I'm just gonna come out and start with this. If this looks awesome - no, scratch that - because this looks awesome, check out my page on the State Transportation Museum.


Trade St. EB, Charlotte, at the US District Court just east of US 29/NC 49.


The southern end of Ridge Ave. in Concord, which follows the east side of the railroad tracks, crossing over I-85 and ending at US 29/601 just to the south. Ridge makes it back to US 29 north of Kannapolis, suggesting it may have been an early routing.


The former Alternate US 29 through Kannapolis, Landis, and China Grove, a former through-town routing of US 29. It crosses the railroad right away and stays on the west side all the way up, past Main St. (2nd photo) to Rogers Lake Rd. (3rd photo).


SB in Salisbury at the onramp to US 601 SB, courtesy Lou Corsaro. 601 used to follow US 70 into town and then turned onto US 29 to the south when 70 joined 29 to the north. Now 601 follows I-85 instead and gives 29 some breathing room. This isn't the only traffic light assembly like this, though I wish it were.


US 29 gets some new friends to play with, and they will shortly make some madness:


Courtesy Lou Corsaro, the original bridge over the Yadkin River, just north of Salisbury, carries US 29 SB, US 70 WB, and NC 150 WB as of 2008.


I couldn't get Lou's angle on the arches, but here is the 2011 condition where both directions of US 29/70/NC 150 are on the newer NB bridge, with the SB one temporarily closed. One would think that an old concrete arch bridge has probably outlived its useful lifespan, but 2013 aerial imagery shows the NB bridge completely gone (!) and traffic getting through on the old bridge to old 29/70 (Old Salisbury Rd.). (I-85 construction has closed Exit 83 for the time being.) The NB/EB routes join I-85 NB in the distance.


In the immediate foreground, there's a rail truss to the east of the highway. Behind that, I-85 traffic is still on the original Interstate bridge in both directions, but the new NB bridge is under construction to the east. In 2012, traffic was shifted over to that new bridge, NB followed by SB, the old bridge was demolished, and construction then began on the future SB bridge. I-95 may be the famous corridor up north, but the business of the South is done along I-85.


You may have noticed that a flagger had US 29/70/NC 150 down to a single lane; I took the opportunity to duck out for a few quick photos while the SB/WB direction came through. The old bridge is still striped for SB traffic, and you can see the hasty crossover in the background.


Turned around and heading SB/WB to the end of the divided highway. It's clearly no big deal to be down to a single bridge, just a great surprise as to which bridge survived.


North of Business I-85, US 29 SB with US 220 SB/US 70 WB at just about the only remaining trace of former NC 6 in Greensboro.


NCDOT wishes you would have taken US 70 instead of waiting all the way until Lee St.


I don't know what goes on the right of these NB signs in Reidsville, courtesy Lou Corsaro. TO WEST US 158? TO NORTH NC 14?


Whoa, big change. The effect due to a slight rerouting probably wasn't worth the pain of resigning this SB exit, also courtesy Lou. The freeway currently extends from Danville south to Reidsville, with construction progressing around Danville (hence the recent reroute of US 58 I mention on that page).


Instead of looking more like a 2di shield, this one is too angular, and has INTERSTATE instead of FUTURE in the red header. Of course, this is a big LGS, not a little one. (A big little green sign? Meh.) This is SB from the Virginia state line.

Business I-85 (and US 29/70)
Onto I-85 and US 29/US 70/I-85
Onto US 70 alone

Into Virginia on US 29
Salisbury Non-Roads on US 29/70
Onto US 601
To I-40
Back to North Carolina Roads
Back to Roads