Interstate 85 Business (North Carolina)

Interstate 85 Business marker

Interstate 85 Business

Route of Business 85 highlighted in red
Route information
Length: 43.5 mi[1] (70.0 km)
Existed: 1984 – present
Major junctions
South end: I85 / US 29 / US 52 / US 70 near Lexington
 

I74 / US 311 in High Point
I73 / I85 / US 421 in Greensboro

I40 / US 29 / US 70 / US 220 in Greensboro
North end: I40 / I85 near McLeansville
Location
Counties: Davidson, Randolph, Guilford
Highway system

In the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 85 Business (commonly known as Business 85) is a 43.5-mile-long (70.0 km) business loop of Interstate 85; which serves several cities in the Piedmont Triad.

Route description

Business 85 is known widely as having two sections that appears split by I-85 in Greensboro; it is actually one continuous route that is simply hidden on the 2-mile (3.2 km) stretch of I-85. For almost the entire route, US 29 and US 70 are cosigned.

Southern section

Business 85 begins from exit 87 of I-85, just south of Lexington. It travels along US 52 north then splits from it at exit 87. Becoming a semi-limited expressway, it travels through Lexington with a short concurrency with US 64. Once past Lexington, the road becomes a more typical expressway, with at grade intersections with some controlled interchanges throughout the rest of the southern section. Business 85 goes at a northeast direction, parallel to I-85 further south, as it goes through Thomasville and High Point. It makes a unique intersection with I-74/US 311 by having a full interchange, but with at-grade intersections at the ramps. After 30 miles (48 km), Business 85 merges with I-85 in Greensboro.

Northern section

I-40 and I-85 Business overhead sign in Greensboro

Business 85 continues again from exit 120A of I-85, in Greensboro. Continuing a northeast direction, it connects with I-40 at a location commonly nicknamed as "Death Valley"; creating a rarely seen concurrency of an interstate highway and a business loop signed together. Overlapped with I-40, it goes east until it meets I-85 for a third time near McLeansville, where it ends. The entire northern section is 6-lane freeway grade; though because it goes through the city of Greensboro, travelers can anticipate typical weekday rush hour slow downs (7:00-9:30 a.m./4:00-6:30 p.m.).

Dedicated and memorial names

I-85 Business features one dedicated stretch of freeway.

History

Map the various routing changes in Greensboro between 2004 and 2008.

Established in 1984, I-85 Business was a replacement of Temp I-85, from Lexington to Greensboro, when Interstate 85 was completed on an east parallel routing. It also had a complete concurrency with US 29/US 70. In 2005, I-85 was redirected southeast around Greensboro along the Greensboro Urban Loop; its old route through Greensboro became an extension of I-85 Business. With an hidden overlap along I-85 between exits 118-120A, it continues to north then east through Greensboro, with a shared concurrency with I-40 (which briefly became I-40 Business, from February-September, 2008).

Temporary Interstate 85


Interstate 85 Temporary
Location: Lexington-Greensboro, NC
Length: 30.8 mi[3] (49.6 km)
Existed: 1961–1984

Temporary Interstate 85 (Temp I-85) was established by 1961 as a temporary designation that directed travelers along US 29/US 70, from the Yadkin River to Greensboro.[4] In 1977, a flyover bridge was completed (dubbed "bridge over nothing," it later became part of I-85 exit 87), truncating Temp I-85 south-end near Lexington.[5][6] In 1984, I-85 was completed on new primary routing between Lexington and Greensboro; Temp I-85 was replaced by I-85 Business.

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
DavidsonLexington0.00.0 I85 south / US 29 south / US 52 south / US 70 west Salisbury, CharlotteContinuation as I-85/US 29/US 52/US 70; southbound exit and northbound entrance
1.01.684 NC 47 east to I85 north LinwoodTo Davidson County Airport
1.93.185Green Needles Road
3.15.086Salisbury Road Downtown Lexington
4.47.187 US 52 north Winston-SalemNorth end of US 52 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
5.18.2Old US 64
5.69.0 US 64 west MocksvilleWest end of US 64 overlap
6.610.6 NC 8 (Winston Road) Lexington, Winston-Salem
7.311.7 US 64 east AsheboroEast end of US 64 overlap
Thomasville14.723.7Lexington Avenue ThomasvilleNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
17.127.5 NC 109 (Salem Street) Thomasville, Winston-Salem
18.730.1 NC 68 (National Highway) Thomasville, West High PointTo Piedmont Triad International Airport
RandolphHigh Point20.032.2Old Thomasville Road High Point
Guilford20.733.3Prospect Street
21.634.8West Green Drive
22.436.0Surrett Drive
23.137.2Main Street High Point
24.539.4 I74 / US 311 / Brentwood Street Winston-Salem, AsheboroBrentwood Street has a separate exit northbound; three-level diamond interchange
25.541.0Baker Road
26.642.8Kivett Drive East High Point
Greensboro29.247.0Vickery Chapel Road / Guildford College Road Jamestown
30.749.4118 I85 south Salisbury, CharlotteSouth end of I-85 overlap
31.751.0119Groometown Road to Grandover ParkwaySouthbound exit incorporated with exit 33
32.652.5120A
33
I85 north / US 421 south to I40 east Durham, Sanford
I73 north / US 421 north to I40 west / Groometown Road Winston-Salem
North end of I-85 overlap; southbound exit and northbound entrance
33.553.934Holden Road
34.355.235
A-B
A: US 220 south to I73 south Asheboro
B: US 220 north to I40 west Coliseum Area
No southbound exit 35B
34.956.235CRehobeth Church Road / Vandalia Road
35.857.6219 I40 west / US 220 south Winston-SalemWest end of I-40 overlap; no northbound exit
36.057.9220Randleman RoadLeft southbound entrance
36.658.9221South Elm-Eugene Street Downtown Greensboro
37.860.8222Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
38.161.3223 US 29 north / US 70 east / US 220 north ReidsvilleNorth end of US 29/US 220 and east end of US 70 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
40.164.5224 To US 29 north / US 220 north / East Lee StreetTo Bennett College, UNC Greensboro, A&T University and Greensboro College
42.568.4226McConnell Road
42.969.0227 I85 south to US 70 CharlotteHidden north I-785 and west I-840
43.570.0 I40 east / I85 north Raleigh, DurhamContinuation as I-40/I-85
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 Google (January 28, 2011). "I-85 Business in NC" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  2. "North Carolina Memorial Highways and other Named Facilities" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Transportation. July 15, 2004. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  3. Google (April 17, 2014). "Temporary Interstate 85" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  4. 1970 North Carolina Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Cartography by NCDOT. North Carolina Department of Transportation. 1970. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  5. "Uglybridges.com: US29&70/I-85 BUS LP over I-85". Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  6. 1979-80 North Carolina Transportation Map & Guide to Points of Interest (PDF) (Map). Cartography by NCDOT. North Carolina Department of Transportation. 1979. Retrieved April 17, 2014.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

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