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Interstate 73

Interstate 73 (I-73) is a partially completed north–south Interstate Highway currently confined to the U.S. state of North Carolina, where it extends 93.5 miles (150.5 km) from a southern terminus northwest of Rockingham in Richmond County to a northern terminus northeast of Stokesdale in Guilford County. The route primarily utilizes upgraded sections of U.S. Route 220 freeway, offering a direct connection to major cities including Asheboro and Greensboro while bypassing local congestion. Designated as High Priority Corridor 5 under the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, I-73 forms part of an envisioned national corridor stretching from northern Michigan to coastal South Carolina, though construction beyond North Carolina remains largely uninitiated due to funding constraints and planning disputes. In North Carolina, the highway's development has progressed through phased upgrades and new alignments, with key segments such as the Rockingham Bypass completed in early 2025 to facilitate future expansion. North Carolina's proactive signing and building efforts, approved by AASHTO in 1996, have established the state's portion as the only operational link, enhancing regional freight movement and economic connectivity along the U.S. 220 corridor.

Overview and Designation

Federal Legislation and High-Priority Status

The designation of Interstate 73 as a high-priority corridor originated with the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), signed into law on December 18, 1991, which established High Priority Corridor 5 as the I-73/74 North-South Corridor. This corridor was defined to provide a continuous north-south freeway route connecting coastal South Carolina with inland regions, extending northward from Charleston, South Carolina, through Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Portsmouth, Virginia, and further to southern Ohio via Interstate 77, with connections toward Detroit, Michigan. The legislation aimed to prioritize federal investment in underdeveloped interstate links to enhance national connectivity, economic development, and freight movement, particularly in Appalachian and southeastern regions lacking direct high-capacity highways. ISTEA's high-priority designation for Corridor 5 facilitated eligibility for accelerated federal funding under the Interstate Highway System, distinguishing I-73 from standard routes by mandating its inclusion in long-term planning and environmental studies across multiple states. This status reflected congressional recognition of the corridor's strategic value for reducing congestion on existing routes like U.S. Route 220 and Interstate 95, while supporting industrial access in underserved areas. By embedding the route in statute, ISTEA required states to align their transportation plans with federal objectives, though actual construction timelines depended on state-level execution and funding allocations. Subsequent federal acts refined the corridor's parameters without altering its high-priority standing. The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 amended ISTEA provisions, specifying routing adjustments for High Priority Corridor 5, including alignments through North Carolina and Virginia to integrate with the National Highway System. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), enacted in 1998, reaffirmed the corridor's extent from Charleston northward to Cincinnati, Ohio, via Knoxville, Tennessee, emphasizing its role in interregional commerce and defense mobility. These updates maintained I-73's prioritization for federal grants, with the corridor's legal designation enduring through later reauthorizations like the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) of 2005, ensuring ongoing scrutiny in national infrastructure policy.

Planned Route and Objectives

Interstate 73 was designated by the U.S. Congress in the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) as High Priority Corridor 5, establishing a planned north-south route from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, through Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to the Myrtle Beach area. This corridor, spanning roughly 1,000 miles, integrates existing highways with new construction to connect Midwestern industrial regions to Southeastern coastal economies. The primary objectives focus on enhancing freight transportation efficiency, stimulating economic development across participating states, and offering a safer, limited-access alternative to U.S. Route 220 and other parallel roads prone to congestion and accidents. In coastal South Carolina, the route specifically supports hurricane evacuations by providing direct interstate access from the Grand Strand to inland highways like Interstate 95. In Virginia, the planned segment links Roanoke to the North Carolina border, aiming to improve regional mobility without specified funding as of 2025. South Carolina's portion extends from the North Carolina line through Marlboro and Dillon counties to Interstate 95, then southeast via U.S. 501 and U.S. 378 to South Carolina Highway 22 near Conway, prioritizing system linkage and reduced travel times to Myrtle Beach. North Carolina integrates the corridor by completing missing links, such as the Greensboro connector and Rockingham bypass, to bypass local traffic and enhance interstate continuity.

Current Infrastructure

Route Description in North Carolina

Interstate 73 in North Carolina consists of a 107-mile (172 km) segment signed from its interchange with US 74 west of Rockingham to NC 68 north of Greensboro, traversing Richmond, Montgomery, Randolph, and Guilford counties. The route primarily follows upgraded sections of US 220 and includes concurrencies with I-74 and portions of the Greensboro Urban Loop. Constructed as a four-lane divided freeway throughout its completed length, I-73 serves rural and suburban areas, facilitating travel between the Sandhills region and the Piedmont Triad. The southern terminus connects to US 74 via the Rockingham Bypass, a 7.2-mile (11.6 km) freeway completed in January 2025. From there, I-73 travels concurrently with I-74 northwest through rural Richmond County, interchanging with NC 177 near Hamlet at mile 7 and US 1 in Rockingham at mile 12. Near Ellerbe at mile 25, it meets US 220 north, beginning a concurrency that continues into Montgomery County, where it provides access to NC 211 near Candor at mile 44 and NC 24/NC 27 serving Biscoe and Troy at mile 49. Entering Randolph County, I-73/I-74/US 220 passes south of Asheboro, with an interchange at mile 74 providing access to the city and the North Carolina Zoo via US 64 Business and NC 49. North of Asheboro near Randleman at mile 95, I-74 diverges eastward toward Raleigh, while I-73 separates and continues north along US 220 through industrial and residential areas of the Piedmont. This segment, completed between 1997 and 2013, includes upgrades to address traffic growth in the region. In southern Guilford County, I-73 reaches Greensboro, briefly concurrent with I-85 before intersecting I-40 at mile 103, a major east-west route to Winston-Salem and Raleigh. It then meets I-840 (the Greensboro Urban Loop) and Bryan Boulevard at mile 107, offering connections to Piedmont Triad International Airport. Beyond the urban loop, I-73 proceeds north through suburban Greensboro, ending at its interchange with NC 68 near Summerfield, a connector completed in 2017 for future northern extensions. This northern segment, signed since 2018, enhances access to areas northwest of the city.

Major Interchanges and Features

Interstate 73's southern terminus is at an interchange with U.S. Route 220 near Ellerbe in Richmond County, marking the start of its designated freeway alignment northward along the former US 220 corridor. This section transitions from surface roads to a four-lane divided freeway, with initial signage for I-73 appearing at the Ellerbe area where concurrency with Interstate 74 begins briefly before I-74 diverges eastward. Progressing north through Randolph County, I-73 features a diamond interchange with US 64 and North Carolina Highway 49 just west of Asheboro, providing access to the city's commercial districts and connecting to eastern Piedmont routes. Near Randleman, it intersects Interstate 74 at a partial cloverleaf interchange, where the routes briefly overlap before I-74 continues east toward High Point; this junction facilitates regional freight movement between the Sandhills and Triad regions. In Greensboro, I-73 reaches its most complex interchanges, including a major turbine-style junction with Interstate 85, US 220, and US 421 on the city's south side, enabling seamless connections to Charlotte and the broader Interstate network. Further north, it meets Interstate 40, Interstate 840, and US 421 at a high-volume stack interchange, serving as a critical hub for traffic to Winston-Salem, Raleigh, and beyond, with elevated ramps handling over 100,000 vehicles daily in peak sections. The Greensboro segments include noise barriers and wildlife crossings as engineered features to mitigate urban impacts. The highway's northern end currently terminates near Summerfield in Guilford County at an interchange with US 220 and NC 68, beyond which it reverts to at-grade US 220; this endpoint supports local access to Stokesdale while planned extensions aim to link to Virginia. Notable throughout is the route's role in upgrading a legacy US 220 alignment into a modern Interstate-standard freeway, with recent completions like the Asheboro bypass adding eight miles of high-speed lanes completed in 2019. ![I-73 and I-74 begin sign near Ellerbe][float-right]

Historical Development

Pre-1991 Proposals

In 1982, the U.S. Congress approved an appropriation bill under President Ronald Reagan that funded studies for designating and constructing a new highway linking Interstate 95 south of Florence, South Carolina, to U.S. Highway 17 near Myrtle Beach, addressing growing regional traffic from tourism and coastal development. This effort was initiated by Ashby Ward of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, who pitched the concept to U.S. Representative John Light Napier to enhance access to the Grand Strand without overburdening existing routes like U.S. 501. Concurrently in West Virginia, regional advocates in the 1970s and 1980s sought upgrades to the hazardous U.S. Route 52 through the southern coalfields, where economic decline from reduced mining activity prompted calls for better infrastructure to attract industry. The Bluefield Chamber of Commerce campaigned from 1978 to 1982 for safety improvements, but state funding stalled amid high interest rates; by the late 1980s, engineers K.A. Ammar and John Sage advanced a broader vision of an interstate corridor extending southward to Myrtle Beach and northward toward Midwest manufacturing hubs like Detroit, aiming to reverse population loss and stimulate freight movement in Appalachia. At the northern end, Michigan's planning for freeway expansions along U.S. Route 127 dated to the early 1960s, as part of efforts to connect population centers and recreation areas in a combined interstate-arterial system. A 1970 Michigan Department of Transportation location study proposed freeway construction south of Jackson to an east-west link via U.S. 223 reconstruction, with right-of-way acquired up to 200 feet wide near U.S. 12, though national priorities for completing the core Interstate System and a 1982 state mandate to focus on maintenance over new builds deferred substantive progress. These fragmented state and local initiatives—focused on US 220 alignments in Virginia and North Carolina for parallel improvements, though not yet interlinked—highlighted connectivity gaps but remained uncoordinated without federal interstate designation until 1991's Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act formalized the corridor. No unified numbering as "I-73" existed pre-1991, with proposals emphasizing economic corridors over a continuous highway.

1991 Designation and Initial Planning

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), signed into law on December 18, 1991, designated Interstate 73 as part of High Priority Corridor 5, the I-73/I-74 North-South Corridor, extending approximately 1,000 miles from Charleston, South Carolina, to Detroit, Michigan. This federal action prioritized the route for potential Interstate funding and development, emphasizing economic integration between southeastern ports and Midwestern manufacturing hubs, while allowing states flexibility in selecting alignments that leveraged existing roadways. The designation built on earlier regional advocacy, marking a shift from conceptual proposals to nationally recognized infrastructure planning. Initial planning post-designation focused on feasibility assessments and route refinements to ensure compliance with Interstate standards, including four-lane divided highways with full access control. In South Carolina, the Department of Transportation commissioned a consultant-led study in 1994 to evaluate upgrades for a continuous multi-lane facility from Charleston northward to the North Carolina border, prioritizing connections to Interstate 95 and coastal areas. North Carolina's early efforts targeted paralleling U.S. Route 220 from the Virginia line southward through the Piedmont region to Rockingham, aiming to enhance freight movement along established corridors while minimizing new right-of-way acquisition. These studies underscored the corridor's role in addressing congestion on U.S. highways and supporting regional commerce, though implementation hinged on state-level funding and environmental reviews.

Construction Milestones in North Carolina

Initial upgrades to U.S. Route 220 as the future alignment for Interstate 73 commenced in 1997, marking the beginning of interstate-standard improvements in central North Carolina near Asheboro. These early efforts focused on widening and freeway conversion along the US 220 corridor from Biscoe northward, with the first I-73 signage installed that year. In the Greensboro metropolitan area, construction on a 9.4-mile design-build segment from Joseph M. Bryan Boulevard to south of US 220 began in 2014, incorporating new alignments and interchanges to connect with the Piedmont Triad International Airport vicinity. This project, valued at significant investment for regional connectivity, opened in phases: a 7-mile portion from NC 68 to US 220 in Summerfield on May 19, 2017, followed by the remaining length to Bryan Boulevard on July 3, 2017. Further southern progress included the Rockingham Bypass, a 10.5-mile four-lane divided freeway designated as future I-73/I-74, with the northern 3.7-mile section from south of Ellerbe completing in June 2018 to enhance access to the Carolina Cup horse races and local industries. Ongoing work on the southern bypass segment near the South Carolina border, including interchanges at US 220 and grade separations, reached substantial completion by late 2024, though full designation awaits final paving and safety features. A recent advancement occurred on January 28, 2025, when the North Carolina Department of Transportation opened an additional freeway segment signed jointly as I-73/I-74, extending continuity northward from existing alignments in Randolph County. These milestones reflect incremental federal and state funding prioritization, with total constructed mileage reaching approximately 44 miles by mid-2025, amid challenges from right-of-way acquisition and environmental reviews.

Ongoing and Future Extensions

Southern Extension in South Carolina

The southern extension of Interstate 73 into South Carolina forms part of a designated high-priority corridor under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, intended to link the North Carolina terminus near Rockingham southward to the Grand Strand tourism region encompassing Myrtle Beach. The proposed route enters from North Carolina in Marlboro County, follows a corridor generally paralleling the Great Pee Dee River through Dillon and Marion counties, and continues into Horry County to connect with South Carolina Highway 22 (the Conway Bypass) near the Waccamaw River, providing enhanced access to coastal destinations and facilitating evacuation routes during hurricanes. This alignment aims to bridge the gap between the existing I-73 in North Carolina and Interstate 95, traversing approximately 70 miles while avoiding major urban centers like Florence to minimize disruption. Development divides into a northern segment from the North Carolina state line to I-95 and a southern corridor from I-95 to SC 22, with the latter segmented into three phases for planning purposes. Phase 1, spanning I-95 to U.S. Highway 501 near Marion, has finalized construction plans and acquired necessary right-of-way, rendering it shovel-ready by late 2024 pending funding. Phase 2, from US 501 to the Marion-Horry county line, completed right-of-way plans with acquisitions nearly finished as of 2025. Phase 3, extending from the county line to SC 22, finalized right-of-way plans, with acquisitions initiated in early 2024 and projected to continue through 2026. The northern segment remains at the conceptual planning stage, held pending federal or state funding allocation. Environmental clearances advanced with approval of Clean Water Act Section 401/404 permits on June 19, 2017, addressing wetland and stream impacts along the corridor. Despite these preparations, construction has not commenced due to insufficient funding; South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster omitted allocations for the Horry County portion in the January 2025 state budget, though he expressed continued support for the project overall. Proponents estimate completion could generate 29,000 jobs and reduce coastal evacuation times by up to 15 hours, with total costs around $300 million for initial segments, but fiscal priorities have delayed advancement as of October 2025. The South Carolina Department of Transportation continues right-of-way efforts, positioning segments for potential federal infrastructure grants, though no firm construction timeline exists.

Intrastate Expansions in North Carolina

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has prioritized several projects to expand the I-73 corridor within state boundaries, focusing on new alignments and upgrades to address gaps in the existing alignment along US 220. These intrastate efforts aim to enhance freight movement, reduce congestion in rural areas, and provide continuous freeway access without reliance on adjacent states' progress. Key initiatives include bypass construction and segment upgrades scheduled primarily after 2026. A primary expansion is the Rockingham Bypass in Richmond County, which constructs a 7.2-mile, four-lane, median-divided freeway on a new alignment south of downtown Rockingham. Designated as future I-73/74, the project connects the current US 220 (I-73) alignment northward to US 74 Business and facilitates smoother integration with the broader corridor by bypassing local traffic bottlenecks and improving safety along high-volume routes. Construction began prior to 2025, with ongoing work focused on earthwork, grading, and bridge structures; full completion is projected within the next several years, funded through state and federal allocations under the Strategic Transportation Investments program. North of Greensboro, planned upgrades target the northern terminus segment from NC 68 to the Virginia state line, spanning roughly 10 miles along US 220. This project will widen and reconstruct the roadway to Interstate standards, including full access control, shoulders, and interchanges to eliminate at-grade intersections. Listed in NCDOT's State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for potential funding post-2035, it addresses current two-lane limitations that hinder through-traffic efficiency and safety, with environmental reviews and right-of-way acquisitions pending initiation. Complementary connector projects, such as the completed US 220/NC 68 link near Summerfield in Guilford County, have already bridged prior discontinuities by providing a four-lane, 70 mph freeway segment approximately 4 miles long, enabling seamless transition between southern I-73 segments and NC 68 northward. This 2010s-era build, costing around $100 million, incorporated Haw River crossings and reduced reliance on local roads, though further widening may occur as traffic volumes grow. These expansions face typical challenges including environmental permitting for wetland impacts and coordination with local opposition over land use, yet empirical data from similar NCDOT corridor projects indicate potential 20-30% reductions in travel times and accident rates upon completion.

Northern Extensions in Virginia

The proposed northern extension of Interstate 73 (I-73) into Virginia would follow the U.S. Route 220 (US 220) corridor northward from the North Carolina state line near Eden, entering Rockingham County and proceeding through Martinsville and Henry County toward Roanoke. This alignment utilizes existing US 220, which is predominantly a four-lane divided highway with at-grade intersections and periodic upgrades, spanning approximately 70 miles from the border to Roanoke. The corridor was designated a high-priority Interstate route by U.S. Congress in 1991 under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, aiming to connect coastal South Carolina to northern Michigan via improved north-south access. Planning for the Virginia segment has involved environmental assessments and feasibility studies tied to the broader I-73 corridor, but no construction funding was ever allocated despite advocacy from regional groups like the National I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor Association. The estimated cost to design and build the full segment from Roanoke to the North Carolina border reached $4 billion in 2017 dollars, reflecting challenges with terrain, urban integration, and limited traffic volumes in rural areas. Progress stalled due to competing priorities in Virginia's transportation budget, with US 220 upgrades proceeding incrementally rather than as a full Interstate-standard freeway. In September 2024, the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board formally canceled the I-73 project, citing fiscal constraints and insufficient justification for the expenditure given projected benefits. Legislators have since advocated for alternatives, including enhanced improvements to US 220, such as the ongoing Martinsville Southern Connector study, which evaluates options to widen and grade-separate the route at an estimated $745 million cost to improve safety and capacity without full Interstate designation. This shift prioritizes practical enhancements over the ambitious Interstate extension, aligning with Virginia Department of Transportation assessments of regional needs.

Extensions through West Virginia and Ohio

The planned extension of Interstate 73 through West Virginia follows the King Coal Highway, a proposed 95-mile four-lane divided highway traversing Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming, Mingo, and Wayne counties from the Virginia state line near Bluefield to the Ohio River near Huntington. This corridor, designated as part of I-73/I-74, aims to enhance connectivity and economic development in southern West Virginia by providing direct interstate access to underserved regions. As of April 2025, construction progress varies by segment, with some sections like Red Jacket advancing toward completion while others remain in planning or early development phases. In January 2024, the West Virginia Senate approved the creation of an I-73 Corridor Economic Commission to coordinate development efforts along the route. Entering Ohio near Chesapeake from Huntington, West Virginia, the I-73 alignment is envisioned to parallel U.S. Route 52 eastward to Portsmouth, forming a short southern segment to integrate with broader north-south corridors. However, recent initiatives focus on a longer intrastate extension northward along U.S. Route 23 from the southern border near Chesapeake through Chillicothe, Columbus, and Delaware to Toledo, potentially relieving congestion on existing highways and linking to Interstate 75. In 2022, Ohio House Bill 54 allocated $1.5 million for the Ohio Department of Transportation to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study on this corridor, assessing engineering, environmental, economic, and community impacts, with the final report scheduled for December 31, 2026. Proponents argue the upgrade would stimulate growth in southern and central Ohio by improving freight movement and access to industrial hubs, though critics highlight substantial costs, potential farmland disruption, and limited traffic demand justification. In July 2025, U.S. Congressman Dave Taylor introduced House Resolution 608 to support federal involvement in the study and development. No segments of I-73 are currently constructed or signed in Ohio, with efforts centered on planning and advocacy through the National I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor Association.

Potential Northern Terminus in Michigan

The proposed northern terminus for Interstate 73 lies in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, potentially at Sault Ste. Marie, where it would connect to the international border with Canada via the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, or alternatively at Mackinaw City linking to Interstate 75. This extension forms part of the broader I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor advocated by the National I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor Association, which envisions a continuous route from South Carolina's coast northward through six states to Michigan's northern frontier. In Michigan, the alignment would primarily upgrade existing U.S. Route 127 from the Ohio border northward through Lansing and into the Lower Peninsula, then transition to segments of I-75 or new alignments in the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula to reach the terminus. Proponents, including the corridor association, argue this would enhance freight movement from Michigan's manufacturing hubs to southern ports, reduce congestion on parallel routes like I-75, and support tourism and emergency evacuations in the Upper Peninsula. However, the Michigan segment remains stalled, with no active construction, funding, or state-led planning as of September 2025, contrasting with feasibility studies underway in Ohio. Advocacy efforts intensified in August 2025, with the corridor association publicizing maps and economic projections, but Michigan Department of Transportation officials have not committed resources, citing competing priorities and historical underfunding for northern infrastructure. The proposal traces back to 1991 federal designations for high-priority corridors but has progressed unevenly, with Michigan's involvement limited to conceptual discussions rather than environmental assessments or right-of-way acquisitions. Critics question the necessity, noting existing U.S. highways suffice for current traffic volumes below 20,000 vehicles per day on US-127 in rural stretches, potentially rendering full interstate upgrades economically unjustified without federal grants exceeding state matching funds.

Recent Advocacy and Studies (2020s)

In 2022, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Concurrent Resolution No. 4, authorizing the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to conduct a feasibility study for developing an Interstate 73 corridor through the state, primarily along U.S. Route 23 from the Michigan border near Toledo southward to the Kentucky-West Virginia line near Portsmouth. This study, budgeted at $1.5 million, evaluates potential routes, construction requirements, and economic impacts, with a final report due by December 31, 2026. In July 2025, U.S. Representative David Taylor (OH-02) introduced House Resolution 608, urging federal support for the I-73 corridor study and its integration into the national Interstate system to enhance connectivity across six states: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Proponents, including the National I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor Association, argue the route would reduce congestion on existing highways, support manufacturing and tourism, and improve emergency evacuations by linking industrial hubs in the north to ports in the south. In South Carolina, advocacy intensified in early 2025 for extending I-73 southward from North Carolina to connect Interstate 95 with Myrtle Beach, emphasizing streamlined access to tourism destinations and reduced travel times via upgraded existing roadways. The effort aligns with multi-state coordination under the association, though funding constraints and route alignment debates persist, particularly in Ohio where upgrades to U.S. 23 would require significant investment without guaranteed federal designation.

Economic and Strategic Impacts

Projected Benefits and Empirical Evidence

Proponents of Interstate 73 project that its completion would enhance regional connectivity, facilitating freight transport from the Midwest to southeastern ports and reducing reliance on congested routes like I-95. Studies commissioned for corridor segments forecast substantial economic multipliers, with the Federal Highway Administration estimating that highway investments yield approximately $6 in economic activity per $1 spent, including job creation and output growth. In the West Virginia portion, construction from 2007 to 2020 was projected to generate $2.8 billion in total economic impact, comprising $2.0 billion in direct, indirect, and induced effects, alongside travel efficiency savings equivalent to 0.4% of regional output through reduced vehicle operating costs and time. Transportation-specific benefits include lowered congestion and improved safety along existing parallel routes such as US 220 in North Carolina and the King Coal Highway in West Virginia. Economic analyses for South Carolina's segment anticipate annual traffic volume growth of 3.9% on I-73, supporting tourism to Myrtle Beach and industrial access, though some models limit induced development to modest additions like new service stations in overlapping corridors. Virginia's assessment projected minimal new commercial growth—such as two gas stations and one motel—due to parallels with I-77, emphasizing instead efficiency gains for existing traffic. Empirical evidence from North Carolina's completed sections, spanning about 60 miles from Greensboro northward since the early 2000s, indicates utilization consistent with projections but without transformative regional shifts. Average daily traffic volumes on these segments have stabilized at levels supporting local commerce, with interchanges near urban areas like Asheboro correlating to observed retail and logistics expansions, though comprehensive post-construction studies attribute only incremental benefits amid broader economic trends. Construction phases have empirically created thousands of direct jobs, aligning with FHWA benchmarks of over 42,000 jobs per $1 billion invested, as evidenced in North Carolina's $2.2 billion total estimated outlay. Critics, including environmental analyses, contend that rural segments yield limited verifiable development, with benefits concentrated near existing infrastructure rather than inducing widespread growth.

Challenges, Delays, and Criticisms

The of Interstate 73 hampered by persistent constraints, including recurring deficits in the that necessitate transfers from revenues to sustain programs. These shortfalls have delayed multi-state corridor projects, with only segments in achieving and partial freeway as of 2025, while extensions in , , , and beyond remain largely unbuilt. In Virginia, the Commonwealth Transportation Board voted in September 2024 to rescind the 2001 alignment decision for I-73 between Roanoke and the North Carolina state line, citing insufficient justification for new construction over upgrades to existing U.S. 220; lawmakers have since advocated for the latter as a lower-cost alternative. Earlier opposition emerged in the 1990s, when U.S. Representative Rick Boucher publicly rejected a proposed U.S. 460/U.S. 220 route through Southwest Virginia due to concerns over land impacts and regional priorities, a stance echoed by Blacksburg town officials in resolutions to state authorities. Ohio's feasibility studies for , initiated in to connect to and southern regions, have drawn for potentially worsening in an already overburdened and reflecting entrenched political that prioritize outdated over shifts. Lack of robust public , coupled with gaps and debates over , has stalled there since initial in the late . In South Carolina, where southern extensions near require environmental permits amid financial hurdles, Representative criticized prioritization of I-73 in 2021, arguing it diverts resources from deteriorating roads and could exacerbate connectivity issues without addressing immediate needs. Broader critiques across the corridor highlight environmental permitting and questions over economic viability, with analyses suggesting alternatives like the Grand Strand Expressway may comparable benefits at lower . Despite incremental advancements in —such as the completed Rockingham in 2025—interstate-wide persists to these compounded fiscal, political, and factors.

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