Interstate 26 (North Carolina)

Interstate 26
Route information
Maintained by NCDOT
Length:	49.0 mi (78.9 km)
Existed:	1966 – present
Tourist routes:	I-26 Scenic Highway
Major junctions
West end:	I-26 / US 23 at the TN line near Faust
	US 19 / US 23A near Mars Hill I‑40 / I‑240 / US 74 in Asheville US 25 / US 25 Bus. in Fletcher US 64 in Hendersonville US 25 near East Flat Rock US 74 in Columbus
East end:	I-26 at the SC line near Landrum, SC
Location
Counties:	Madison, Buncombe, Henderson, Polk
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business North Carolina Highway System Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← US 25 NC 27 →

Interstate 26 (I-26) in North Carolina runs through the Western part of the state, from the Tennessee border to the South Carolina border, following the Appalachian Mountains. It is part of the larger I-26, a regional interstate that runs from Kingsport, Tennessee to in Charleston, South Carolina. I-26 is mostly four lanes through North Carolina with few exceptions. Though nominally an east-west route (because of the even number convention), in North Carolina and Tennessee, the route goes nearly north-south, with the northern direction labeled "West" and vice versa.

I-26's original eastern terminus was I-40/I-240 in Asheville. Between 2003 and 2005, the road was extended further north into Tennessee. Along the segment from Mars Hill to Asheville there are FUTURE I-26 signs as some parts of the road have not yet been upgraded to Interstate Highway standards.

I-26, in concurrency with US 23, enters the state at Sams Gap (elevation 3,760 feet (1,150 m)), from Tennessee. In the first 9 miles (14 km), designated as a scenic byway, it features mostly six travel lanes and three runaway truck ramps along its eastbound. The freeway is also parallels US 23A, which was the original route before 2006. At exit 9, I-26 ends and Future I-26 begins; US 19 also joins from Burnsville.

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Wikipedia