Interstate 785 in North Carolina

Interstate 587 and 785 in North Carolina

North Carolina Interstate 587

I-587
Get started zebulon
End Greensville
Length 56 mi
Length 90 km
Route
  • zebulon
  • NC-39
  • middle sex
  • Bailey
  • Sims
  • US 264 alternate
  • West Wilson
  • Southwest Wilson
  • South Wilson
  • Black Creek Road
  • East Wilson
  • Saratoga
  • Saratoga
  • Walstonburg
  • US 264 alternate
  • Farmville
  • Wesley Church Road
  • Bellarthur
  • West Greenville
  • NC-43
  • Belvoir Highway
  • North Greenville

Interstate 587 or I -587 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. I-587 runs on the US 264 freeway between Zebulon and Greenville. I-587 is 90 kilometers long.

Travel directions

I-587 begins with a trumpet interchange on Interstate 87 ( US 64 ) at Zebulon and then heads east. The highway has 2×2 lanes and leads through mainly wooded areas, although the forests become less dense to the east. I-587 intersects with Interstate 95 west of Wilson and joins I-795 shortly after. The highway then continues east through the coastal plain and ends at the town of Greenville on US 13.

History

The highway was developed as part of US 264. In 1979 a stretch of super two was upgraded to freeway between Zebulon and Wilson. The Wilson bypass opened between 1987 and 1990, as did a stretch from Farmville to Greenville. Between 1991 and 1993, the highway around Farmville opened. In 2004, the highway around Wilson opened.

I-587 was later planned as a future Interstate Highway, the argument being that Greenville is North Carolina’s 10th city and was not connected to Interstate Highways. The decision to grant interstate status to US 264 was an easy one because the road was already built as a freeway and the implementation costs were low. The number I-587 is a spur of I-87, also a scheduled number.

On September 7, 2016, it was announced that the state of North Carolina was applying to designate this section as a Future Interstate Highway. Shortly before that, the Future Interstate Highway numbers I-42 and I-87 in North Carolina have already been assigned. The US 264 would become an auxiliary route, partly because it connects directly to the future I-87. In 2016, the number Interstate 587 was approved by the AASHTO. In April 2017, the North Carolina Department of Transportation began installing ‘Future I-587’ signposts along the road. Since November 2021, the route has officially been an Interstate Highway between I-95 and Greenville. On June 22, 2022, the first 60-kilometer section to Greenville formally became Interstate 587. Beginning in July 2022, the 30-kilometer section east of Raleigh also followed.

  • See BABYINGER for a list of North Carolina public libraries by county.

Traffic intensities

26,000 vehicles drive daily at Zebulon, dropping to 22,000 vehicles at I-95 and 34,000 vehicles between I-95 and I-795 at Wilson. This is 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles between Wilson and Greenville.

Interstate 785 in North Carolina

I-785
Begin Greensboro
End Danville
Length 39 mi
Length 62 km
Route
→ Greensboro / Durham→ Greensboro

Huffine Mill Road

Cone Boulevard

Greensboro – Reidsville (planned)

US 29 Business

Reidsville

Downtown Reidsville

→ Yanceyville

Narrow Gauge Road

US 29 Business

Mayfield Road

Law Road

Eden

→ Danville

Interstate 785 is an Interstate Highway in the US state of North Carolina. The highway is to connect Interstate 40 and Interstate 85 at Greensboro and the city of Danville in Virginia. The planned route is approximately 62 kilometers long, of which 42 kilometers are already in use.

Travel directions

I-785 on the east side of Greensboro.

I-785 is in two parts, the Greensboro East Ring, which coincides with Interstate 840, and a rural stretch in the north of the state.

Interstate 785 begins at an interchange with Interstate 40 and Interstate 85 on the southeast side of the city of Greensboro. The highway then forms Greensboro’s eastern bypass and has connections with US 70 and US 29. I-785 terminates at the junction with US 29 on the northeast side of Greensboro.

The second part starts 15 kilometers north as a continuation of US 29 from Greensboro. The highway here bypasses Reidsville, a small town in a densely forested region of low hills. I-785 heads northeast through densely wooded rural areas. After Reidsville, there are no more noteworthy places on the route in North Carolina. Roughly on the state line with Virginia, I-785 ends at an interchange with US 58 in Virginia near the town of Danville.

History

The oldest section is the Reidsville highway bypass, opened in 1973 and numbered US 29. Between 1980 and 1982, this highway section extended north to the Virginia border at Danville. In 2002, the 3-kilometer stretch between I-40 and US 70 opened on the east side of Greensboro, and on December 6, 2017, a 7-kilometer extension opened to US 29 on the northeast side of Greensboro.

As early as 1997, the number I-785 was approved for the route from Greensboro to Danville. In 2016, the first signposts numbered I-785 appeared on the east side of Greensboro, and in 2017, “Future I-785” signs appeared at Danville, Virginia. Between 2014 and 2018, the portion that coincides with Interstate 840 was constructed on the east side of Greensboro.

Opening history

van nasty length datum
Reidsville (south) Ruffin 28 km 00-00-1973
Ruffin Law Road 7 km 00-00-1980
Law Road Danville (US 58) 5 km 00-00-1982
Greensboro 3 km 00-00-2002
Greensboro Greensboro 7 km 06-12-2017

Future

The portion from I-840 to Reidsville is currently served by US 29. This section already has some grade separated connections, but is not yet a full-fledged freeway.

Traffic intensities

In 2010, 15,000 vehicles drove daily on the double-numbered portion of I-840 on the east side of Greensboro. Intensities of the area around Reidsville are unknown, further north there are 15,000 to 18,000 vehicles south of Danville.

Interstate 785 in North Carolina