<P> In 1960, I - 40 made three expansions: In Burke County, from Dysartsville Road (SR 1129) to Hildebran (connecting to US 64 / US 70 along I - 40 Access Road SE (SR 1890)); from NC 16, in Conover, to NC 90, in Statesville; and from NC 801, near Advance, to the US 158 / US 421 split, east of Winston - Salem . In 1961, I - 40 extended west from Dysartsville Road to NC 226, near Marion . In Statesville, I - 40 extended east along a completed widening project of US 64 Bypass, between NC 90 to US 64 . Between Ridgecrest and Old Fort, US 70 along Youngs Ridge was widened to four - lane; however, I - 40 was not officially designated until 1982, after additional highway improvements including additional widening, runaway truck ramps and warning devices . In 1962, I - 40 extended west from NC 226, near Marion to link - up with US 70, near Old Fort . In 1963, the gap between Winston - Salem and Kernersville was completed . In 1964, I - 40 opened a 12 - mile (19 km) segment from east of Clyde (using the freeway connector from US 19 / US 23) to Wiggins Road (SR 1200). In 1967, I - 40 opened a 3.8 - mile (6.1 km) segment through the Biltmore Estate, from NC 191 to US 25 . In 1968 and after twenty years of construction, the I - 40 opened a 20 - mile (32 km) segment from the Tennessee state line to US 276, in Cove Creek . In November of same year, the North Carolina State Highway Commission submitted a request to the Bureau of Public Roads to extend I - 40 east of Greensboro to Raleigh, via the Research Triangle Park (RTP). In 1969, both the Bureau and AASHTO approved the extension, allowing I - 40 to continue east of Durham, through Raleigh to Smithfield . Also in the same year, I - 40 was extended west from NC 191 to connect with I - 26 and end at US 19 / US 23, in Enka . In 1970, I - 40 extended west from NC 801, near Advance, to US 64, near Mocksville . </P> <P> In 1971, two gaps were completed: Wiggins Road (SR 1200) to US 19 / US 23, in Enka; and US 64, in Statesville, to US 64, near Mocksville . In July, NCSHC finalized a plan for I - 40's routing east of Durham to Smithfield, with an estimated cost of $75 million . In December, new freeway opened between Davis Drive (SR 1999), in the RTP, to US 1 / US 64 (Raleigh Beltline), in Raleigh; I - 40 was added along 7 miles (11 km) between Davis Drive and Harrison Avenue (SR 1654), while east of Harrison Avenue (future Wade Avenue) was signed "To I - 40 ." In 1972, I - 40 extended east from US 25, in Asheville, to Porters Cove Road (SR 2838), in Oteen; the extension bypassed both US 25A and US 74, interchanges were built in 1999 and 1973 respectively . In 1973, I - 40 and the Durham Freeway (future NC 147) were connected, in the RTP . In 1974, a gap was completed between US 276, in Cove Creek, to the freeway connector (future Great Smoky Mountains Expressway), near Clyde . I - 40 also extended east from Porters Cove Road, in Oteen, to Patton Cove Road (SR 2740), in Swannanoa . In 1976, a gap of I - 40 was completed between Henry River Road (SR 1002), in Hildebran, and NC 16, in Conover . In April 1978, after years of debate on where I - 40 should be routed east of I - 95, either Morehead City or Wilmington, NCDOT approved a corridor location between Raleigh and Wilmington . The discussions on its routing started since the initial extension in 1969 and arguments from several area groups why the routing should go to their port city . In the end, the routing approval to Wilmington came with a caveat to build new freeway in parallel to US 117 instead of a full upgrade of US 421 as several in the region supported . In 1979, I - 40 was extended east from Patton Cove Road, in Swannanoa, to US 70, in Ridgecrest . </P> <P> In 1982, I - 40 was designated, in concurrency with US 70, along Youngs Ridge, between Ridgecrest and Old Fort; this officially completed the original I - 40 routing from Tennessee to Greensboro . In 1984, I - 40 was extended in Raleigh from Wade Avenue (exit 289), along the Tom Bradshaw Freeway, to the Cliff Benson Beltline (exit 301). Also same year, AASHTO approved of designation of I - 40 between Wallace and Wilmington, currently under construction at the time . By 1985, construction began on a 22 - mile (35 km) project, connecting the Durham Freeway, in the RTP, with I - 85, west of Hillsborough, at an estimated cost of $103 million . In 1985, I - 40 was placed on new 19 - mile (31 km) section between US 117 (exit 390), near Willard, and NC 210 (exit 408), near Rocky Point . In 1986, I - 40 was extended west from the Durham Freeway (exit 219) to NC 55 (exit 218), in the RTP; I - 40 was also extended east to its current eastern terminus at US 117 / NC 132 (exit 420), in Wilmington . In 1987, I - 40 was extended west from US 117 (exit 390), near Willard, to NC 42 (exit 385), near Tin City . In 1988, I - 40 was extended west to US 15 / US 501 (exit 270), in Chapel Hill, and east to US 70 (exit 306), in Garner . In October, Gov. James G. Martin announced federal approval of $114.1 million for I - 40 to be relocated around Winston - Salem . In 1989, I - 40 was extended west to I - 85 (exit 259), west of Hillsborough, and east to I - 95 (exit 328), in Benson . By 1990, I - 40 was extended west from NC 41 (exit 385), in Tin City, to US 117 (exit 369), near Warsaw . On June 29, 1990, with a ribbon - cutting by Gov. James G. Martin, I - 40 was connected between Raleigh and Wilmington, providing improved access with the Port of Wilmington with the rest of the state . At around this time, a standard distance sign near the start of the westbound section of I - 40 in Wilmington indicates the distance to Barstow, California, as 2,554 miles (4,110 km). In December, AASHTO approved the I - 40 designation between Raleigh and Wallace; and in January 1991, NCDOT certified the designation . </P> <P> In or around 1992, the final gap of I - 40 was completed when it was designated along existing I - 85, from Greensboro to west of Hillsborough . In November, the 20.89 - mile (33.62 km) Winston - Salem Bypass was completed and opened; featuring mostly new construction, with a short overlap of existing US 311 freeway . The former alignment, featuring the first sections of I - 40 completed in the state, was designated as I - 40 Business, with a complete concurrency with US 421 . After 34 years, I - 40 was officially completed in North Carolina . </P>

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