Interstate 40 in North Carolina

Western North Carolina

I-40 enters North Carolina along the north banks of the Pigeon River at the foot of Snowbird Mountain. Winding in parallel with the river, I-40 goes through twin tunnels. When the tunnels opened in 1968, they were the first Interstate tunnels east of the Mississippi River. I-40 then proceeds through the Pigeon River Gorge for the next 16 miles (26 km). Just south of exit 7, I-40 uses another tunnel, for eastbound traffic only, through Hurricane Mountain.^[9] The westbound lanes use a rock cut through Hurricane Mountain. A short distance after the tunnel is the North Carolina Welcome Center. Immediately afterward is Waterville Lake, where there are a few at-grade intersections in this location, used as service access for Walters Dam and the Harmon Den Wildlife Management Area.^[10] I-40 continues toward Asheville. The Interstate then merges with US 74 (Great Smoky Mountains Expressway). I-40 and US 74 encounter the I-26/I-240 interchange, sometimes called Malfunction Junction,^[11] in the southwestern part of the city. The interchange is the current western terminus of I-240 and the original western terminus of I-26. I-40 then goes along the south side of Asheville, north of the Biltmore Estate toward Hickory.^[12] I-40 then has another interchange with I-240 before the Interstate leaves the Asheville area.

Shortly after it leaves Asheville, I-40 encounters a steep grade, Old Fort Mountain, with winding roads that pose a hazard to truck traffic. There are several runaway truck ramps on this part of the highway. This stretch is about six miles (9.7 km) long.^[13] I-40 goes south of Black Mountain and Marion and north of Conover.^[14] There, it crosses the Eastern Continental Divide and the southern tip of the Black Mountains.

Entering into Hickory, the interstate comes to cloverleaf junction with US 321 (with collector-distributor lanes included), giving access, north to central Hickory and south to Lincolnton and Gastonia. The Interstate soon crosses the Catawba River, on the Cecil H. Hoffman Bridge, and enters into Iredell County.^[15] In Statesville, I-40 connects with US 64 and US 21 before briefly widening to six-lanes, coming to the large partial turbine/cloverleaf interchange with I-77, with additional collector lanes. I-40 continues northeast, while exiting from Statesville and becoming four lanes.

Piedmont region

I-40 enters into the southwestern outskirts of the Piedmont Triad, where it traverses inside Mocksville. The interstate continues inside the surrounding forestry areas, including the areas which are south of the central areas of the Farmington. After the forestry vicinity, I-40 widens to six lanes. The interstate enters into the overall urban Greater Hanes Mall district, where it comes to the exit with NC 801, which is located inside Bermuda Run. It is also in this vicinity, where I-40 crosses the Yadkin River, which serves in being the transition between eastern Davie County and western Forsyth County.^[16] I-40 traverses inside the Village of Clemmons, upon coming to the Winston-Salem city limits. Eastbound I-40 have access to Downtown Winston-Salem and the surrounding areas, via the four-level stack/cloverleaf interchange with US 421 and Salem Parkway, which gives the left-exit orientation for the eastbound access.^[17] US 421 gives eastbound entrance and westbound exit in its connection with I-40, with Salem Parkway also accessible from westbound I-40.^[18] In the orientation of east–west, the interstate continues inside Winston-Salem, and it comes to the Stratford Road (US 158) exit. I-40 travels south of the parking site of Hanes Mall, with the Stratford Road (US 158) exit giving east–west access to the mall, while the junction with Hanes Mall Boulevard gives westbound access, in which both exits also gives access to Forsyth Medical Center. The interstate is eight-to-ten-lanes in this vicinity, when merging lanes are included.

I-40 continues into the southern outskirts of the overall downtown area, in which the trumpet interchange with Peters Creek Parkway (NC 150), gives access to the surrounding downtown areas. This occurs before accessing the cloverleaf interchange with I-285/US 52/NC 8, in which US 52 is concurrent with NC 8, giving access to city of Mt. Airy; while I-285 in concurrency with US 52/NC 8, gives access to the city of Lexington. East of Downtown Winston-Salem, I-40 comes to the under-construction stack interchange with the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway, in which this stretch of the beltway will be the designation of I-74. The existing I-74 stretch which connects to I-40, and is located west of the stack interchange, is slated to become NC 192. The beltway to the north will give Westbound I-40 direct access to Downtown Winston-Salem and Eastbound I-40 will give access to Downtown Kernersville. This junction will also connect to five of the current largest cities in NC, in which I-74 will also connect to I-85 which is to the south.^[19] Upon crossing the Beltway junction, I-40 traverses inside the Town of Kernersville, with four to six overall lanes.

Directly east of the NC 66 exit, the interstate enters into the surrounding rural landscapes while entering into Guilford County. I-40 enters into the transitional vicinity which surrounds Colfax, where it comes to the Salem Parkway (US 421) half-interchange, in which US 421 merges onto I-40, alongside the interchange giving Westbound I-40 access to Downtown Kernersville.^{[20][21][22][23]} The interstate widens to eight lanes, when coming to the diamond interchange with Sandy Ridge Road, which gives access to the overall areas of Colfax. The interstate enters into Greensboro, in which it comes to the interchange with NC 68. This junction gives access to the nearby PTI Airport to the north, alongside the western areas of both Greensboro and Guilford County in both orientations, and further south to the developed areas of High Point. The corridor briefly widens to twelve lanes, when coming to the I-73/I-840 (Greensboro Urban Loop) interchange, which is the east end of the US 421 concurrency with I-40, alongside the western terminus of I-840.^[24] From here, I-40 continues alongside the right lanes, crosses over the junction with six to eight overall lanes. Upon crossing the junction, I-40 comes to both; the folded diamond interchange with Guilford College Road, which gives access to the namesake college and Jamestown, alongside the parclo interchange with US 70 (Wendover Avenue), which gives eastbound access to Downtown Greensboro.

I-40 continues inside the south central areas of the city, while also entering into the Four Seasons Town Centre and Greensboro Complex district. The junction with Gate City Boulevard gives east–west access to the Mall and the Complex, while Koury Boulevard gives access to Four Seasons Town Centre and the Koury Convention Center westbound. This happens before having the large interchange with US 220 (Freeman Mill Road) which gives access to the Greensboro Complex.^[25] US 29 merges onto I-40/US 220, in which the three routes travels concurrently, for over one mile (1.6 km) after the interchange with US 220.^[26] US 29 is the mediator between I-40 and I-85, which gives this vicinity direct access to High Point and Charlotte. I-40 continues east, with the interchange with Elm-Eugene Street giving access to center of downtown and to the surrounding areas. This occurs before the interstate comes to the US 29/US 220/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard junction, which is the end of the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) concurrent routes. In the eastern outskirts of Greensboro, I-40 merges with I-85 with the complex combined interchange, which also gives east-west access with I-85, alongside the junction also being the interchange with I-785 and the eastern terminus with I-840. Directly east of this junction, is the interchange with Mt. Hope Church Road, which leads to the areas inside McLeansville. I-85 and I-40 share the 31-mile (50 km) concurrency while exiting Guilford County, and entering into Alamance and Orange counties. This concurrency section uses the exit and mileage numbers of I-85, while traversing south of the downtown centers of Elon, Burlington, Graham, Mebane, and the surrounding areas. I-85 and I-40 also traverses inside the Piedmont Crescent.

The two interstates both enter into the Research Triangle region, in which I-40 diverges from I-85 (exit 163) inside the southern outskirts of Hillsborough, where I-85 continues northeast into central Durham, with east–west access for both I-40 and I-85.^[23][27] After the diversion, I-40 continues in the southeasterly direction inside the northern outskirts of Chapel Hill, also following through rural areas including the surrounding forestry area. I-40 follows parallel with NC 86 until NC 86 crosses I-40 at exit 266. The interstate continues in the surrounding urban-suburban areas, which are located inside the southern outskirts of Durham. I-40 enters into the Research Triangle Park (RTP) after the interchange with I-885 and NC 885. It is in this vicinity, the interstate varies in width, from four to eight lanes. After leaving the Research Triangle area, I-40 junctions with I-540 near Raleigh–Durham International Airport. Several I-40 exits serve the greater Raleigh–Durham area, including Aviation Parkway, Airport Boulevard, and I-540. I-40 continues to head southeast further into Raleigh. I-40 is routed inside the northern outskirts of Cary and south of William B. Umstead State Park. Approaching the Wade Avenue junction, I-40 turns further south, with Wade Avenue giving access to areas which connects to the center of the city. I-40 then comes to the interchange with I-440/US 1/US 64 with exits 293A and 293B, in which US 64 merges and subsequently runs concurrently with the interstate. East of the junction, access to Downtown Raleigh is directly accessible from South Saunders Street (which carries US 401, alongside US 70 and NC 50). The concurrency of US 64 with I-40, ends with exit 301 (I-87/I-440/US 64), where I-40 continues south from the junction.^[22][23]

Eastern North Carolina

After exit 301, I-40 continues in the primarily south-southeasterly routing, in which the interstate traverses into Wilmington. It leaves Raleigh and traverses inside eastern Garner between Jones Sausage Road (exit 303) and White Oak Road. I-40 meets US 70 in Garner at exit 306. Additionally, I-40 begins to parallel NC 50 starting near exit 306 in Garner and continuing through Kenansville. I-40 travels 4.1 miles (6.6 km) south to exit 309 with I-42 and NC 540, where I-42 heads eastward toward Selma and New Bern. South of exit 309, I-40 leaves Wake County and enters Johnston County. As the highway leaves suburban regions surrounding Raleigh, it interchanges with NC 36 and Cleveland Road (exit 312), NC 210 (exit 319), and NC 242 (exit 325) which provide access to Clayton, Angier, and Benson. I-40 travels to the east of Benson, crossing over US 301, but provides no access to the highway. Immediately south of US 301, I-40 meets I-95 with the modified cloverleaf interchange (exit 328).^[28]

I-40 continues southeast through rural Johnston County farmland, meeting NC 96 (exit 334) north of Peacocks Crossroads. Approaching Newton Grove, I-40 leaves Johnston County and crosses into Sampson County. I-40 travels along the southwestern side of Newton Grove, interchanging with NC 50 and NC 55 at exit 341 and US 701 at exit 343. US 13 crosses over I-40 in the vicinity of Newton Grove, but there is not a dedicated interchange. I-40 continues southeast of Newton Grove through rural Sampson County. It meets US 117 Connector and NC 403 at exit 355 southwest of Faison, and I-40 begins to parallel US 117 near the exit.^[29] I-40 departs Sampson County and enters Duplin County approximately four miles (6.4 km) southeast of exit 355. It continues through Duplin County for approximately five miles (8.0 km) before meeting NC 24 and NC 24 Bus. (exit 364) west of Warsaw. At the interchange, NC 24 begins an 8.4 miles (13.5 km) concurrency with I-40 to the southeast. An interchange with US 117 (exit 369) is located south of Warsaw and I-40 begins to travel around Magnolia to the east. NC 24 departs the freeway at NC 903 (exit 373) which provides access to Kenansville. After the interchange, I-40 primarily turns to the south, bypassing Teachey, Rose Hill, and Wallace to the east. Interchanges with Charity Road (exit 380), NC 11 (exit 384), and NC 41 (exit 385) provide access to these towns and to US 117.^[30] I-40 begins to run parallel to the Northeast Cape Fear River and enters Pender County after crossing Rockfish Creek near Wallace.^[31]

The highway once again meets US 117, at an interchange south of Wallace, and crosses to the western side of US 117. I-40 remains on the western side of US 117 for 5.6 miles (9.0 km) until it crosses over I-40 north of Burgaw. The highway bypasses Burgaw to the east, meeting NC 53 (exit 398) east of the town. Continuing south, I-40 once again meets NC 210 at exit 408 near Rocky Point and then crosses the Northeast Cape Fear River into New Hanover County where it picks up the name "Michael Jordan Freeway".^[32] I-40 passes to the east of Castle Hayne and interchanges with Holly Shelter Road at exit 412. An interchange with I-140 and NC 140 is located 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Holly Shelter Road at exit 416. From I-140 and NC 140, I-40 continues south passing east of Olsen Park before turning to the southwest and meeting US 117 and NC 132 at exit 420. Eastbound I-40 runs concurrently with US 117 and NC 132 for 0.2 miles (0.32 km) beyond the exit, while westbound I-40 is concurrent with US 117 and NC 132 for approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) due to the design of the interchange. The eastern terminus of I-40 is located at US 117 and NC 132 north of Kings Grant Road in Wilmington, where both US 117 and NC 132 drop the concurrency. The highway continues south as North College Road toward US 74, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Carolina Beach.^[22][23][33]

Dedicated and memorial names

The freeway bears several names in addition to the I-40 designation. Throughout the state, the freeway is known as the Blue Star Memorial Highway, a name shared with multiple Interstates across the state.^[34] From the Guilford–Alamance county line to one mile (1.6 km) east of NC 54, in Graham, I-40/I-85 is known as the Sam Hunt Freeway.^[35] The freeway is known as the Harriet Morehead Berry Freeway through Orange County, named for a leader in the Good Roads Movement in North Carolina.^[36][37] Between US 15/US 501 in Chapel Hill to I-885/NC 885 in Durham, I-40 is known as the John Motley Morehead III Freeway who was a noted philanthropist and graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.^[38] I-40 is the Dan K. Moore Freeway through the Research Triangle Park. The section is named after Dan K. Moore who was the 66th governor of North Carolina.^[39][40] From the Wade Avenue Extension to US 70 in Garner, the freeway is known as the Tom Bradshaw Freeway, named after the 33rd mayor of Raleigh.^[41] I-40 is the James Harrington Freeway from US 70 to I-95.^[42] In Johnston, south of I-95, and Sampson counties, I-40 is dedicated to Robert D. Warren Sr. who was a former State Director of Driver's Licenses and State Senator from the area.^[43] In Duplin County, a section of I-40 6.95 miles (11.18 km) north of NC 24 west of Warsaw to 6.95 miles (11.18 km) south of NC 24 is known as the Henry L. Stevens Jr. Highway, who was a commander of the American Legion and a North Carolina Superior Court judge.^[44] From the Pender–New Hanover county line to the eastern terminus of I-40, the freeway is known as the Michael Jordan Highway, named after the famous basketball player who grew up in Wilmington and was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.^[45][46] I-40 has also been given the name Tobacco Road by college sports fans because the freeway links up the four North Carolina schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference.^[47]

On February 1, 2024, I-40 was named the Jimmy Capps Freeway, after Jimmy Capps, a country music singer and songwriter from Benson.^[48][49]

Predecessor highways

The first major overland transportation corridors in North Carolina were the Native American trading paths. One of these routes, the Rutherford's Trace, followed the path of modern I-40.^[52] In 1921, the North Carolina Highway System was established, with NC 10, nicknamed the "Central Highway", designated on the route between Asheville and Greensboro. By the time US 70 was established in 1926 and placed on concurrency on all of NC 10, nearly all of the route was either paved or oil-treated. After World War II, the federal government began planning on a new Interregional Highway system, as mandated by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944, and released a proposed National System of Interstate Highways in 1947, which included a route that followed loosely to US 70 from the Tennessee state line to Greensboro,^[53] though a different route was eventually chosen west of Asheville.^[54] After years of planning and the passing of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which established the route between Tennessee and Greensboro, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved the I-40 designation in 1957.^[55]

Initial design and construction

In 1953, a contract for about $1.3 million was awarded for a 6.5-mile (10.5 km) two-lane road in Haywood County, along the Pigeon River which would connect existing highways to Tennessee. Officials in both states eventually agreed on the Pigeon River route for an Interstate Highway, even though a route along the French Broad River was being considered.^[54][56] In 1958, the project along the Pigeon River was the first construction job in the country that was designated specifically for I-40. That same year, the first two sections of I-40 opened: the first was the three-mile-long (4.8 km) East–West Expressway in Winston-Salem; the second was from US 421 in Kernersville to US 29/US 70 in Greensboro. In both cases, these first freeways were constructed a couple of years prior for US 158 and US 421, respectively, and did not benefit from the 1956 act; as a result, in 1988, the state was able to convince the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to build the Winston-Salem Bypass.^[50][57][58] Between Ridgecrest and Old Fort, US 70 along Youngs Ridge was four lanes as of 1954; I-40, however, was not officially designated until 1982, after additional highway improvements, including additional widening, runaway truck ramps, and warning devices.^[59][60]

In 1960, I-40 made three expansions: in Burke County, from Dysartsville Road (SR 1129) to Hildebran (connecting to US 64/US 70 along I-40 Access Road Southeast (SR 1890)); from NC 16 in Conover to NC 90 in Statesville; and from NC 801 near Advance to the US 158/US 421 split east of Winston-Salem.^[61][62] In 1961, I-40 extended west from Dysartsville Road to NC 226 near Marion. In Statesville, I-40 extended east along a completed widening project of the US 64 Bypass, between NC 90 to US 64.^[63] In 1962, I-40 extended west from NC 226 near Marion to link-up with US 70 near Old Fort. In 1963, the gap between Winston-Salem and Kernersville was completed.^[64] In 1964, I-40 opened a 12-mile (19 km) segment from east of Clyde (using the freeway connector from US 19/US 23) to Wiggins Road (SR 1200).^[65] In 1967, I-40 opened a 3.8-mile (6.1 km) segment through the Biltmore Estate from NC 191 to US 25.^[66] In 1968 and after 10 years of construction, I-40 opened a 20-mile (32 km) segment from the Tennessee state line to US 276 in Cove Creek.^[67][68] In November of same year, the North Carolina State Highway Commission (NCSHC) submitted a request to the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) to extend I-40 east of Greensboro to Raleigh via RTP. In 1969, both BPR and AASHTO approved the extension, allowing I-40 to continue east of Durham through Raleigh to Smithfield.^[50][69] Also in the same year, I-40 was extended west from NC 191 to connect with I-26 and end at US 19/US 23 in Enka.^[70] In 1970, I-40 extended west from NC 801 near Advance to US 64 near Mocksville.^[71]

In 1971, two gaps were completed: Wiggins Road (SR 1200) to US 19/US 23 in Enka; and US 64 in Statesville to US 64 near Mocksville.^[72] In July, NCSHC finalized a plan for I-40's routing east of Durham to Smithfield, with an estimated cost of $75 million (equivalent to $444 million in 2024^[73]).^[74] In December, new freeway opened between Davis Drive (SR 1999) in RTP to US 1/US 64 (Raleigh Beltline) in Raleigh; I-40 was added along seven miles (11 km) between Davis Drive and Harrison Avenue (SR 1654), while east of Harrison Avenue (future Wade Avenue) was signed "To I-40".^[50][75][76] In 1972, I-40 extended east from US 25 in Asheville to Porters Cove Road (SR 2838) in Oteen; the extension bypassed both US 25A and US 74, where interchanges were built in 1999 and 1973, respectively.^[77] In 1973, I-40 and the Durham Freeway (future NC 147; now I-885) were connected in RTP.^[78] In 1974, a gap was completed between US 276 in Cove Creek to the freeway connector (future Great Smoky Mountains Expressway) near Clyde. I-40 also extended east from Porters Cove Road in Oteen to Patton Cove Road (SR 2740) in Swannanoa.^[79] In 1976, a gap of I-40 was completed between Henry River Road (SR 1002) in Hildebran and NC 16 in Conover.^[80] In April 1978, after years of debate on where I-40 should be routed east of I-95, either Morehead City or Wilmington, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) approved a corridor location between Raleigh and Wilmington. The discussions on its routing started since the initial extension in 1969 and arguments from several area groups why the routing should go to their port city. In the end, the routing approval to Wilmington came with a caveat to build new freeway in parallel to US 117 instead of a full upgrade of US 421 as several in the region supported.^[50][81]

In 1979, I-40 was extended east from Patton Cove Road in Swannanoa to US 70 in Ridgecrest,^[83] and in 1982, it was designated in concurrency with US 70 along Youngs Ridge between Ridgecrest and Old Fort; this officially completed the original I-40 routing from Tennessee to Greensboro.^[60] In 1984, I-40 was extended in Raleigh from Wade Avenue (exit 289), along the Tom Bradshaw Freeway, to the Cliff Benson Beltline (exit 301).^[84] Also same year, AASHTO approved of designation of I-40 between Wallace and Wilmington, currently under construction at the time.^[85][86] By 1985, construction began on a 22-mile (35 km) project, connecting the Durham Freeway in the RTP with I-85 west of Hillsborough at an estimated cost of $103 million (equivalent to $254 million in 2024^[73]).^[87] In 1985, I-40 was placed on new 19-mile (31 km) section between US 117 (exit 390) near Willard and NC 210 (exit 408) near Rocky Point.^[88] In 1986, I-40 was extended west from the Durham Freeway (exit 279) to NC 55 (exit 278) in the RTP; I-40 was also extended east to its current eastern terminus at US 117/NC 132 (exit 420) in Wilmington.^[89] In 1987, I-40 was extended west from US 117 (exit 390) near Willard to NC 41 (exit 385) near Tin City.^[90] In 1988, I-40 was extended west to US 15/US 501 (exit 270) in Chapel Hill and east to US 70 (exit 306) in Garner. In October, then-Governor James G. Martin announced federal approval of $114.1 million (equivalent to $260 million in 2024^[73]) for I-40 to be relocated around Winston-Salem.^[91][92] In 1989, I-40 was extended west to I-85 (exit 259) west of Hillsborough and east to I-95 (exit 328) in Benson.^[50][93][94] By 1990, I-40 was extended west from NC 41 (exit 385) in Tin City to US 117 (exit 369) near Warsaw.^[95] On June 29, 1990, with a ribbon-cutting by Governor Martin, I-40 was connected between Raleigh and Wilmington, providing improved access with the Port of Wilmington with the rest of the state.^[50] At around this time, a standard distance sign near the start of the westbound section of I-40 in Wilmington indicates the distance to Barstow, California, as 2,554 miles (4,110 km). In December, AASHTO approved the I-40 designation between Raleigh and Wallace; and in January 1991, NCDOT certified the designation.^[96][97] The final gap of I-40 was completed when it was designated along existing I-85 from Greensboro to west of Hillsborough c. 1992.

Since completion

In 1989, work began on a rebuilding the 35-mile (56 km) stretch between Alamance and Orange counties, included in this work was widening it from four to eight lanes. This stretch was concurrent with I-40 and I-85, with work being carried out in phases. This served to be the new phase of a previous renovation in the 1960s, that transformed the original Super-2, which was also originally constructed for US 70, to Interstate standards. The 1960s renovation was still the product of the outdated 1960s Interstate standards. By 1996, this rebuilt stretch had been competed at the cost of $175 million. (equivalent to $322 million in 2024^[73])^[98]

I-40 was routed onto The East-West Expressway, which traversed inside the central district of Winston-Salem. This freeway had stretches which were built to 1950s and 1960s Interstate Highway standards, with stretches also built before the system standard, even if slightly rebuilt to align with the Interstate standards. The freeway had also heavily traversed adjacent to notable historic landmarks in Downtown Winston-Salem, and substandard interchanges were prevalent with the freeway. After a study with the city and state, decisions to build a new stretch was concluded, rather than widening and modernizing the freeway through the area, the state lobbied the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to allow them new roadway, arguing that since some this section predated the 1956 Act, it never received federal highway dollars for its development and construction, thus I-40 was technically incomplete in Winston-Salem. In October 1988, the group were able to convince the FHWA, and Governor James G. Martin announced federal approval of $114.1 million for I-40 to be relocated onto the new bypass.^[91][99] In late 1992, the 20.89-mile (33.62 km) new stretch was completed and I-40 was officially rerouted onto it. The whole bypass spanned from the existing US 421 half-interchange which opened in the early 1960s, which was, during the time; located in west of Winston-Salem, with the eastern terminus being located around Colfax. In this period, the new stretch largely traversed in undeveloped lands, in which, during the time, were considered both the very south outskirts of both the actual city of Winston-Salem and town of Kernersville, and entirely south of the Winston-Salem and Kernersville. The segment between present day Exit 193C (Main Street) to present day Exit 196 (NC 192), was the existing Cooperation Parkway (US 311) which opened in stages between 1973 and 1984. This existing stretch was slightly upgraded to blend with the new Interstate-grade stretches. The East–West Expressway was given the new designation of Interstate 40 Business (I-40 Bus.).^[100] Development had since been built and extended to surround the bypass, which allowed the 1992-opened stretch to be considered "inside" both Winston-Salem and Kernersville, decades after its opening.

Directly east of the Winston-Salem Bypass, I-40 was totally rebuilt to feature six to twelve lanes and rebuilt interchanges between the years of 1993 and 2008 between the I-40 Business interchange which surrounded Colfax, to the I-85 Business junction south of Downtown Greensboro. This rebuilding, which was planned before the complete rebuild, had actually been included in the act of rerouting I-40 in which I-40 was relocated onto the southern section of the Greensboro Urban Loop in February 2008. This stretch spanned from what was during the time, the western outskirts of Greensboro, to further east surrounding McLeansville. With the cost of $122 million (equivalent to $174 million in 2024^[73]), the relocation to the Greensboro Urban Loop was constructed by Archer Western Contractors of Atlanta and took four years to complete. NCDOT Secretary Lyndo Tippett said that "the opening of the Greensboro Western Urban Loop is a major step in improving the mobility of the Triad region" and that "the highway will provide better access for motorists in and around Greensboro, as well as those traveling between the eastern and western areas of our state." The new routing was placed in concurrency with I-73 to the west and I-85 to the east. The stretch which was east of the vicinity where I-40 merged onto the Loop in the western area of the city, actually became the extension of former I-40 Bus. ^[101] The totally newly built stretch, however, went south from nearly the entirely city limits. The glowing sentiment the NCDOT secretary gave on the new I-40 routing was not reciprocated, however. NCDOT received notable complaints from local residents and motorists on the confusion between "Blue" 40 and "Green" 40. Greensboro residents also had concerns with the resulting increased traffic and noise. On September 12, 2008, seven months after the initial switch and in agreement with Greensboro DOT and the FHWA, I-40 was rerouted to its original segment, south of Downtown Greensboro, with I-40 Bus. being decommissioned and I-73 and I-85 being the only Interstates signed along the southern loop. Exit numbers on the western segment of the loop were to be replaced with I-73 exit numbers; while exit numbers along I-40 Bus. would be changed over to I-40 exit numbers.^[102] At a cost around $300,000 (equivalent to $425,000 in 2024^[73]), all signage was replaced by July 1, 2009.^[103][104] Exit numbers of Business I-85, were entirely replaced with exit numbers based on the mileage of I-40. In November 2009, US 421 was rerouted onto the Urban Loop, replacing most of brief I-40 2008 alignment.^[105][106] During the time of the revision, the current alignment of I-40 was around four miles (6.4 km) shorter in contrast to the temporary 2008 Urban Loop routing and is the quicker route for vehicles which were consistently traveling at the posted speed limits.^[107]

In December 2004, a 10.6-mile (17.1 km) widening project was completed from US 15/US 501 (exit 270) in Durham to NC 147 (now I-885/NC 885; exit 279) in RTP. The project expanded lanes from four to six lanes.^[108] In March 2005, construction crews returned for eight weeks to replace asphalt used in the widening project, which began to deteriorate not long after the lanes opened to the public.^[109] The paving mistakes, however, were more severe, and NCDOT contracted Lane Construction Corp to replace all the bad concrete used in the botch widening project, at a cost of $21.7 million (equivalent to $33.4 million in 2024^[73]).^[110][111]

In 2011, an eight-mile (13 km) widening project was completed between Harrison Avenue (exit 287) and Gorman Street (exit 295) in Raleigh. At a cost of $49 million (equivalent to $67.2 million in 2024^[73]), the project expanded lanes from four to six lanes.^[112]

Begun in 2013, an extensive project known as "Fortify" (a play on the route number "40") overhauled I-40 along the southern edge of Raleigh, from the I-40/US 1/US 64 interchange (exit 293) near Crossroads Plaza in Cary through the I-40/I-440 split (exit 301) in Southeast Raleigh, including the easternmost two miles (3.2 km) of I-440 as well. The project necessitated a complete teardown and rebuild of the roadway, widening of the roadway, rehabilitation and widening of bridges and overpasses along the entire route, and extension and widening of several highly congested exit and entrance ramps.^[113] The project was divided into two phases, the first (completed in mid-2015) was a rebuilding and repaving of I-40 and I-440 from I-40 exit 301 to I-440 exit 14. The second phase, completed in late 2018, was the more extensive rebuild of I-40 from exit 293 to exit 301.^[113]

While the stretch east of the I-40 Winston-Salem Area Bypass was finished in the 2000s, the stretch west of the "bypass," had also been subject to being rebuilt between, west of exit 180 (NC 801) near Bermuda Run, and to exit 188 (US 421 and Salem Parkway) in western Winston-Salem. Between the 1990s to 2010s, most of the bridges and interchanges between exit 180 to exit 188 had been rebuilt. The official roadway between west of exit 180 to east of exit 184 (Lewisville-Clemmons Road) had been totally rebuilt, with completion in 2021. This included the newly built bridge over the Yadkin River and one new pedestrian bridge.^[114][115] Future construction is slated to be of the Kinnamon Road bridge over I-40. The whole project aligned with the anticipated construction of the western stretch of the Winston-Salem Beltway, alongside the recent consolidation of the Greater Hanes Mall District.

I-40 in Statesville, was originally built as an expressway stretch of US 64, which included the cloverleaf interchange with US 21. While this was constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, I-40 had subsequently replaced the US 64 designation, and the US 21 was replaced with I-77. In response to the growth of the area, the I-77 interchange (exit 152) was upgraded to increase capacity and improve safety. The initial estimated cost for the entire project was $251 million (equivalent to $338 million in 2024^[73]) with construction started in March 2012.^[116][117] The first phase, completed in mid-2019, involved the widening of I-40 from four to six lanes. The second phase, begun in 2020, involved a similar widening of I-77 and the reconstruction of the interchange into a partial turbine interchange. The original completion date was supposed to be late 2022. The completion date was rescheduled to late 2023.^[118] The $260 million project, including widening of a total of 7.5 miles (12.1 km) of both highways to eight lanes, was essentially completed December 22, 2023, with all lanes opened, but cold weather delayed further resurfacing and pavement markings to spring 2024.^[119]

Begun in late 2018 after the completion of the Fortify project to widen I-40 through South Raleigh, the section of I-40 between the I-40/I-440 split (exit 301) and NC 42 (exit 312) has been widened. As part of the project, many of the overpasses along the route were reconstructed, both to accommodate the wider road underneath and to expand capacity of the roads passing overhead. An onramp was removed at exit 306 (US 70) in November 2019 in order to accommodate the wider roadway. Traffic that normally used a free-flowing loop ramp is now routed through a left-turn traffic light to access the other onramp. Exit 312 (NC 42) was rebuilt entirely as a diverging diamond interchange, and an additional ramp was built at that exit to provide access to Cleveland Road. Additionally, the interchange at exit 309 for US 70 (Clayton Bypass) was expanded to also include the future NC 540/Triangle Expressway. In December 2020, a new overhead flyover ramp between I-440 east and I-40 east was opened, replacing the older ramp to allow for the wider freeway underneath.^[120] The project was completed to exit 309 in 2023 while the I-40/NC 42 interchange rebuild was completed in September 2024.^[121] The new lanes between the Raleigh Beltline and the Clayton Bypass were opened to traffic in April 2023.^[122]

A widening project along I-40 is in the construction stage, between mile-markers 259 and 279 in Orange and Durham Counties (from the I-85/I-40 interchange to the I-40/US 15/501 interchange). Construction was initially delayed due to noise concerns, but started in the fall of 2022 and is expected to be complete in the summer of 2026. The project will reconfigure several interchanges and widen the highway from four to six lanes.^[123][124]

Geological difficulties

The first section of I-40 in North Carolina is the section that travels through the Pigeon River Gorge in Haywood County. Known locally as simply "The Gorge", this part of I-40 cuts a path from the Tennessee state line to Waynesville. This section of the Interstate is curvy and tends to become a bit narrow in some places when compared to other portions of the highway. Because much of the road was cut through mountainside and along the river, concrete retaining walls have been built on both sides of the road and in the median, cutting down on the width of the breakdown lanes. Coupled with speeding vehicles, the thick fog that tends to plague the area, winter weather, and little room to maneuver in case of accident, this area has become notorious for its severe and many times fatal accidents being twice the average of any other Interstate Highway in North Carolina.^[125] Even some minor accidents have been known to tie up traffic in this area because there is little room to move accidents off or to the side of the road with the terrain. Speeding semitrucks have led to many accidents. In 2001 and 2003, two state troopers were killed in two separate accidents by speeding trucks that drifted off the road and hit their police car conducting a traffic stop. This led the North Carolina State Highway Patrol to crack down on speeding tractor trailers and speeders in general through the area.^[126][127] This portion of the highway is also notorious for rockslides and rocks falling onto the highway. The main cause is that sections of the highway have been built on the north side of the Pigeon River, where the rock stratums foliate toward the highway.^[128] In 1985, a severe rockslide buried the westbound entrance to one of two tunnels that carry the highway through the gorge. Repair of the slide area and the tunnel required shifting westbound traffic to the eastbound tunnel, while eastbound traffic was diverted onto a temporary viaduct around the tunnels.^[129] In July 1997, a rockslide near the Tennessee state line closed the entire road for nearly three months.^[130] In 2009, a large rockslide at milemarker 2.6 along I-40 near the Tennessee state line shut down the freeway for several weeks. While the slide only caused minor injuries, it shut down I-40 in both directions.^[131]

Damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024 washed away the eastbound lanes in the Pigeon River Gorge in several places resulting in a complete closure.^[132] While crews worked to stabilize what was left, plans were made to put all traffic on the westbound lanes by the start of 2025, but further damage delayed this action.^[133] The road reopened March 1 with one lane in each direction and a 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) speed limit.^[134] The cost of rebuilding was estimated at $750 million to $1 billion, based on the least expensive of the plans considered. Work on the permanent replacement of the eastbound lanes, including a wall along the river, was expected to take two years to complete.^[135] The project includes walls up to 70 feet high to hold back the river, using construction techniques previously used for dams.^[136] Early cost estimates, However, were based on "limited information", and the estimated cost of the project as of January 2026 was $2 billion, up $900 million from June 2025. About half of the increase was the result of the discovery that bedrock was "more variable and deeper than expected".^[137]