockingham is a city in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States named after the Marquis of Rockingham. The population was 9,672 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richmond County...
; both would end at Charleston. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States...
(AASHTO) approved the sections of I-73 and I-74 south of Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
in Virginia (with I-74 ending at I-73 near Myrtle Beach) on July 25, 1996, allowing for them to be marked once built to Interstate standards and connected to other Interstate routes. The final major change came with the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century was enacted June 9, 1998, as Public Law 105-178. TEA-21 authorized the Federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the 6-year period 1998-2003...
of 1998 (TEA-21), when both routes were truncated to Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
.
North Carolina took the lead in signing highways as I-73 following AASHTO's approval in 1997 and since has approved construction projects to build new sections of the Interstate Highway. Currently two new sections of what will be I-73 have been completed, the southwestern part of the Greensboro Urban Loop around Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
(referred to above) and the US 220 Bypass of Ellerbe, south of Asheboro, North Carolina
Asheboro, North Carolina
Asheboro is a city in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 21,672 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County, and is the home of the state-owned North Carolina Zoo.-Geography:...
. The only other progress in building I-73 can be seen in Virginia and South Carolina. In 2005 Virginia completed an environmental impact statement for its recommended route for I-73 from I-81 in Roanoke to the North Carolina border. The Federal Highway Administration approved the EIS report in April 2007. Virginia can now go ahead and draw up plans to construct the highway and proceed to build it once funds are obtained. South Carolina also has shown recent interest in building its section of I-73 with a corridor selected for the route from I-95 to Myrtle Beach in 2006 and a final decision on how the highway should be routed north of I-95 to the NC border in July 2007. In January 2006 the South Carolina state legislature introduced bills to construct Interstate 73 as a toll highway. It is hoped a guaranteed stream of revenue will allow it to build its section of I-73 within 10 years. The FHWA approved South Carolina's proposal on August 10, 2007.
Ohio and Michigan both abandoned further environmental studies on their portions of I-73. It is important to note that most of the I-73 corridor in both of these states follows existing freeways or highways scheduled to be upgraded to freeways under plans that predate I-73.
South Carolina
On May 30, 2006, SCDOT announced its preferred routing of I-73 between Myrtle Beach and I-95. I-73 will begin where SC Highway 22 starts at U.S. Route 17U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 is a north–south United States highway. The highway spans the southeastern United States and is close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length. The highway's southern terminus is at Punta Gorda, Florida, at an intersection with U.S. Route 41...
near Briarcliffe Acres. It will then proceed northwest crossing the proposed routing of Interstate 74
Interstate 74
Interstate 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...
(currently SC Highway 31, the Carolina Bays Parkway). After passing Conway I-73 will leave SC 22 at a new interchange to be constructed two miles (3 km) west of U.S. Route 701
U.S. Route 701
U.S. Route 701 is a spur of U.S. Route 1, although the two routes never intersect. However, using U.S. Route 301 or U.S. Route 501 would connect to U.S. Route 1. It runs 172 miles from Four Oaks, North Carolina at U.S. Route 301 to Georgetown, South Carolina at U.S. Route 17. It passes through...
, and will then use a new highway to be built between SC 22 and SC 917 north of Cool Springs. I-73 will then use an upgraded SC 917 to cross the Little Pee Dee River. It will then proceed on a new freeway alignment between SC 917 and I-95 that would have an interchange with U.S. Route 76
U.S. Route 76
U.S. Route 76 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.-Tennessee:...
west of Mullins and then would proceed northwest to an exit with U.S. Route 501
U.S. Route 501
-North Carolina business loops:-Virginia business loop:-External links:*...
near Latta, passing that city to the south before intersecting Interstate 95 near S.C. Highway 38
South Carolina Highway 38
South Carolina Highway 38 is a state highway that extends from US 501 in Marion County to Marlboro County near Hamlet, North Carolina. The route runs generally south-to-north across the eastern portion of the state, and is one of the most popular routes to Myrtle Beach.-Route description:Starting...
. After crossing Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in South Carolina
Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway, running along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to Maine. In South Carolina, I-95 runs approximately parallel to the Atlantic Ocean shore although about inland, from Hardeeville in the south to Dillon in the northeast.-Route...
, I-73 will use the chosen middle route, one of six potential alternative corridors that were studied all of which roughly paralleling SC 38 to proceed further north to the North Carolina state line. These alternative corridors were formally announced to the public on September 7, 2006 at a meeting in Bennettsville, South Carolina
Bennettsville, South Carolina
Bennettsville is a city in and the county seat of Marlboro County, South Carolina, United States. and home to the Bennettsville Historic District...
. A final decision was announced on July 19, 2007. The North
North Carolina Department of Transportation
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for building, repairing, and operating highways, bridges, and other modes of transportation, including ferries in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-History:...
and South Carolina Departments of Transportation
South Carolina Department of Transportation
The South Carolina Department of Transportation is a government agency in the US state of South Carolina. Its mission is to build and maintain roads and bridges and administer mass transit services....
previously agreed to an I-73 corridor crossing the state line along SC/NC 38 near Hamlet, North Carolina
Hamlet, North Carolina
Hamlet is a town in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 6,018 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hamlet is located at ....
on February 11, 2005. Previously I-73 had been planned to cross the state line further west, near U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
south of Rockingham, North Carolina
Rockingham, North Carolina
Rockingham is a city in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States named after the Marquis of Rockingham. The population was 9,672 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richmond County...
.
On November 7, 2011, Myrtle Beach city council member Wayne Gray asked area elected officials to consider using RIDE
Road Improvement and Development Effort
Road Improvement and Development Effort or RIDE is a plan for road projects in Horry County, South Carolina, including Carolina Bays Parkway, Veterans Highway and Robert Grissom Parkway. The first phase, costing $1.1 billion, is being paid for by hospitality taxes...
funds to pay for a portion of I-73.
Virginia
In Virginia, I-73 will continue north from the state line parallel to the U.S. 220 corridor all the way to RoanokeRoanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
. U.S. 220 is currently a rural four-lane highway with many safety issues. As such, Virginia has decided to have I-73 immediately diverge from U.S. 220 upon entering the state from North Carolina and travel around the east side of Martinsville
Martinsville, Virginia
Martinsville is an independent city which is surrounded by Henry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,821 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Martinsville with Henry County for statistical purposes...
, with U.S. 220 as a freeway around the west side of Martinsville. The two will meet briefly south of Rocky Mount. I-73 will continue its northbound journey paralleling US 220 to the east until they converge south of Roanoke. At that point, I-73 and U.S. 220 will run concurrent to Interstate 581
Interstate 581
Interstate 581 is a spur off Interstate 81 into Roanoke, Virginia, United States, completely overlapping U.S. Route 220.-Route description:...
, which I-73 will follow to I-81. I-73 Location Study
If I-73 is extended northward, from Roanoke, it will turn southwest on I-81, running concurrent to east of Blacksburg
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, and then using the Smart Road
Virginia Smart Road
The Virginia Smart Road, also known as simply the Smart Road or Smart Highway, is a short, limited access road in Montgomery County, Virginia used for the testing of pavement technologies and as a proving ground for new transportation technologies. The Smart Road is currently a stretch of road...
to Blacksburg. The rest of the way to West Virginia will be an upgrade of U.S. 460
U.S. Route 460
U.S. Route 460 is a spur of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles from Norfolk, Virginia at U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky at U.S. Route 60. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky...
, Corridor Q of the Appalachian Development Highway System
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...
.
Interestingly, I-73/81 will be the second wrong-way concurrency in Virginia on I-81, the first being I-77
Interstate 77 in Virginia
In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 77 is a north–south along the U.S. Route 52 corridor, serving Hillsville, Wytheville, and Bland...
in Wytheville
Wytheville, Virginia
Wytheville is a town in Wythe County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,211 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wythe County. The town is home to a Chautauqua Festival, held the third weekend in June every year since 1985...
to the south. (A future section of I-74
Interstate 74
Interstate 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...
is planned to overlap I-77 for its entire distance in Virginia, including the section shared with I-81.)
West Virginia
I-73 will continue next to US 460 (Corridor Q) from the Virginia state line west to Bluefield, where it will join with Interstate 74Interstate 74
Interstate 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...
. (I-74 will use I-77
Interstate 77
Interstate 77 is an 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 old U.S...
through Virginia.) For the rest of its path through West Virginia, from Bluefield to Huntington, I-73 will follow U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
, which is currently being upgraded to a four-lane divided highway as the King Coal Highway to Williamson and the Tolsia Highway the rest of the way to Huntington. This section has been sporadically marked as the Future I-73/I-74 Corridor with signs, but is not being built to Interstate standards.
Ohio
In Ohio, I-73 was planned to parallel U.S. Route 52U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
to Portsmouth, where it would split with I-74
Interstate 74
Interstate 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...
, and U.S. Route 23 the rest of the way through Columbus to Toledo and the Michigan state line. The part from Portsmouth to Columbus is Corridor C of the Appalachian Development Highway System
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...
. Ohio has abandoned further study of the I-73 corridor, since much of the US-23/US-52 corridor is scheduled to be upgraded to freeway status under separate projects. Nonetheless, the option to designate the corridor as I-73 once all upgrades are complete remains open, contingent upon what happens with the route in West Virginia.
On 5 February 2009, the governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland
Ted Strickland
Theodore "Ted" Strickland was the 68th Governor of Ohio, serving from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ....
, proposed allowing tolls to be collected on newly built sections of highway. One of the proposed routes includes the Columbus-Toledo corridor which is currently served by US 23 as an expressway largely without limited access.
Michigan
The original defined alignment of I-73 would have simply run along I-75Interstate 75 in Michigan
Interstate 75 is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 enters the state from Ohio in the south, just to the north of Toledo. It runs generally north through Detroit, Pontiac and Bay City, crossing the...
to Detroit. However, the definition was amended in 1995 to have a branch along the U.S. Route 223
U.S. Route 223
US Route 223 or US Highway 223 is a diagonal US Highway lying in the US states of Michigan and Ohio. The southern most section is completely concurrent with the US 23 freeway, including all of the Ohio segment. It connects US 23 in the south near Toledo, Ohio with US 127 and...
corridor to south of Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
and the US 127
U.S. Route 127 in Michigan
US Highway 127 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that runs for , entering from Ohio south of Hudson and ending at a partial interchange with...
corridor north to I-75 near Grayling
Grayling, Michigan
Grayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
. North of Grayling, the corridor definition continues along I-75 to Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
. Except south of Jackson, where it is a two-lane road (as well as a brief stretch of road north of Lansing where the freeway reverts to a divided highway with grade-level intersections), this is mostly a rural four-lane freeway. MDOT abandoned further study of I-73 in 2001, since existing freeways make up the vast majority of the specified corridor, although not all freeway segments are built to Interstate Highway standards. MDOT has plans to upgrade the few remaining non-freeway segments, but it is expected that the routes will retain their original designations instead of receiving the I-73 designation.
Exit list
This list contains exits for roadways currently signed as I-73 or Future I-73, and will change in the future as new parts of I-73 are opened to traffic. Mileage based on US 220.See also
- I-73/74 north–south Corridor
- Interstate 73 in West Virginia
- Interstate 74Interstate 74Interstate 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...
- U.S. Route 220U.S. Route 220U.S. Route 220 is a long U.S. Route in the eastern United States.US 220 is a spur route of U.S. Route 20 but at present, the two routes do not intersect nor do they connect via other spurs of US 20. The former U. S. Route 120, which was signed in Pennsylvania between 1926 and 1967, intersected...
Local projects
- South Carolina Highway 31
- South Carolina Highway 22
- Greensboro Urban LoopGreensboro Urban LoopThe Greensboro Urban Loop is a planned 41-mile beltway around Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The loop carries Interstate 85 and U.S. Route 421 on its southern section, and Interstate 73 from U.S. 220 to Bryan Boulevard along the west side of Greensboro...
- Bryan BoulevardBryan Boulevard (Greensboro)Joseph M. Bryan Boulevard is a limited-access corridor connecting North Carolina Highway 68 with Benjamin Parkway in Greensboro, North Carolina. Segments of this road may be used as the Future Interstate 73 corridor. The 4-lane highway serves as the main entrance for Piedmont Triad International...
- Virginia Smart RoadVirginia Smart RoadThe Virginia Smart Road, also known as simply the Smart Road or Smart Highway, is a short, limited access road in Montgomery County, Virginia used for the testing of pavement technologies and as a proving ground for new transportation technologies. The Smart Road is currently a stretch of road...
- Corridor Q
- King Coal Highway
- TOLSIA Highway
- Corridor C