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: I‑85 / US 29 / US 52 / US 70 near Lexington
 

I‑74 / US 311 in High Point
I‑73 / I‑85 / US 421 in Greensboro

I‑40 / US 29 / US 70 / US 220 in Greensboro
North end: I‑40 / I‑85 / I‑785 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— I‑85 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 I‑85 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 I‑74 / 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 I‑85 south – Salisbury, CharlotteSouth end of I-85 overlap
31.751.0119Groometown Road to Grandover ParkwaySouthbound exit incorporated with exit 33
32.652.5120A
33		 I‑85 north / US 421 south to I‑40 east – Durham, Sanford
I‑73 north / US 421 north to I‑40 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 I‑73 south – Asheboro
B: US 220 north to I‑40 west – Coliseum Area		No southbound exit 35B
34.956.235CRehobeth Church Road / Vandalia Road
35.857.6219 I‑40 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 I‑85 south / I‑785 north – Danville, CharlotteHidden west I-840
43.570.0— I‑40 east / I‑85 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.

Route map: Bing / Google

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