Site Navigation Alabama Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee     Interstate 485 - Outer Loop 10/05/01 photos taken by AARoads. 05/30/05 photos taken by Alex Nitzman. 06/01/07 photos taken by Andy Field. 12/06/08 photos taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz. 12/30/08 photos taken by Alex Nitzman & Brent Ivy. Interstate 485 Outer Interstate 485 begins at a partially-constructed folded-diamond interchange with North Carolina 115 (Old Statesville Road) as of December 5, 2008. Drivers travel a loop ramp from Old Statesville Road and join a future collector/distributor roadway for Interstate 77. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (12/06/08). A wide grassy swath, awaiting the future Interstate 485 mainline, lies between the westbound c/d roadway and eastbound ramps to North Carolina 115 (Exit 23C). Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (12/06/08). Looking west at the first Interstate 485 shield posted after the current beginning. Photo taken 12/30/08. Exit 23B consists of a two-lane off-ramp onto Interstate 77 north to Huntersville and Statesville. The ramp combines with the eastbound off-ramp before joining the northbound mainline. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (12/06/08). Exit 23A follows as a loop ramp onto Interstate 77 south for interests to downtown Charlotte, Rock Hill, and Columbia, South Carolina. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (12/06/08). The Exit 23 c/d roadway merges onto the Interstate 485 mainline at the Northlake Center Parkway overpass. Interstate 485 next meets North Carolina 24 (Exit 21) on one half mile. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (12/06/08). Exit 21 consists of a partial-cloverleaf interchange with extended North Carolina 24 (W.T. Harris Boulevard) near Northlake Mall. North Carolina 24 used to end at Interstate 77 (Exit 18) but was extended west to Interstate 485. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (12/06/08). Following North Carolina 24 is the future Exit 18 diamond interchange with Oakdale Road. Oakdale Road travels north from the Oakdale section of Charlotte to Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road nearby. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (12/06/08). Interstate 485 began at the six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange with North Carolina 16 between May 8, 2007 and December 5, 2008. North Carolina 16 is an important route through Charlotte, following Brookshire Boulevard southeast directly into Interstate 277 and northwest toward Newton. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (12/06/08). Exit 16 departs Interstate 485 south for Brookshire Boulevard. North Carolina 16 (Brookshire Boulevard) heads north across Mountain Island Lake to Lowesville. A new four-lane expressway continues the state highway north around Denver and Triangle toward Newton. Southward, North Carolina 16 continues six miles to Interstate 85. Photo taken by Jamie Dzencelowcz (12/06/08). Drivers merge onto Interstate 485's southbound beginning from North Carolina 16 north. The freeway enters the city limits of Charlotte. Photo taken 06/01/07. Future Interstate 485 reassurance sign posted after the southbound on-ramp from North Carolina 16. Photo taken 06/01/07. North Carolina 27 intersects Interstate 485 at the Exit 14 folded-diamond interchange in one mile. Photo taken 06/01/07. Exit 14 leaves Interstate 485 south for North Carolina 27 (Mt. Holly Road). North Carolina 27 travels west to Mt. Holly and Stanley and east to Freedom Drive and downtown Charlotte. Photo taken 06/01/07. Interstate 485 continues south 0.75 miles to Moores Chapel Road (Exit 12). A collector/distributor roadway follows to Interstate 85 and U.S. 29-74. Photo taken 06/01/07. Another Future Interstate 485 reassurance assembly posted along the outer loop beyond Exit 14. "Future" was greened out after the December 5, 2008 opening of Interstate 485 east to North Carolina 115. Photo taken 06/01/07. Southbound at the Exit 12 diamond interchange with Moores Chapel Road. West of Exit 12, Moores Chapel Road meanders to U.S. 29-74 at the Catawba River; east the road continues to North Carolina 27 (Freedom Drive) at Paw Creek. Photo taken 06/01/07. Exit 10 with Interstate 85 serves the adjacent city of Gastonia to the west; interests to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport should use U.S. 29 north & 74 east (Wilkinson Boulevard) via Exit 9. Photo taken 06/01/07. Interstate 485 carries six overall lanes through the directional-cloverleaf interchange with Exit 10. Interstate 85 travels west to Gastonia and Spartanburg and east into Charlotte. Photo taken 06/01/07. The c/d roadway leaves Interstate 485 south for Interstate 85 (Exit 10) and U.S. 29-74 (Exit 9). U.S. 29 and Interstate 85 shadow one another northward to Greensboro and southward to Atlanta. U.S. 74 enters Gastonia from Kings Mountain and departs U.S. 29 for downtown Charlotte. Photo taken 06/01/07. Exit 10B departs next for Interstate 85 south (west) into Gaston County. Photo taken 06/01/07. Exit 10A loops onto Interstate 85 north for downtown Charlotte, Concord, Kannapolis, and Greensboro. Photos taken 06/01/07. Interstate 485 south quickly encounters the folded-diamond interchange with U.S. 29 & 74 (Wilkinson Boulevard) beyond Interstate 85. Exit 9 loops onto the federal highway pair west of Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and east of Lake Wylie. Photo taken 06/01/07. A collector/distributor roadway system facilitates the movements to Exits 10 (Interstate 85) and 9 (U.S. 29 & 74) from Interstate 485. Exit 9 loops onto Wilkinson Boulevard below in a suburban area dotted by industrial and mobile home parks. U.S. 29 & 74 continue west to Belmont and Gastonia. Photo taken 06/01/07. Lane ends signs shunt drivers onto the three mainline lanes of Interstate 485 from the c/d roadway. Photos taken 05/30/05 & 06/01/07. Cutout Interstate 485 shield posted at the Walkers Ferry Road overpass near Dixie. Photo taken 06/01/07. Nearing the future diamond interchange with Garrison Road on Interstate 485 south. Photo taken 06/01/07. Garrison Road spurs southwest from Dixie Road to Interstate 485 and a vastly undeveloped wooded area. North Carolina 160 travels nearby and meets interstate 485 at the next interchange (Exit 4). Photo taken 06/01/07. Continuing south from Garrison Road on Interstate 485 at the next reassurance marker. Photo taken 06/01/07. North Carolina 160 ventures west from downtown Charlotte along West Boulevard to Steel Creek Road at Dixie, Shopton, and Interstate 485 (Exit 4). Explosive suburban growth has transitioned Shopton Road West and North Carolina 160 from a rural landscape through to the state line. Photo taken 06/01/07. Exit 4 consists of a six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange with North Carolina 160 (Steele Creek Road). The state highway continues south from Shopton to South Carolina 160 and Interstate 77 and Fort Mill. Photo taken 05/30/05. Arrowood Road meets Interstate 485 at the Exit 3 diamond interchange outside of Charlotte. Photos taken 06/01/07 & 05/30/05. Brown-Grier Road stems east from North Carolina 160 to Arrowood Road and Interstate 485. Arrowood Road continues east to Interstate 77 & U.S. 21 and the Starmont community. Empty brackets on the left side of this sign bridge originally displayed a "Lane Ends 900 FT" sign. Photo taken 06/01/07. Mid-rise office buildings rise along Whitehall Park Road along side Interstate 485 south from Arrowood Road to North Carolina 49. Interstate 485 was originally built with just four lanes on the south side of Charlotte. Photos taken 06/01/07. North Carolina 49 (South Tryon Street) travels south from central Charlotte to meet Interstate 485 at the Exit 1 partial-cloverleaf interchange. Photo taken 06/01/07. Motorists bound for North Carolina 49 (South Tryon Street) part ways with Interstate 485 south at Exit 1, one mile west of the four-level stack interchange with Interstate 77 & U.S. 21. North Carolina 49 transitions to York Road southwest to Lake Wylie, South Carolina. Photo taken 06/01/07. Interstate 485 south approaches the two-lane off-ramp (Exit 67) to Interstate 77 & U.S. 21. Interstate 77 is the main north-south freeway through Charlotte, joining Rock Hill and the south suburbs with Huntersville and the north suburbs. U.S. 21 tags along for the ride throughout Charlotte. This sign bridge is a replacement of the original 0.50-mile overhead that directed traffic to a single-lane off-ramp. Photo taken 06/01/07. Interstate 485 continues southeast to Pineville and Weddington beyond Exit 67. Interstate 77 & U.S. 21 continue south two miles to their split across the state line. Both highways head southward to Columbia, South Carolina. Again, this is a replacement of the original overhead sign. Photo taken 06/01/07. Passing through the four-level stack interchange with Interstate 77 & U.S. 21. Photo taken 05/30/05. Exits 65B provides the first of two interchanges for Pineville on Interstate 485 south. Meeting the freeway ahead is South Boulevard from Charlotte and Pineville Road north. Photo taken 05/30/05. South Boulevard carried U.S. 521 north to Woodlawn Road / Billy Graham Parkway until 2003. When Interstate 485 opened to traffic, U.S. 521 was relocated onto the beltway between Exits 65 and 61. That overlap was later deemed unnecessarily, and the route was truncated southward. Photo taken 05/30/05. Pineville Road heads south into downtown Pineville from Exit 65B, meeting North Carolina 51 (Main Street). Pineville Road is also a historic routing of U.S. 521. Photo taken 05/30/05. A historic look at the Exit 65B sign bridge complete with U.S. 521 signage. Photo taken 10/05/01. South Boulevard constitutes a heavily developed commercial arterial northward to Woodlawn Boulevard. Photo taken 05/30/05. North Carolina 51 (Pineville-Matthews Road) crosses paths with Interstate 485 at the Exit 65 six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange. Photo taken 05/30/05. North Carolina 51 travels south (west) into downtown Pineville and to South Carolina 51 and junction U.S. 21. Exit 64B also serves the adjacent Carolina Place Mall. Photo taken 05/30/05. Exit 64A loops onto North Carolina 51 (Pineville-Matthews Road) northbound ahead of Carolinas Medical Center and a pervasive shopping district. Pineville-Matthews Road continues from Interstate 485 to the suburb of Matthews. Photo taken 05/30/05. U.S. 521's truncated beginning starts at Exit 6 of Interstate 485. Johnston Road carries the highway south four miles to South Carolina. Photo taken 05/30/05. Interstate 485 shifts from south to eastbound signage after Exit 64. Photo taken 05/30/05. Three quarters of a mile west of the Exit 61 partial-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 521 (Johnston Road). Johnston Road continues north from Interstate 485 to Park Road through suburban south Charlotte. Photo taken 05/30/05. Exit 61 leaves Interstate 485 eastbound for U.S. 521 (Johnston Road) south. U.S. 521 travels 179 miles south from Charlotte to Georgetown, South Carolina. Photo taken 05/30/05. Interstate 485 continues east to the Exit 59 six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange with Rea Road. Photo taken 05/30/05. Exit 59 departs Interstate 485 east at the Elm Lane overpass. Rea Road heads north to North Carolina 51 and Colony Road and south through the sprawling areas of Union County. Photo taken 05/30/05. Eastbound reassurance shield ahead of the Ballantyne Commons Parkway overpass. Photo taken 05/30/05. North Carolina 16 follows Providence Road southeast from downtown Charlotte to a six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 485 (Exit 57). Photo taken 05/30/05. Weddington lies three miles south along North Carolina 16 (Providence Road) from Exit 57. The state highway ends at Waxahwa in ten miles. Photo taken 05/30/05. Interstate 485 bends northeastward and straddles the Union County line through the Matthews area. John Street connects the freeway with Matthews at Exit 52. Photo taken 05/30/05. Eastbound at the Exit 52 diamond interchange with John Street. John Street travels southeast to Old Monroe Road and Stallings and north into central Matthews. Photo taken 05/30/05. U.S. 74 and Interstate 485 come together at a directional-cloverleaf interchange (Exit 51) between Charlotte and Indian Trail. U.S. 74 represents a major corridor between downtown Charlotte (Independence Boulevard) and the Union County seat of Monroe. Photo taken 05/30/05. Exit 51 departs Interstate 485 east as a collector/distributor roadway for U.S. 74 (Independence Boulevard). Photo taken 05/30/05. Two lanes leave the c/d roadway for Exit 51B to U.S. 74 east. U.S. 74 crosses into Union County and enters Indian Hill within one mile. Monroe is next along the route that continues to Rockingham, Laurinburg, and Wilmington. Some far flung ideas have touted the U.S. 74 corridor east from Monroe as Interstate 30. Photo taken 05/30/05. Interstate 485 nears the Union County line on the approach to Exit 49 with Idlewild Road. Photo taken 05/30/05. Idlewild Road meanders northwest to North Carolina 51 and U.S. 74 through typical Charlotte suburban sprawl. It is more of the same southward from the Exit 49 diamond interchange in Union County. Photo taken 05/30/05. Lawyers Road represents the next diamond interchange of Interstate 485 northeast (Exit 47). Photo taken 05/30/05. Lawyers Road replicates the same landscape and curvy nature of Idlewild through southeast Charlotte and adjacent Union County. Photo taken 05/30/05. Northbound at the Exit 47 ramp departure to Lawyers Road. Lawyers Road meets North Carolina 51 (Matthews Mint Hill Road) at the Mint Hill community. Photo taken 05/30/05. North Carolina 218 begins from North Carolina 51 at Mint Hill and heads east to a diamond interchange with Interstate 485 (Exit 44). Photo taken 05/30/05. One half mile south of Exit 44 to North Carolina 218 (Fairvew Road). North Carolina 218 journeys eight miles east from Interstate 485 to Fairview (junction U.S. 601). Photo taken 05/30/05. Interstate 485 north at Exit 44 with North Carolina 218, a 33-mile route between Mint Hill and Polkton (junction U.S. 74). Photo taken 05/30/05. North Carolina 51 (Blair Road) returns to Interstate 485 at the Exit 43 diamond interchange. Photo taken 05/30/05. Mecklenburg County's North Carolina 51 ends a short distance north of Exit 43 at junction North Carolina 24 & 27 (Albemarle Road). Photo taken 05/30/05. North Carolina 24 & 27 share a ridiculously long overlap from Charlotte east to Albemarle and Johnsonville. The tandem travel west from North Carolina 51 to a folded-diamond interchange at Interstate 485 (Exit 41). Photo taken 05/30/05. West of Exit 41, Albemarle Road carries North Carolina 24 to Harris Boulevard and 27 to the New Independence Boulevard freeway of U.S. 74. Photo taken 05/30/05. Exit 41 leaves Interstate 485 north at the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railroad railroad overpass. North Carolina 24 & 27 travel a four-lane corridor east from Allen (junction North Carolina 51) 13 miles to Locust and 17 miles to Locust. Photo taken 05/30/05. Harrisburg Road stems north from North Carolina 24 & 27 (Albemarle Road) to Interstate 485 at the Exit 39 diamond interchange. Photo taken 05/30/05. Harrisburg Road continues north from Interstate 485 to Cabarrus County and Robinson Church Road. Photo taken 05/30/05. Interstate 485 curves northwest from Exit 39 (Harrisburg Road) parallel to the Cabarrus County line. Photo taken 05/30/05. Next in line for northbound drivers is the Rocky River Road diamond interchange (Exit 36). Photo taken 05/30/05. Rocky River Road arcs eastward through a varying landscape of woods and subdivisions to Rocky River and North Carolina 49. Photo taken 05/30/05. West of Exit 36, Rocky River Road meanders to the Newell section of Charlotte and North Carolina 24 (Harris Boulevard East). Photo taken 05/30/05. Continuing north to the Exit 33 folded-diamond interchange with North Carolina 49 (University City Boulevard). Photo taken 05/30/05. University City Boulevard crosses Interstate 485 near its intersection with Pavilion Boulevard. Pavilion Boulevard parallels the beltway north to the Verizon Amphitheater and U.S. 29. Photo taken 05/30/05. Exit 33 departs Interstate 485 north for North Carolina 49 (University City Boulevard). North Carolina 49 parallels the NC Railroad line (pictured here) eastward to Harrisburg. Westward, North Carolina 49 travels a surface routing with U.S. 29 (Tryon Street) through downtown Charlotte. Photo taken 05/30/05. U.S. 29 stays along Tryon Street northeast from North Carolina 49 (University City Boulevard) to Exit 32 of Interstate 485. Photo taken 05/30/05. Interstate 485 enters the Exit 32 partial-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 29 (Tryon Street). U.S. 29 shadows Interstate 85 northeast to Concord. Lowe's Motor Speedway lies along the route just east of the county line. Photo taken 05/30/05. Interstate 485 enters one its oldest section of freeway, the stretch between U.S. 29 and Interstate 85. This section of highway was not designated Interstate 485 until 1999, and originally was signed as simply "TO I-85" or "TO U.S. 29". Upgrades were made to the highway in advance of the Interstate 485 signing that included removing the original trumpet interchange with U.S. 29 and replacing it with the current Exit 32. Photo taken 05/30/05. A tight trumpet interchange currently carries motorists between Interstate 485 and 85 at Exit 31. Upgrading of the connection will wait until progress occurs with the building of Interstate 485 westward to North Carolina 115. Photo taken 05/30/05. A ramp stub was built in anticipation of the new Interstate 85 northbound ramp to Concord. Photo taken 05/30/05. Interstate 485 splits into single lane ramps to Interstate 85 north for Greensboro and south to Spartanburg. More or less this is the original configuration. Photo taken 05/30/05. Page Updated April 22, 2009.