| One-mile guide sign of Exit 54 (North Carolina 225). At present North Carolina 225 carries Greenville and U.S. 25 traffic northward from the South Carolina state line onto Interstate 26 & U.S. 74. However, as approved by AASHTO July 2003, U.S. 25 will relocate from its in-town routing through the city of Hendersonville for a ten-mile overlap with Interstate 26 & U.S. 74. U.S. 25 through town will likely become U.S. 25 Business. U.S. 25 returns to its original routing at the Exit 44 interchange south of Fletcher. Photo taken 08/13/04.
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| U.S. 176 (Spartanburg Highway) intersects North Carolina 225/future U.S. 25 nearby via a diamond interchange. From there the federal highway travels northward into the town of East Flat Rock (pop. 4,151). The 2004 official North Carolina state map features the new U.S. 25 overlap with Interstate 26. The same map also alludes to a truncation of U.S. 176 at North Carolina 225/future U.S. 25. Photo taken 02/01/04.
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| Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 westbound at the loop ramp for North Carolina 225 / Future U.S. 25 southbound near Hendersonville (pop. 10,420). Photo taken 08/13/04.
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| Interstate 26 & U.S. 25-74 west/north cross the Eastern Continental Divide (Elevation 2,130 feet) at the Crest Road overpass east of Flat Rock and north of Exit 54. Photo taken 08/13/04.
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| The first of two Hendersonville (pop. 10,420) area interchanges of Interstate 26 & U.S. 25-74 is that of the Exit 53 diamond interchange with Upward Road. Upward Road travels east from the Spartanburg Highway (former U.S. 176) and East Flat Rock (pop. 4,151) to Howard Gap Road at Upward. Photo taken 08/13/04.
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| Interstate 26 & U.S. 25-74 west/northbound at the Exit 53 off-ramp to Upward Road. Upward Road in conjunction with Highland Lake Road links Interstate 26 with now U.S. 25 Business (Greenville Highway). Photo taken 02/01/04.
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| Summertime view of the Exit 53 Upward Road diamond interchange. Upward Road scoots into rural east Henderson County to the community of Dana. Nearby Crest Road ends at Upward Road 0.75 miles to the east. Crest Road becomes the Old Spartanburg Highway before intersecting Upward Road again near the Spartanburg Highway (old U.S. 176). Photo taken 07/18/04.
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| Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 westbound reassurance markers posted between Exits 53 and 49. Photo taken 08/13/04.
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| One-mile guide sign of Exits 49A/B (U.S. 64) on Interstate 26 & U.S. 25-74 west/north. Crossing overhead is the Dana Road overpass. Dana Road travels east from U.S. 64 to Upward Road. Photo taken 08/13/04.
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| An auxiliary sign touts the connection of U.S. 64 to the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock natural area in Rutherford County. The sign assembly features exit tabs for the new exit numbers of Interstate 26 to the Tennessee state line vs. the old from Interstate 40 & 240. Photo taken 07/18/04.
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| U.S. 64 (Four Seasons Boulevard) composes the main arterial into downtown Hendersonville from Interstate 26. The junction between the two highways features a full cloverleaf
interchange. Displayed in this photograph is the U.S. 64 eastbound off-ramp. Known as Chimney Rock Road, U.S. 64 merges with U.S. 74 Alternate at Bat Cave 12.5 miles to the northeast. The highways travel in tandem from there three miles eastward Chimney Rock (pop. 175). Top photo taken 02/01/04; bottom taken 08/13/04.
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| Interstate 26 westbound at the U.S. 64 (Four Seasons Boulevard) westbound cloverleaf ramp. At downtown Hendersonville, U.S. 64 briefly splits into one-way streets (6th & 7th Avenues) within the vicinity of U.S. 25 (King & Church Streets). Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| A look at the overhead signed now as Exit Exit 49B overhead for U.S. 64 west. U.S. 64 will not again junction with an Interstate highway until reaching the city of Cleveland, Tennessee. There U.S. 64 and 74 join together and interact with Interstate 75. Photo taken 02/01/04.
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| Interstate 26 west & Interstate 240 eastbound at the Brevard
Road off-ramp. A diamond interchange exists between Brevard Road just south of North Carolina 191.
The exit serves the West Asheville community. Photo taken 07/18/04.
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| Interstate 26 & 240 kink northward at the Exit 1C Amboy Road partial "Y" interchange. Amboy Road skirts the French Broad River between the freeway and Lyman Street to the east. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| The one-half mile guide sign for Exit 2 (U.S. 19 & 23 Business
is posted before the Amboy Road westbound return ramp. U.S. 19 & 23 Business (Haywood Road) travel
east-west between Interstate 26 & 240 and Patton Avenue through West Asheville. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| 0.25 miles south of the U.S. 19 & 23 Business diamond interchange of the Asheville urban loop. Crossing the freeway in the background is the State Street overpass. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Interstate 26 west & 240 east at the Exit 2 off-ramp. Although hidden in nature, Business U.S. 19 & 23 technically overlap with Interstate 26 & 240 northward to Exit 3. Haywood Road continues east of this junction as North Carolina 191 toward the central business district of the city. Photo taken 07/18/04.
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| Posted at the Haywood Road overpass is an auxiliary sign for the Interstate 26 westbound departure from Interstate 240 via Exit 4A. Interstate 26 remains signed as a Future route due to the substandard nature of the French Broad River crossing. A new 5.1-mile connector will see Interstate 26 depart ahead of the river to bypass downtown and the Interstate 240 junction with U.S. 19-23-70. Photo taken 07/18/04.
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| Interstate 26 & 240 merge with U.S. 19 & 23 at the Exit 3 trumpet interchange. Depicted here is the southbound ramp departure for the federal highway pair to Patton Avenue and the Westgate Parkway overcrossing beyond the gore point. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| A quick fix in a sense sees an Interstate 26 westbound shield affixed to the top of the Interstate 240 east and U.S. 19 & 23 northbound pull-through panel. U.S. 19 & 23 overlap with Interstate 240 through to the split with Interstate 26. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| New sign bridge parts await installation at the Exit 3A sign bridge for U.S. 19 & 23 south. The original assembly features flourescent light fixtures, a remnant from the early stages of the Interstate system in some parts of the country. Photo taken 07/18/04. |
| Exit 3B composes an eastbound only off-ramp to Westgate Parkway and Holiday Inn Drive. Just ahead is the Patton Avenue merge of U.S. 19 & 23 onto the Asheville urban loop. Photo taken 07/18/04.
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| The first Interstate 26 stand alone shield posted along the Interstate 240 overlap as of the August 5, 2003 extension. Ahead is the French Broad River crossing into the central business district of the city. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Due to the substandard nature of the six-lane French Broad River crossing and the adjacent Exit 4A interchange, Interstate 26 is known as "Future" through this stretch. A new 2.5 mile "I-26 Connector" is planned to take Interstate 26 onto a new alignment between Patton Avenue and Broadway Street including a new French Broad River crossing. No immediate timetable is set for construction of the new piece of roadway. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Entering the Exit 4A/B directional interchange near downtown. Several things occur here: Interstate 26 & 240 end their short four-mile overlap, U.S. 19 & 23 depart Interstate 240 along new Interstate 26, U.S. 70 enters Interstate 26 and U.S. 19 & 23 from Interstate 240 west, and ramps to Patton Avenue tie in from the south. Photo taken 07/18/04.
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| Interstate 26 Future & U.S. 70 westbound and U.S. 19 & 23 reassurance shield assembly posted at the Interstate 240 westbound overpass within the Exit 4 interchange in downtown Asheville. Photo taken 07/18/04.
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| Interstate 26 westbound turns north with the U.S. highway trio of 19, 23, and 70. Before the highways can adjust to one another, the Hill Street off-ramp departs for northern reaches of the Asheville central business district. Note that Interstate 26 still retains Future banners through
this stretch. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Continuing north of downtown on Interstate 26 & U.S. 70 west and U.S. 19 & 23 northbound ahead of Exit 25 with North Carolina 251 (Riverside Drive) and Broadway Street. The four-lane freeway parallels the French Broad River, the CSX Railroad line, and Riverside Drive in close proximity between Interstate 240 and the partial-cloverleaf interchange of Exit 25. Photo taken 07/18/04. |
| Exit 25 departs Interstate 26 & U.S. 70 west and U.S. 19 & 23 north for Broadway Street and nearby North Carolina 251 (Riverside Drive). The exit is signed for the University of North Carolina Asheville campus located nearby off Weaver Boulevard between Broadway Street and U.S. 25 (Merrimon Avenue). Photo taken 07/18/04. |
| Leaving the city limits of Asheville on Interstate 26 & U.S. 70 west and U.S. 19 & 23 northbound near the suburb of Woodfin (pop. 3,162). Exit 24 links the freeway with Elk Mountain Road between North Carolina 251 (Riverside Drive) and the intersection of Elkwood Avenue, Lakeshore Drive, and Burnsville Hill Road. Photo taken 07/18/04. |
| Exit 23 brings U.S. 25 northbound onto Interstate 26 & U.S. 19-23-70 at New Bridge. The federal highway takes Merrimon Avenue to Weaverville Road to the on-ramp at New Bridge. Photo taken 07/18/04. |
| Future Interstate 26 westbound reassurance marker and junction U.S. 25 shield posted for the Exit 23 interchange. Completion of the 5.1-mile I-26 Connector and upgrades to the stretch of highway between Patton Avenue on Interstate 240 to Mars Hill (Exit 11) will result in the removal of Future banners above Interstate 26 shields posted on this stretch. Photo taken 07/18/04. |
| U.S. 25 northbound merges onto Interstate 26 and U.S. 19, 23, & 70 from Weaverville Road via Exit 26. Return access to U.S. 25 southbound is granted for Interstate 26 westbound from the otherwise partial "Y" interchange. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| The first U.S. 19, 23, 25, and 70 reassurance shield assembly of Interstate 26 westbound. The assembly is posted after the merge of U.S. 25 from Weaverville Road at Exit 26. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Interstate 26 and friends westbound/northbound at the Exit 21 New Stock Road partial cloverleaf interchange. The junction is one of three interchanges along the freeway for the community of Weaverville (pop. 2,416). Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Mileage sign of Interstate 26 and U.S. 19, 23, 25, & 70 at the Aiken Road overpass west of Weaverville. Burnsville (pop. 1,623) is the reference point for U.S. 19 after it departs the Interstate 26 freeway at Exit 9. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Traffic to Weaver Boulevard departs Interstate 26 via the Exit 19B off-ramp at Weaverville. Weaver Boulevard and nearby Main Street compose the original alignment of U.S. 25 & 70 through town. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Interstate 26 west & U.S. 19 & 23 northbound at the split with U.S. 25 north and U.S. 70 westbound. The two highways share 51 miles of pavement between Weaverville and Newport, Tennessee. Marshall (pop. 840), Walnut Creek (pop. 859), and Hot Springs (pop. 645) dot the drive between Interstate 26 and the Cherokee National Forest. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| A diamond interchange composes the Exit 15 junction between Interstate 26 & U.S. 19-23 and North Carolina 197 (Barnardsville Highway). Barnardsville Highway ascends six miles eastward to the community by the same name. Jupiter Road travels west from North Carolina 197 to U.S. 25-70 through the settlement of Jupiter. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| The Forks of Ivy community resides along the Buncombe and Madison County lines. Featured here is the Exit 13 interchange of Interstate 26 and U.S. 19-23. To the right is original U.S. 19-23 (Old Mars Hill Highway). Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Interstate 26 westbound at the Exit 13 interchange with old U.S. 19 & 23. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| 1.50 mile guide sign of Exit 11 (North Carolina 213) on Interstate 26 westbound. North Carolina 213 (Casscade Street) sees its eastern terminus at the upcoming interchange. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| North Carolina 213 links U.S. 25 & 70 at the town of Marshall (pop. 840) with Interstate 26 and U.S. 19 & 23. Connections via old U.S. 19 & 23 allow motorists the option to travel northward to Mars Hill (pop. 1,764). Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| One mile south of the Interstate 26 & U.S. 23 split with U.S. 19 at Mars Hill. U.S. 19 turns northeast through Radford and Ivy Gaps to Cane River. There the federal highway splits between an east and western component. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| U.S. 19W opts for a circuitous route between Cane River and Ernestville, Tennessee, where the highway unites with Interstate 26 & U.S. 23. The winding roadway passes through Ramseytown and the Pisgah National Forest. U.S. 19E continues eastward from Cane River to Burnsville and Spruce Pine (pop. 2,030) before turning north toward Roan Mountain, Tennessee. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Interstate 26 westbound at the U.S. 19 northbound split (Exit 9). The following nine miles of Interstate 26 constitute the last completed stretch of the Johnson City to Charleston route. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| A six mile gap between interchanges occurs between U.S. 19 and Wolf Laurel. The scenery along the ascending roadway is astounding for an eastern Interstate highway. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Mileage sign and milepost 8 situated after the Exit 9 interchange with U.S. 19. Erwin constitutes the first town of significance within the Volunteer State for Interstate 26. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| A scenic pull-off was constructed along the northbound side of Interstate 26 to showcase the fantastic views the new highway has to offer. An pathway ascends from the parking area to offer wide vistas such as the one depicted in this southward facing scene. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Two mile guide sign for the final interchange within North Carolina (Exit 3). Interstate 26 westbound sees three overall lanes with the addition of a truck climbing lane. Thus a restriction prohibits vehicles with over six axles from using the left-hand lane. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| The nine mile stretch between U.S. 19 (Mars Hill) and U.S. 23 (Sams Gap) was the most difficult in the Interstate 26 extension project. The freeway design took into consideration the local landscape from a practical point of view and from a view that would least disturb the natural environment. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| One-mile sign bridge for Exit 3 (Wolf Laurel) on Interstate 26 westbound. U.S. 23 retains its original Mars Hill to Sams Gap routing in lieu of new Interstate 26. At the present time, U.S. 23 still utilizes the freeway from the state line northward to the Tri-Cities. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Breathtaking, isn't it? Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Interstate 26 westbound at Wolf Laurel (Exit 3). The next departure
point occurs in Unicoi County, Tennessee. Photo taken 08/23/03.
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| Interstate 26 Johnson City overhead near the North Carolina
and Tennessee state line. The north-south freeway reaches the southern of the three tri-cities in 32 miles.
Photo taken 08/23/03.
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Page Updated November 30, 2004.
