Interstate 285 North Carolina

Interstate 285 North Carolina
Lexington, NC ↔ Winston-Salem, NC•23.49 miles

Overview

Approved in February 2018, Interstate 285 runs concurrent with U.S. 52 for 23 miles through Davidson and Forsyth counties. Connecting Lexington with Winston-Salem, the I-285 designation should boost the local economy by placing additional communities onto the Interstate system (The Winston-Salem Journal, 2005).

Beginning at the split of U.S. 29-52-70 and from Interstate 85 at Exit 87 near Davidson County Airport (EXX), I-285 initially travels northeast toward Lexington. Business Loop I-85 and U.S. 29/70 depart for Downtown while I-285 and U.S. 52 continue around Lexington, bypassing it to the west. The freeway proceeds north around both Welcome and Midway before entering Forsyth County. I-285 concludes at the exchange with I-40 while the freeway along U.S. 52/NC 8 continues into Winston-Salem.

Mileage by State

North Carolina23.49 mi

Data Sources

December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

History

Already built to Interstate standards, the section of U.S. 52 between Lexington and Winston-Salem was initially submitted to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) as Interstate 185. That designation however was rejected on May 30, 2003 during their annual Special Committee on Route Numbering meeting. Interstate 285 first appeared in North Carolina's Strategic Highway Corridors map as of November 12, 2004.

Future I-285 Corridor Sign
Future Interstate 285 Corridor signs, such as this one located near the city of Lexington, appeared along the freeway on U.S. 52 freeway in early 2006. Photo by Carter Buchanan (01/28/06).

Following several tries by the state of North Carolina, AASHTO approved the signing of Interstate 285 along the freeway on U.S. 52 between Lexington and Winston-Salem during the week of September 5, 2005.1 This decision, coupled with approval by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) granted in 2004, paved the way for NCDOT officials to post Future I-285 signs along the corridor. The only hurdle preventing the highway from officially joining the Interstate system at the time were $2.5 million in needed shoulder improvements . Completion of that project was slated for 2011, at which time Interstate 285 was to be signed (The Winston-Salem Journal, 2005).

The North Carolina Strategic Corridors map outlined Interstate 285 as ending at I-40. An extension of I-285 will lengthen the route to the planned Winston-Salem Northern Beltway south of Rural Hall, where I-74 and I-274 will eventually meet. Beyond that exchange, U.S. 52 doubles as the I-74 corridor northwest toward Mount Airy. $500 million in improvements to the freeway along U.S. 52 between Downtown Winston-Salem and Rural Hall were scheduled for completion by 2012 (The Winston-Salem Journal, 2005).

Finally on February 15, 2018, Interstate 285 received its formal approval from the FHWA to overlay the 23 mile long segment of U.S. 52 between I-85 in Lexington and I-40 in Winston-Salem (NCDOT, 2018). The submission was made by NCDOT in September 2017 upon completion of two projects that finalized additional upgrades of U.S. 52 to Interstate standards. Signs for I-285 were placed along the corridor in Fall 2018 (NCDOT, 2018).

North End Interstate 40 U.S. 52 ‐ Winston-Salem, NC

Interstate 285 U.S. 52 North at Interstate 40

I-285/US 52 north at I-40 - Winston-Salem, NC

Cassell Street spans I-285/U.S. 52 on the half mile leading to the cloverleaf interchange (Exits 107A/B) with Interstate 40. 12/15/16

I-285/US 52 north at I-40 - Winston-Salem, NC I-285/US 52 north at I-40 - Winston-Salem, NC I-285/US 52 north at I-40 - Winston-Salem, NC I-285/US 52 north at I-40 - Winston-Salem, NC

U.S. 52 South at Interstate 40 Interstate 285

US 52 south at I-40/285 - Winston-Salem, NC

U.S. 52/NC 8 head south between South Side and Sunnyside in Winston-Salem to I-40 and the beginning of Interstate 285. 05/31/21

US 52 south at I-40/285 - Winston-Salem, NC US 52 south at I-40/285 - Winston-Salem, NC US 52 south at I-40/285 - Winston-Salem, NC US 52 south at I-40/285 - Winston-Salem, NC

Interstate 40 East at Interstate 285 U.S. 52

I-40 east one mile from I-285/US 52-NC 8 in Winston-Salem.

Interstate 40 leaves the retail area at NC 150 (Peters Creek Parkway) and Silas Creek Parkway en route to the north end of I-285 at U.S. 52/NC 8 in south Winston-Salem. 08/15/21

I-40 east one mile from I-285/US 52-NC 8 in Winston-Salem. I-40 east a half mile ahead of I-285 south and U.S. 52 in Winston-Salem, NC Exit 193 A departs I-40 east for I-285/U.S. 52 south to Lexington, NC

Interstate 40 West at Interstate 285 U.S. 52

I-40 advances a half mile west from NC 109 and Clemmonsville Rd to I-285

Interstate 40 heads 2.19 miles west from I-74 to I-285 south and U.S. 52 at Exit 193. 12/30/23

I-40 advances a half mile west from NC 109 and Clemmonsville Rd to I-285 I-40 west at U.S. 52 north into Winston-Salem, North Carolina I-40 west at Interstate 285 and U.S. 52 south to Lexington, North Carolina

South End Interstate 85 U.S. 29 U.S. 52 U.S. 70 ‐ Lexington, NC

Interstate 285 U.S. 29 U.S. 52 U.S. 70 South at Interstate 85

I-85/US 29-52-70 north at Belmont Rd, two miles from I-285 at Lexington, NC.

Sign changes made along Interstate 85 north during freeway expansion removed most references to Business Loop I-85 for Exit 87 to Lexington. I-285 markers were installed along U.S. 52 in 2018. Overheads remained unchanged through Spring 2019. 01/17/19

I-85/US 29-52-70 north at Belmont Rd, two miles from I-285 at Lexington, NC. I-85/US 29-52-70 head northeast from Beltmont Rd to I-285 at Lexington, NC. I-285 branches north from I-85 at Lexington to Winston-Salem, NC. I-85 splits with US 29/52/70 at I-285 north in Lexington, North Carolina.

Interstate 85 U.S. 29 U.S. 52 U.S. 70 North at Interstate 285

I-285/US 29-52-70 south at I-85 in Lexington, NC.

I-285/U.S. 29-52-70 south converge with Intestate 85 at a wye interchange in southwestern reaches of the Lexington city limits. 08/18/21

I-285/US 29-52-70 south at I-85 in Lexington, NC. The south end of I-285 at Lexington, North Carolina.

References

  1. U.S. 52 gets a second name. (2005, September 10). The Winston-Salem Journal.
  2. North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). (2018, February 15). I-285 Gets Federal Approval as the Next New Interstate for North Carolina. [Press release].
Updated February 1, 2024