Interstate 85

Overview

Interstate 85 traverses a good portion of the Appalachian piedmont, as it provides a major travel corridor between the Deep S and Mid Atlantic Regions. The increasingly busy trucking corridor connects the major metropolitan areas of Atlanta and Charlotte. In addition, Interstate 85 links several smaller growing metropolitan areas including Greenville-Spartanburg, the Triad (Greensboro), and the Triangle (Durham).

Atlanta Span Collapse

A multiple alarm fire broke out around 6:30 p.grand. on March thirty, 2017 beneath an elevated stretch of Interstate 85 at Piedmont Road in northeast Atlanta. Fire impairment compromised a 350 foot section of the northbound viaduct, leading to its plummet. Three arrests were made in connectedness to the burn, with the warrant for the main individual involved citing that "a chair attack superlative of a shopping cart" was gear up on fire. All three were believed to be homeless and witnessed at the site where the fire involving PVC products stored under the bridge started.29,31

Both directions of Interstate 85 were closed north from the Brookwood Interchange (split with Interstate 75 / Downtown Connector) to Georgia 400 (Leave 86). GDOT indicated that the southbound bridge was compromised as well, requiring a full replacement.30 Northbound traffic was reopened on April 1 north from the I-75 divide to Exit 86, where traffic shifted onto the adjacent Buford Leap Connector (Georgia 13). Georgia 13 parallels I-85 northward to Georgia 400 and Sidney Marcus Boulevard, returning traffic to the Interstate 85 mainline via direct ramp alee of Buford Highway.

Reopening of Interstate 85 to traffic was initially anticipated for June 15, 2017, so May 25. Nevertheless around the clock efforts from contractor C.West. Mathews advanced progress on therepair work to ninety per centum completion just 41 days after the collapse. Standing to earn over $3 meg in incentives, C.W. Mathews crews reopened the northbound lanes of I-85 on May 12; the southbound lanes were reopened ii days later on.32

Interstate 85 Extension

The Fiscal Year 2002 Transportation Appropriations Act included funding for a feasibility study for extending Interstate 85 w from Montgomery, Alabama to Interstate 20 and Interstate 59 near Tiptop, Mississippi. During the fall of 2002, then-Governor Don Siegalman of Alabama brought upwards the Interstate 85 extension as well as reinforcing the desire for a Black Chugalug expressway corridor in Western Alabama betwixt Mobile and Florence.

Funding for these projects was mostly for preliminary planning, blueprint and engineering, and additional funds were allocated to this project in 2005. The Safe, Answerable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) (enacted into police force on August ten, 2005) appropriated $100 million toward the Interstate 85 Extension Project.

Initial work on the Montgomery Outer Loop (SR-108 / Future Interstate 85) commenced on September 28, 2011 on a $65.8-million project to build a 3.5-mile connector between I-85 and SR 110.8 Work was a 3rd complete as of November 2012, with pier supports and span girders visible along I-85 at the new interchange. ALDOT officials originally scheduled a completion for the project in Dec 2014.9 Work nevertheless was halted on the projection in 2014 when ii workers barbarous ninety feet to their death at the structure site. Further delays due to weather pushed the completion date back further.xvi

The offset stage of the Outer Loop opened finally following a ribbon cutting ceremony held on the morning of January 26, 2016. The freeway runs south from I-85 to an incomplete parclo interchange with Vaughn Road. Construction on the remaining three phases is uncertain at this time due to funding shortages.16

I-85 / Montgomery Outer Loop interchange construction

Construction of pier supports for the I-85 northbound ramp to Alabama Route 108 equally they pass above Alabama Route 126 (quondam U.South. 80). 04/13/12

Ultimate plans for the Montgomery Outer Loop phone call for Interstate 85 to exist relocated from its nowadays alignment westward to I-65 near Downtown onto the southerly bypass. When completed, the existing I-85 will be redesignated equally Interstate 685. AASHTO canonical the I-685 designation pending FHWA blessing on October thirty, 2010.

Loftier Priority Corridor

Those portions of proposed Interstate 85 that overlay U.S. 80 west of Montgomery is apart of High Priority Corridor 6: U.South. lxxx from Meridian to Macon.

Parallel U.S. Routes

Interstate 85 largely follows or overlaps with U.S. 80 from Montgomery due east to Tuskegee. U.South. 29 joins the corridor from Tuskegee, Alabama northeast to Atlanta, Greenville, Charlotte and Greensboro. U.Southward. 70 ties into the corridor from Greensboro eastward to Durham. U.Southward. 15 accompanies I-85 from Durham north to Oxford, handing off to U.South. 1 for the rest of the journey northeast to Petersburg, Virginia.

Ezoic report this ad

  • North End – Petersburg, VA

  • South Stop – Montgomery, AL

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  • Cities – Montgomery, Auburn, Opelika, Lanett
  • Junctions – I-65
  • Junctions – I-95

Source: December 31, 2018 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
* – 8.00 miles on I-75, # – 31.51 miles on I-forty

I-85 Annual Boilerplate Daily Traffic (AADT)

Location Vehicles per day
Montgomery, AL 111,060
Opelika, AL 48,080
Huguley, AL thirty,030
Southward Loma, VA 18,000
Petersburg, VA 58,000
I-85 Georgia Express Lanes
Dynamic message sign displaying the rates for the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes in utilise along Interstate 85 northeast of Atlanta. Photo taken 04/13/12.

The HO/T lanes of I-85 in Georgia became operational on Oct 1, 2011 from Interstate 285 to One-time Peachtree Road. Usage of the lanes requires an account with PeachPass.

East Central Alabama - 1961
E Key Alabama, 1961

The Auburn-Opelika bypass was the start section of I-85 completed in Alabama. The superhighway was extended northward from in that location to Lanett in 1962 and likewise congenital between Mt. Meigs and Waugh the same year.

North Georgia - 1964
North Georgia – 1964 Georgia Official Highway Map

Interstate 85 was completed from Higher Park north through Atlanta to Suwanee in 1964. Construction was underway along the remainder through northeast Georgia and southward to the Coweta County line.

Southern North Carolina - 1970
Charlotte and the Due north Carolina Triad – 1970 North Carolina Official Highway Map

Interstate 85 n from the Yadkin River defaulted onto what is now Business concern Loop I-85 through Lexington, Thomasville and High Signal. The motorway was built in the late 1950s and was signed as Interstate 85 Temp. The I-85 alignment to the east was finished in 1984.12

Durham, NC area - 1970
Durham area – 1970 Northward Carolina Official Highway Map

Interstate 85 was completed through Durham and from Henderson north into Virginia by 1970. U.S. 15 and U.Due south. 158 acted as the temporary road between the two stretches of pike until I-85 opened in 1972.12

History

Georgia

Interstate 85 across n Georgia was constructed between September 1951 and Dec 1979.13 The section from LaGrange (Exit 13) to Grantville (Exit 35) opened on November 22, 1977.fourteen

Planning for a new freeway that would later become Interstate 85 through northeast Georgia outlined several possible routes per a superhighway department report issued in July 1945. They included four alignments:15

  • Buford to Gainesville to Toccoa
  • Lawrenceville to Commerce to Lavonia
  • Lawrenceville to Winder to Athens
  • Stone Mountain to Monroe to Athens

The northerly alignment was the favored road by 1954. Referred to as the "upper route," it paralleled the U.S. 23 corridor northeast to Buford, Gainesville and Cornelia and U.Southward. 123 to inside 10 miles of Toccoa. Officials from Due south Carolina concurred with the alignment according to reports, with overall benefits cited including the new Lake Lanier and economic prospects for growing Gainesville. This route was submitted to the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads in a February 1958 recommendation.15

Changes to Interstate 85 through northeastern Georgia followed in 1959 when Ernest Vandiver took the part of Georgia Governor. The Lavonia native advocated for a south shift of I-85 along a course between Commerce and Lavonia, stating that information technology was a wiser option versus having the thruway "meander through the mountains." He later on withdrew the recommendation for the Gainesville route past July 1959, leading to the country highway section submitting the new "centre route." The new alignment was touted to cost less to construct, provide a more directly route, and yet serve the Gainesville and Athens areas peripherally.15

Northeastern Georgia - 1960
Interstate 85 projected along the "upper route" through northeast Georgia in 1960.

Some controversy ensued, with Vandiver referencing manipulations by the previous administration of Governor Marvin Griffin to endorse the upper road. In that location was besides suggestions that Vandiver pushed for a more than southerly route to include his home county of Franklin versus a route almost Talmo, Maysville and Martin. A public hearing for the route was conducted on November 10, 1959, with the Commerce to Lavonia corridor laid out. Opposition was apparently muted and months after the decision was sealed.fifteen

Construction eventually opened 67 miles of Interstate 85 between Suwanee and the South Carolina state line on November 5, 1965. This was the first Interstate segment to link Atlanta with an adjoining country. Associated piece of work built the I-85 Connector, which opened in October 1969 as Georgia 365.fifteen This was redesignated as Interstate 985 in 1984.

Though northeastern Atlanta, a relocation of Interstate 85 due north from the Northeast State highway betwixt Interstate 75 (Downtown Connector) and Buford Highway was canonical past AASHTO on April 19, 1996. The onetime alignment was redesignated as Georgia 13. The "Freeing the Freeways" mega-project in the Atlanta metropolitan area included several projects involving I-85, with completion in 1987 and 1988:11

  • The 1.6-mile overlap between Interstates 85 & 285 past Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) was reconstructed to separate each road into dissever roadways with 16 overall lanes.
  • Eight lane expansion of I-85 between Peachtree City and the southwest junction with I-285, a altitude of 16.two miles.
  • Upgrading the cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 285 to the northeast of Atlanta into the multi-level Tom Moreland Interchange, locally known equally "Spaghetti Junction".
  • Rebuilding the Downtown Connector with I-75 to widen the motorway and reconfigure the Capitol Hill Interchange with I-20.
I-85/285 - Spaghetti Junction - Atlanta, GA

Interstate 285 curves southeast from Doraville through "Spaghetti Junction" with I-85. 07/02/17

South Carolina

The first section of Interstate 85 to be awarded for a construction contract in South Carolina under the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 was the bridge over the Broad River in Cherokee Canton on September 21, 1956.6 Construction underway in 1959 involved upgrading U.South. 29 from the Anderson Canton line north to Due north Carolina state border at Grover. The initial stretch opened in Spartanburg County.sixteen A xiv-mile section in Anderson County, opened in August 1964, was the final inside the Palmetto Country completed. Building the I-85 in S.C. price over $61 meg.17

Increasing traffic counts up to 47,600 vehicles per twenty-four hours (vpd) and the substandard pattern of Interstate 85 through Spartanburg, which was originally built every bit a bypass for U.S. 29 in the 1950s, led to proposed improvements in 1983. Upgrades for I-85 were previously approved by the Federal Highway Administration in 1977. The South Carolina Section of Highways and Public Transportation program involved improving a 9.6-mile department of I-85, between South Carolina 129 and U.S. 221, that included expansion to six overall lanes and elimination of the Hearon Circumvolve interchange. Estimated to cost $25-meg and take four years, the projection included the relocation of several businesses and one residence while widening the roadway using the existing median.18

While upgrading the existing freeway was discussed, two potential realignments for Interstate 85 were also under study in 1983. 1 choice involved edifice a new roadway on the south side of the existing route while reducing the number of interchanges to two. The second option focused on a new alignment, 1.5 miles to the north, with a limited number of interchanges. The due south choice was abandoned due to costs and the needed severe dislocation of developed holding. Benefits of the due north featherbed favored reduced congestion and costs estimates just four million dollars higher than widening the existing road ($53 million).19

The Spartanburg City Council opposed any relocation, citing economical impacts for having I-85 rerouted further from the city. A study contracted by the council with an engineer and planning firm presented three options to provide better access between the city and Interstate 85. They included improvements to interchanges at Hearon Circumvolve and I-585 & U.S. 176 (Pino Street), a $ten-1000000 new admission route through the campus of Wofford College and a $4-1000000 one-half cloverleaf interchange between U.Southward. 176 (Pine Street) and McCravy Drive. The consultants also suggested that the one-time route of I-85 be renumbered as Interstate 285 to remain within the system.20

The Federal Highway Assistants approved plans for relocating Interstate 85 on December 7, 1983. The alignment included five interchanges, with U.Due south. 176 connecting the throughway with Interstate 585. An event that arose was the connectivity of I-585 with Interstate 85, every bit the relocation would disconnect it from the Interstate highway organization. Herman Snyder, chief engineer for the Due south Carolina Highway Department in 1983, advocated for keeping the quondam alignment of I-85 in the system. He cited "The 585 organization must connect with the interstate, either past a connector road or direct, or it will have to be taken out of the interstate arrangement."21

Structure finally broke basis on the new northern alignment for Interstate 85 in April 1988. Word even so continued involving the number of the former route toward Spartanburg, with the land Highway Department formally requesting the designation of Interstate 285 in a February 5 letter to the Federal Highway Department.22 Section 139 of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 specified that Interstate structure funds were fabricated bachelor on a costs to complete basis. Since I-85 was deemed woefully substandard by Spartanburg, it was considered incomplete. Section 139 chosen for relocation of an Interstate, and then the I-85 designation was reassigned to the new bypass, enabling 90% in federal funding.23 Proposals for I-285 were ultimately dropped and the route of I-585 unchanged.

Split into five phases totaling $96 meg, work on the new I-85 progressed through July 1994, with the bulk of the concrete roadway laid. The route was slated to open in November 1994,25 but delays due to frequent heavy rainfall pushed completion dorsum to December 1994.24 Heavy rains throughout summer and autumn 1994 combined with logistical problems related to congestion on the old I-85 further delayed completion until April 1995. Concluding costs were expected to top out around $122 million due to inflation and revision of the road from four to vi lanes.25

AASHTO approved the relocation of I-85 on April 22, 1995, with the former route redesignated equally Business Loop I-85. Relocated I-85 finally opened after additional further delay on Baronial 31, 1995 without fanfare or a formal ceremony. Concluding structure at the stop of the projection continued until November 1995.ten

Renumbering of the Business organisation Loop I-85 state highway in Spartanburg County was suggested past the Spartanburg Hospitality Association in April 2000. The association approached Spartanburg Area Transportation Written report (SPATS) seeking support to have the business route renumbered as Interstate 685. SCDOT estimated that $150 1000000 in improvements were needed to bring the road up to interstate standards. This included adding proper distancing of ramps and frontage roads, extending dispatch and deceleration lanes and improving ramp radii. SCDOT added further that these changes would likely cause more damages to area businesses than benefits due to the need for land acquisition. Ultimately, in an endeavour to bring more motorists onto the business route, sign changes were fabricated at each finish referencing it as a "Expressway Loop."28

A $70 million project completed in 2003 widened Interstate 85 to vi lanes from Exit xix / U.S. 76 northward to Get out 34 at Greenville. 11 of the xv miles expanded saw the 36 foot median replaced with a concrete barrier. The remaining four miles retained a grassy median with guardrail protection. Traffic counts along this stretch ranged from 38,500 to 44,300 vehicles per 24-hour interval (vpd), with 35% of this volume comprised of trucks. SCDOT justified this projection based upon 20 year traffic count projections that forecast 85,900 vpd using this same section of I-85. Additionally, various overpasses along the corridor were replaced or otherwise altered to increase the overall height to at least sixteen feet.two

North Carolina

A seven mile segment of Interstate 85 opened to traffic on September 7, 1971 between the due east end of the Oxford bypass and Henderson. Work continued to December 1971 on the freeway leading south 12.5 miles to the Neuse River. Upon completion, all of I-85 between Durham and Petersburg, Virginia was open to traffic.26

The final contract for constructing Interstate 85 across Due north Carolina was approved on May fourteen, 1982. The $eight.v-million bid involved paving the freeway from Main Street (old U.Southward. 311) in Archdale n to the pre-existing section of I-85 south of Greensboro. Piece of work ran in tandem with paving operations from Lexington due north to Thomasville and Archdale. Completion occurred on October 15, 1983.27

Interstate 85 widens to 8 lanes where it overlaps with Interstate 40 between Greensboro and Durham in North Carolina. A realignment of I-85 to bypass Greensboro shifted the freeway from a shared alignment with I-40 through Greensboro to a February 22, 2004 openedfour route to the south and east of the city. The new thruway varies between six and viii lanes from nigh milepost 120 of the original I-85 to the due east end of the Interstate 840 interchange. The highway was constructed as function of the overall planned Greensboro Beltway, a circumferential highway looping south from Joseph M. Bryan Boulevard near Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI) to Painter Boulevard (I-73) and eastward to Interstate 785 & 840 at U.Due south. 70 (Burlington Route). AASHTO approved of the I-85 relocation on May 14, 2004.

I-85 north at I-73 - Greensboro, NC

Interstate 85 turns due east onto the bypass of Greensboro while three lanes wind north onto Business Loop I-85 toward Downtown. 06/01/12

The $160 million3 relocation of Interstate 85 was adult equally a solution for the overwhelming and often congested "Death Valley" interchange where I-40 and I-85 previously came together. The nickname stemmed from a history of fatal accidents associated with the interchange. The wye interchange included a left-mitt ramp for I-85 south, narrowing travel lanes and a weaving traffic pattern with the adjacent Randleman Road exit. NCDOT estimated 120,000 vehicles per solar day (vpd) traveled through Expiry Valley until the new bypass opened.

Quondam Interstate 85 through Greensboro was redesignated as an extension of Business organization Loop I-85 north from High Point. Go out numbers along the former I-85 were renumbered to reflect the business loop mile markers north from Lexington. The portion east from Death Valley doubles as both Interstate 40 and Business Loop I-85 to the merge with I-85 north.

Original plans shifted Interstate 40 onto the southern portion of the beltway upon its completion. This occurred when the southwestern beltway opened on February 21, 2008 and lasted for a period of seven months, before NCDOT shifted I-40 back to its in-urban center routing. Interstate 73 and a relocated U.S. 421 follow the southwestern beltway (Painter Boulevard) from I-85 n to I-40 today.

Within the Durham metropolitan area, major reconstruction was completed forth Interstate 85 that transformed the aged four-lane highway and associated parkwayesque landscape into a modern eight-lane urban thruway. Begun in 1999, this expansion projection altered the highway untouched past redesign in 30 years. The construction involved widening I-85 between Exits 173 and 179 to viii lanes, the rebuilding of shoulder less bridges, the replacement of shoulder mounted guide signs with overhead assemblies, installation of variable message signs, and the placement of brick audio barriers among other safety improvements. The nigh impressive section of new construction resulted in 12 lanes for Interstate 85 near the Duke and Gregson Street exits with the inclusion of two lane collector distributor roadways. The $175 one thousand thousand reconstruction was divided into iii stages to be completed on the following time-line:1

  • Midland Terrace near U.S. 70 w to Camden Avenue past Fall 2004
  • Camden Avenue due west to Broad Street by Winter 2005
  • Broad Street westward to U.Southward. 15-501 by Winter 2007.

Work on the project continued until February 2008, with a concluding price tag of $210 million.seven

Other portions of Interstate 85 in N Carolina underwent modernization and expansion as function of the I-85 Corridor Comeback Project. $201.5-one thousand thousand in road piece of work focused on I-85 through Davidson and Rowan Counties between October 2010 and May 2013. This project followed widening of viii.three-miles of freeway between the U.S. 29 / NC 49 Connector (Go out 42) and Hold Mills Boulevard (Leave 49). That construction increased I-85 to eight overall lanes with a 22 foot median between Exit 42 and I-485, and seven lanes between I-485 and Get out 49. A left archway ramp from the U.S. 29 / NC 49 connector was relocated to merge on the correct equally well. Construction was underway betwixt Dec 2, 2002 and May 27, 2005.

Further northward, the structurally deficient crossing of the Yadkin River was replaced every bit part of the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project. Work broke ground September 29, 2010 on a $136-million job to realign I-85 onto a new set of bridges east of the original Yadkin River spans. Widening to viii lanes of 3.five miles of throughway was included in the piece of work, which also reconfigured the two wye interchanges with U.Southward. 29/lxx and NC 150 to dissever local traffic movements from I-85 with a new service route and 6-ramp parclo interchange. The new northbound bridge opened in May 2012, followed by completion of the southbound bridge in March 2013.

I-85/US 460 north at I-95 - Petersburg, VA

The first mention of Interstate 95 along I-85 northward / U.South. 460 east is this roadside sign, 1.75 miles west of their trumpet interchange. 06/01/12

I-85/US 460 north at I-95 - Petersburg, VA

U.S. 460 briefly joins Interstate 95 south from Exit 68 to County Drive for its continuation east to Norfolk and Hampton Roads. 06/01/12

I-85/US 460 north at I-95 - Petersburg, VA

Traffic at the north end of Interstate 85 separates into ramps for Exit 68 for I-95 southward / U.S. 460 eastward to U.S. 301; Go out 69 for the I-95 c/d roadway to Wythe and Washington Streets and Downtown Petersburg; and the directly transition onto northbound I-95. 06/01/12

I-85/US 460 north at I-95 - Petersburg, VA

Exit 68 leaves Interstate 85 north for I-95 s / U.Due south. 460 eastward. This movement is required to make the connection with Interstate 295 around both Petersburg and Richmond. Posted with a lxx mile per hour speed limit, I-295 carries significantly less traffic than the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. 06/01/12

I-95 south at I-85 - Petersburg, VA

The first sign for Interstate 85 (Exit 51) precedes Leave 54 to Virginia Route 144 (Temple Avenue) in Colonial Heights. 12/thirty/20

I-95 south at I-85/US 460 - Petersburg, VA

Entering the city of Petersburg, Interstate 95 spans the Appomattox River on the arroyo to I-85 and U.S. 460. 12/30/xx

I-95 south at I-85/US 460 - Petersburg, VA

The forthcoming split is a major segmentation between two southerly routes: I-95 follows the Atlantic Coastal Plain through the Carolinas and southeast Georgia into Florida, while I-85 angles southwesterly toward the Appalachian Piedmont en route to Durham, Charlotte, Atlanta and Montgomery. 12/thirty/20

I-95 south at I-85/US 460 - Petersburg, VA

Interstate 95 s passes just east of Downtown Petersburg at the back to back ramps for Wythe and Washington Streets (U.Due south. 460 Business / SR 36). The mainline separates from the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike in one mile at Exit 51. U.S. 460 bypasses Petersburg forth I-85 south to Go out 61. 12/xxx/20

I-95 south at I-85/US 460 - Petersburg, VA

Pointer per lane (APL) signs for Exit 51 were installed along Interstate 95 due south at the sectionalisation with I-85 (Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike) in 2015. I-85 turns west to U.S. i and the split with U.S. 460. The freeway follows a rural class southwest from Petersburg to Durham, North Carolina. 12/30/20

I-95/US 460 north at I-85 - Petersburg, VA

2.25 miles out from the trumpet interchange (Go out 51) joining I-95/U.S. 460 with Interstate 85 south. U.S. 460 overlaps with I-95 from Get out 50A to I-85 south. 12/17/twenty

Connecting with U.S. 460 east, U.S. 301 (South Crater Route), and Downtown Petersburg, a collector distributor roadway (Exits 50A-D) separates from I-95 north. Mainline traffic continues unimpeded to Exit 51 for Interstate 85 due south / U.Southward. 460 west. 12/17/xx

I-95/US 460 north at I-85 - Petersburg, VA

Traffic along the Exit 50 c/d roadway splits with a skid ramp for the I-95 mainline to I-85 south (Exit 51) and a sweeping ramp for Wythe and Washington Streets (U.South. 460 Concern / SR 36). A brief weaving traffic pattern ensues at Exit 51 on I-95. 12/17/20

I-95/US 460 north at I-85 - Petersburg, VA

U.Due south. 460 joins the I-95 mainline simply ahead of the loop ramp (Go out 51) onto Interstate 85 due south. U.S. 460 overlaps with I-85 for seven miles before parting ways toward Blackstone. 12/17/xx

I-95/US 460 north at I-85 - Petersburg, VA

Exit 51 leaves Interstate 95 n for I-85 south / U.S. 460 west. Located where I-85 meets U.Southward. 58, South Hill is the principal control city in Virginia. Durham, Due north Carolina lies 130 miles to the southwest. 12/17/xx

I-85 North End Throwback

I-85 North at I-95

I-85/US 460 north at I-95 - 2004

Removed past 2012, an finish sign was posted at the I-95 mainline overpass. Interstate 95 enters the majuscule city of Richmond in 18 miles. This connection was originally part of the tolled Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. The turnpike began forth Interstate 85 at U.Southward. one (Exit 63) and continued north to the I-64 / I-95 overlap through central Richmond. Photo by Carter Buchanan (08/08/04).

I-95 North at I-85

I-95/US 460 north at I-85 - 2010

The initial overhead for I-85 southward was replaced in kind past 2020. Photograph past Volition Weaver (05/08/10).

I-95 S at I-85

I-95 south at I-85 - 2010

The 3 mile sign for Interstate 85 on I-95 due south was replaced by 2015. 07/09/x

I-95 south at I-85/US 460 - 2005

The two-mile sign for I-85 south was replaced by 2015 to use Clearview font. Photo by Carter Buchanan (07/01/05).

I-95 south at I-85/US 460 - 2017

The overhead for I-85 at the Appomattox River was replaced by 2020. 01/01/17

I-95 south at I-85/US 460 - 2010

Popular in the road enthusiast customs, a pair of sign bridges in one case referenced both Miami and Atlanta at the I-85/95 southbound split in Petersburg. APL signs displaying simply Rocky Mount for I-95 and Durham for I-85 replaced both sets in 2015. 07/09/10

I-95 south at I-85/US 460 - 2010

U.S. 460 combines with I-95 briefly from the end of I-85 before resuming an due east grade to Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Hampton Roads at the succeeding interchange (Leave 50). These overheads were removed in 2018. 07/09/ten

I-95 south at I-85/US 460 - 2010

Exit 51 parts ways from Interstate 95 southbound at the St. Andrew Street underpass. Ii lane expansion of the ramp for I-85 in July 2014 resulted in the replacement of these signs for Miami and Atlanta. 07/09/10

I-95 south at I-85 - 1976

A diagrammatic sign outlined the upcoming split of Interstate 95 from the tolled Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. The cost road extended another 3 miles west at the time along I-85 south. Because of the turnpike, U.Southward. 460 remained on its surface route due to the restriction on tolled U.s. Routes. Photo by Michael Summa (1976).

South End I-65 – Montgomery, Alabama

I-85 south at I-65/US 82 - Montgomery, AL

Advancing due west from the Mulberry Street underpass, Interstate 85 concludes in two miles. The terminal get out departs for Marriage Street (former U.S. 331) to Downtown Montgomery in 0.75 miles. 01/12/19

I-85 south at I-65/US 82 - Montgomery, AL

Interstate 85 southbound at Leave i for Union Street, Perry Street and the Alabama Country Capitol. Three lanes continue one.25 miles west to Interstate 65/U.S. 82. 01/12/nineteen

I-85 south at I-65/US 82 - Montgomery, AL

Two lanes are allocated for each ramp to Interstate 65/U.South. 82 from I-85 southbound. A third ramp descends onto Twenty-four hours Street as well. Day Street extends due west to Birmingham Highway (sometime U.S. 31/80) and Maxwell Air Force Base. 01/12/xix

I-85 south at I-65/US 82 - Montgomery, AL

An terminate shield for I-85 stands beyond the Rose 50. Parks Avenue underpass. A signing project in 1995-96 replaced a state-named version of this shield. 01/12/xix

I-85 south at I-65/US 82 - Montgomery, AL

APL overheads added at the south end of I-65 in 2019 assigned Exit 0 to both ramps for Interstate 65. U.Southward. 82 remains omitted on guide signs, despite overlapping with I-65 since 2000. 01/12/19

I-85 south at I-65/US 82 - Montgomery, AL

Traffic joining Interstate 65 north / U.Southward. 82 west merges onto the mainline just ahead of the split up-diamond interchange with Herron Street (Go out 172). 01/12/19

I-85 south at I-65/US 82 - Montgomery, AL

The ramp to I-65 south and U.S. 82 east curves sharply and immediately lowers to merge onto the throughway at a lane drop. Mobile lies 163 miles to the southwest. 01/21/13

I-65/US 82 north at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

Two miles south of the I-65/85 northbound split (Exit 171). Interstate 65 was expanded to at least six overall lanes through Montgomery as office of a $110-million project between 2006 and December 21, 2010. 10/06/16

I-65/US 82 north at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

Get out 170 to Fairview Avenue, a former alignment of U.S. 80, departs Interstate 65 north / U.S. 82 west. The exchange with I-85 due north follows in one mile. 10/06/16

I-65/US 82 north at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

An optional lane and a dedicated lane depart northbound I-65/U.Southward. 82 across the Early Street overpass for Interstate 85 to Atlanta (Go out 171). 10/06/16

I-65/US 82 north at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

Exit 171 parts means with I-65 north / U.S. 82 west for Interstate 85. I-85 initially heads due east through Montgomery before turning due north from near Tuskegee to Auburn, Opelika and Atlanta, Georgia. 10/06/16

I-65/US 82 south at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

I-65 follows a causeway betwixt a bend along the Alabama River to a trumpet interchange (Exit 173) with Due north Boulevard (Alabama Route 152). The freeway proceeds south some other 1.25 miles to the exchange (Exit 171) with Interstate 85 north. x/09/16

I-65/US 82 south at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

$110-million in improvements were undertaken along Interstate 65 between Get out 173 and Exit 168 through Montgomery between 2006 and December 21, 2010. This resulted in added lanes, expanded bridges and sign replacements throughout the stretch. 10/09/16

I-65/US 82 south at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

Exit 172 departs I-65 s / U.South. 82 eastward a half mile ahead of the three level interchange with Interstate 85. Clay and Herron Streets connect I-65 with the Montgomery central business district and Alabama State Capitol. 10/09/sixteen

I-65/US 82 south at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

Aforementioned road work expanded I-65 south to iv lanes leading to the northbound offset of Interstate 85 (Get out 171). Atlanta, Georgia is a 155-mile bulldoze via I-85 due north. 10/09/16

I-65/US 82 south at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

The Herron Street forms an auxiliary lane along I-65 southward to Get out 171 for I-85 north and the Day Street Connector. I-65 southward and U.Southward. 82 east go on with three overall lanes. 10/09/16

I-65/US 82 south at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

Three lanes leave Interstate 65 southward / U.S. 82 e at Exit 171. The ramp for I-85 navigates along a sharp bend at grade level. The Twenty-four hour period Street ramp spans adjacent Oak Street en route to Maxwell Air Strength Base and Birmingham Highway (former U.S. 31/80). 10/09/xvi

I-65/US 82 south at I-85 - Montgomery, AL

E from I-65, Interstate 85 travels below grade across the Montgomery street filigree between Downtown and the Garden Commune. 06/07/17

Day St east at I-65/85 - Montgomery, AL

The 24-hour interval Street Connector partitions into ramps for I-65 north / U.Due south. 82 west and I-85 due north at the Oak Street underpass. There is no access to I-65 south / U.Southward. 82 due east. 08/22/03

Day St east at I-65/85 - Montgomery, AL

I-65 north reaches the city limits of Birmingham in 86 miles while I-85 travels ten miles within the Montgomery urban center limits. 08/22/03

I-85 South End Throwback

I-85 south at I-65 - 2013

Overheads at the Holcombe Street underpass were removed in 2019. A pair of regulatory signs for the sharp curve on the I-65 southbound flyover took their place. 01/21/13

I-85 south at I-65 - 2012 I-85 south at I-65 - 2013

Slotted guide signs for Interstate 65 and Day Street were replaced with APL's in 2019. 12/31/12, 01/21/13

Sources:

  1. "I-85 to be 12 lanes virtually Northgate." The Herald Sun, September iv, 2003.
  2. I-85 Widening (Anderson Canton) http://www.dot.state.sc.us/Projects/I-85/default.html, SCDOT project spider web site.
  3. "Drivers race to road effectually 'Death Valley'." Charlotte Observer, Feb 23, 2004.
  4. Aaron Porter, email: "New Section of I-85 Open up" Feb 21, 2004.
  5. Jeff Absher, email: "Re: I-85," May 25, 2004.
  6. Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System: Previous Interstate Facts of the Day by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
  7. "Overbudgeted I-85 Project Officially Opens." WRAL, February 12, 2008.
  8. "Nation's Top Highway Official Helps Intermission Basis on Montgomery Outer Loop." FHWA Printing Release, September 28, 2011.
  9. "Montgomery Outer Loop Project update." WSFA, October 25, 2012.
  10. "Long-awaited department makes drivers happy." Herald-Periodical (Spartanburg, SC), September 1, 1995.
  11. "Light at end of the tunnel for Interstate 85 construction." The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, September 17, 1987.
  12. NCRoads.com: I-85.
  13. "Happy Birthday to the open up road." Gwinnett Daily Post (Lawrenceville, GA), June 25, 2006.
  14. "Completion near for interstate road systems," Rome News-Tribune, November 14, 1977.
  15. "Interstate 85 through Hall? It very most was Gov. Ernest Vandiver redirected highway plans in 1950s." The Times (Gainesville, GA), Apr 13, 2005.
  16. "Nation's Longest Interstate Route." Herald-Periodical (Spartanburg, SC), Novermber eleven, 1959.
  17. "I-85, N.C. To Ga. To Open up In August." Star-News (Wilmington, NC), August 3, 1964.
  18. "I-85 Improvement Plan – Construction May Begin Sometime This Year." Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC), January 13, 1983.
  19. "Controversy On Interstate 85." Herald-Periodical (Spartanburg, SC), August seven, 1983.
  20. "City Council Given Options On Route Improvements." Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC), October 4, 1983.
  21. "Officials Concerned About Accessiblity To Re-Routed I-85." Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC), December 15, 1983.
  22. "Country, feds at odds over I-85 name." Herald-Periodical (Spartanburg, SC), May 4, 1988.
  23. I-85 The Boom Belt, Due south Carolina, FHWA web site.
  24. "New I-85 expected to open later this year." Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC), July 27, 1994.
  25. "Rain delays grand opening of I-85 bypass until spring." Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC), December 26, 1994.
  26. "State opens 19 more than miles of Interstate." Star-News (Wilmington, NC), September 2, 1971.
  27. "State Approves Final Interstate 85 Contract." The Dispatch (Lexington, NC), May 15, 1982.
  28. "Road proposal 'innovative" but expensive." Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC), April xvi, 2000.
  29. "I-85 collapses after massive burn: 'The entire span is compromised'." The Atlanta Periodical-Constitution, March 31, 2017.
  30. "I-85 BRIDGE COLLAPSE: Both directions to be closed every bit crews work to brand repairs." WSB-TV 2 (Atlanta, GA), March 31, 2017.
  31. "Cleanup continues on I-85, DOT aims to reopen Piedmont Rd. past Tuesday." Fob five Atlanta, April three, 2017.
  32. "Final Countdown: Crews begin striping lanes of I-85." WSB-TV 2 (Atlanta, GA), May 9, 2017.

Folio updated July 28, 2021.