In the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 85 Business (commonly refereed 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.
Video Interstate 85 Business (North Carolina)
Route description
Business 85 is exists in two sections that are separated by a 2-mile (3.2 km) stretch of I-85 in Greensboro. 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
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.
- Preddy Boulevard - Official North Carolina name of I-85 Business, from mile marker 33-36, in Greensboro. It is named after the Preddy Brothers (one of which is George Preddy), for their outstanding service in World War II.
Maps Interstate 85 Business (North Carolina)
History
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
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. 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. 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
There is no single exit number system for I-85 Business. Except for a 2.3-mile (3.7 km) segment between I-85 and I-40 south of Greensboro, which exits are based on the actual mile markers of I-85 Business, any exit numbers generally follow those of other routes. Exit numbers in Davidson County follow those of US 52. Exit numbers along the northernmost 8.3-mile (13.4 km) miles in Greensboro are those of I-40. I-85 Business is also unsigned along the 1.9-mile (3.1 km) overlap with I-85, and follow I-85's exit numbers. Other interchanges along other segments of the route have no exit numbers.
References
External links
- Media related to Interstate 85 Business (North Carolina) at Wikimedia Commons
- NCRoads.com: I-85 Business
- NCRoads.com: I-85 Temp
Source of article : Wikipedia
0 Comments