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Interstate 26 - Eastbound

There are two guides for Interstate 26 in North Carolina:

Interstate 26 East
Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 eastbound after their merge at junction Interstate 40 & 240 outside of Asheville. The pair share 36 miles between Asheville and Columbus. Pictured here is the one-mile guide sign for North Carolina 191 (Brevard Road). Brevard Road carries the state highway southward out of west Asheville to Avery Creek. Photo taken 08/15/04.
One half mile north of the Exit 33 diamond interchange with North Carolina 191 (Brevard Road). North Carolina 191 parallels Interstate 26 between Asheville and Hendersonville through Avery Creek and Mills River. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Use North Carolina 191 (Brevard Road) southbound from Exit 33 to access the Blue Ridge Parkway. The parkway itself travels overhead Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 with no direct access. North Carolina 112 (Sardis Road) begins nearby otherwise to link Brevard Road with Enka and Sand Hill south of U.S. 19 & 23. Photo taken 08/15/04.
The carriageways of Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 diverge for a short stretch two miles north of the Exit 37 diamond interchange with North Carolina 146 (Long Shoals Road). North Carolina 146 stems east two miles from its beginning at North Carolina 191 (Brevard Road) at Avery Creek to Exit 37. Photo taken 08/15/04.
The one-mile guide sign for Exit 37 (North Carolina 146) is posted underneath the high overpass of the Blue Ridge Parkway. North Carolina 146 travels four miles overall between North Carolina 191 and U.S. 25 (Hendersonville Road) at Skyland. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 eastbound at the Exit 37 off-ramp for North Carolina 146 (Long Shoals Road). Use Long Shoals Road east for the south Asheville metro communities of Biltmore Forest, Busbee, and Arden via U.S. 25 (Hendersonville Road). Photo taken 08/15/04.
Continuing southward on Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 east 1.50 miles ahead of the North Carolina 280 (New Airport Road) off-ramp at Asheville Regional Airport. North Carolina 280 comprises a four-lane corridor between U.S. 26 at Arden and U.S. 64 outside Brevard. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Drawing to within three fourths of a mile from the Exit 40 diamond interchange with North Carolina 280 (New Airport Road). North Carolina 280 ends two miles east of Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 at junction U.S. 25 (Hendersonville Road) & U.S. 25 Alternate (Sweeten Creek Road). Photo taken 08/15/04.
A second auxiliary guide sign is posted for the North Carolina 280 (New Airport Road) interchange on Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 eastbound. North Carolina 280 serves the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, Brevard College, and Transylvania County seat of Brevard in addition to Arden and Mills River. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Eastbound at the Exit 40 off-ramp to North Carolina 280 (New Airport Road) and Asheville Regional Airport. North Carolina 280 merges with North Carolina 191 along the Boylestown Highway 3.8 miles to the southwest. From there the two routes share one-mile of pavement through Mills River. Brevard lies 15 miles southwest of Mills River. Photo taken 08/15/04.
U.S. 25 (Dixie Highway) converges with Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 at the Exit 44 diamond interchange at Brickton. The federal highway merges onto the freeway to bypass Hendersonville between Exits 44 and 54 east of the city. Two miles separate the junction ahead with the town of Fletcher to the north. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Although signs have yet to reflect it, U.S. 25 overlaps with Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 east of Hendersonville as of 2004. AASHTO approved a reloction of the federal highway from through Hendersonville onto both Interstate 26 and the North Carolina 225 freeway. U.S. 25 Business now travels Asheville Highway southward from here three miles to Mountain Home. Photo taken 08/15/04.
One mile north of the Exit 49 cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 64 (Four Seasons Boulevard) at the Clear Creek Road over crossing. Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 east and U.S. 25 southbound junction with U.S. 64 just east of downtown Henderonsville. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Auxiliary guide sign posted for Exit 49B and U.S. 64 east. U.S. 64 follows Chimney Rock Road 16 miles to Chimney Rock and 21 miles to Lake Lure. The resort area adjacent to Lake Lure itself coincides with the U.S. 74 Alternate corridor between Asheville and Rutherfordton. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Eastbound at the Exit 49B off-ramp onto U.S. 64 (Four Seasons Boulevard) westbound into downtown Hendersonville. The federal highway travels 6th Avenue through to Brevard Road and Laurel Park west of the city. U.S. 64 intersects the southern terminus of North Carolina 280 21 miles to the west outside of Brevard. Photo taken 08/15/04.
The Exit 49A loop ramp leaves Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 east and U.S. 25 south for U.S. 64 (Chimney Rock Road) eastbound. U.S. 64 merges with U.S. 74 Alternate 13 miles to the northeast at Bat Cave. North Carolina 9 continues from there 18 miles north to Black Mountain. U.S. 64 & 74 Alternate meanwhile share 24 miles of pavement between Bat Cave and Rutherfordton. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Upward Road travels east from the intersection of U.S. 176 (Spartanburg Highway) and Highland Lake Road to Exit 53. The diamond interchange is the second to serve the great Hendersonville area of Interstate 26 & U.S. 25-74. Photo taken 08/15/04.
The 0.75-mile guide sign for Exit 54 resides ahead of the Exit 53 diamond interchange with Upward Road. North Carolina 225 did provide the connection between U.S. 25 and Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 outside of Flat Rock. However the 2004 relocation of U.S. 25 now sees the federal route overtake the state route counterpart between Exit 53 and junction U.S. 176. Photo taken 08/15/04.
The Upward Road interchange of Exit 53 also serves the community of East Flat Rock and the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. Upward Road loops east of the freeway to Upward and Dana in rural Henderson County beyond the interchange. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 eastbound and U.S. 25 southbound at the Exit 53 off-ramp to Upward Road. Upward Road carries motorists 1.3 miles west to junction U.S. 176 (Spartanburg Highway). Use Highland Lake Road one mile west of there to junction U.S. 25 Business (Greenville Highway) and the town of Flat Rock itself. Photo taken 08/15/04.
U.S. 25 southbound departs Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 eastbound at the Crest Road overpass for Greenville, South Carolina. The partition occurs at the Eastern Continental Divide. U.S. 176 parallels Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 between Hendersonville, Saluda, and Tryon, North Carolina. The federal highway crosses paths with Interstate 26 at Exit 15 in South Carolina. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 cross into Polk County ahead of the Exit 59 diamond interchange for the town of Saluda. Intersecting the freeway here is Louisiana Avenue out of Saluda and U.S. 176 (Hart Street). Photo taken 08/15/04.
One-half mile guide sign for Exit 59 (Louisiana Avenue) on Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 eastbound. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Eastbound at the Exit 59 off-ramp onto Louisiana Avenue. Louisiana Avenue continues Hart Street 1.2 miles northeast to Interstate 26 & U.S. 74. Holbert Cove Road continues the roadway northeast into rural environs. Photo taken 08/15/04.
The eight-mile stretch of Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 between Saluda and Columbus features a 6% grade. Therefore trucks are advised to use caution for the first two miles of the freeway after the Saluda interchange. Photo taken 08/15/04.
U.S. 74 eastbound leaves Interstate 26 via Exit 67 for Rutherfordton and Forest City. The federal highway constitutes a full freeway between Columbus and the Cleveland County community of Mooresboro. North Carolina 108 (Mills Street) ties into both the Exit 67 off-ramp of Interstate 26 and Exit 163 interchange of U.S. 74. Photo taken 08/15/04.
In addition to its Rutherford County control points, U.S. 74 provides a direct route to the great Charlotte metropolitan area and Interstate 85. The campus of Gardner-Webb University lies along the U.S. 74 corridor in Shelby. Photo taken 08/15/04.
One mile west of the U.S. 74 partition with Interstate 26 eastbound at the SR-1134 overpass west of Columbus. U.S. 74 travels 17 miles east from Exit 67 to Forest City and junction U.S. 221 Alternate. North Carolina 108 intersects both Interstate 26 and U.S. 74 nearby. The state route comprises the original alignment of the federal highway between U.S. 176 and Rutherfordton. Photo taken 08/15/04.
A second auxiliary sign posted for the Exit 67 interchange at Columbus. North Carolina 108 travels four miles west from Columbus to Tryon. 33 miles separate the city of Shelby and Interstate 26 along U.S. 74. Photo taken 08/15/04.
Interstate 26 & U.S. 74 eastbound part ways at the directional interchange of Exit 67. The off-ramp splits between U.S. 74 east and North Carolina 108 (Mills Street). Interstate 26 otherwise continues four miles to the South Carolina state line and junction South Carolina 14. Photo taken 08/15/04.

Page Updated November 30, 2004.