| Interstate 40 East |
| Leaving the Castle Hayne interchange with Holly Shelter Road (Exit 414), Interstate 40 continues 1.5 miles south to junction Interstate 140 west & U.S. 17 (Exits 416A/B). Photo taken 11/11/06. |
| The first sign posted along the eastbound freeway that indicates the end of Interstate 40 resides north of Interstate 140 & U.S. 17, five miles out of from the terminus. An auxiliary sign in the background touts Shallotte and Jacksonville, the destinations of choice for U.S. 17 beyond its freeway bypass of Wilmington. Photo taken 11/11/06. |
| Interstate 140 follows the Wilmington bypass only in the westbound direction from Interstate 40 (Exit 416A) to U.S. 421 across the Cape Fear River. U.S. 17 follows that section and the freeway leading east toward Scotts Hill. Old U.S. 17 through Wilmington is now designated U.S. 17 Business. Photo taken 11/11/06. |
| Interests to the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in downtown Wilmington are advised to take Interstate 140 west & U.S. 17 south to U.S. 421 south. U.S. 421 provides almost a direct route to downtown via the new U.S. 74 Cape Fear River Bridge to 3rd Street south. U.S. 17 meanwhile also follows U.S. 421 temporarily to rejoin its original route near Belville. Connections to North Carolina 133 and other routes lead south from the federal highway to Oak Island, Holden Beach, and other Brunswick County beaches. Photo taken 11/11/06. |
| A lengthy collector/distributor roadway carries all Interstate 40 eastbound drivers to Exits 416A/B for Interstate 140 west & U.S. 17 south to Leland and Myrtle Beach and U.S. 17 north to Topsail Island and New Bern. Photo taken 11/11/06. |
| Exit 416A departs Interstate 40 east for the westbound beginning of Interstate 140 and U.S. 17 south. The two travel west to U.S. 421 across the Cape Fear River where the freeway presently ends. Proposed construction will extend the Wilmington Bypass southwest to Leland and U.S. 17 near Bishop. Upon completion, U.S. 17 will leave its overlap with U.S. 421 and the original alignment through Belville for the new four-lane freeway. Shallotte lies 45 miles to the southwest. Photo taken 11/11/06. |
| A directional-cloverleaf interchange joins the two freeways at Exit 416. Exit 416B consists of a loop ramp onto the U.S. 17 northbound freeway to U.S. 17 Business near Scotts Hill. Interests to Topsail Island will continue along U.S. 17 north to North Carolina 210 in east Pender County. U.S. 17 otherwise turns northeast to Jacksonville and New Bern. Photo taken 11/11/06. |
