Interstate 85  < I-81 and Branches | Home | I-95 and Branches >

From:NC Line near Palmer Springs (Mecklenburg County) To: I-95, US 460 EB City of Petersburg Total Length: 70 miles Nationally I-85 runs from Petersburg to I-65 Montgomery, AL, about 595 miles
ROUTE LOG NC STATE LINE: 0 - 0 EXIT 4 (old 1) - SR 903: 4 - 4 EXIT 12 (old 2) - US 58: 8 - 12 EXIT 15 (old 3) - US 1: 3 - 15 BR-MK LINE: 5 - 20 EXIT 24 (old 4) - SR 644: 4 - 24 EXIT 27 (old 5) - VA 46: 3 - 27 EXIT 28 (old 6) - US 1: 1 - 28 EXIT 34 (old 7) - SR 630: 6 - 34 EXIT 39 (old 8) - SR 712: 5 - 39 DI-BR LINE: 1 - 40 EXIT 42 (old 9) - VA 40: 2 - 42 EXIT 48 (old 10) - SR 650: 6 - 48 EXIT 53 (old 11) - SR 703: 5 - 53 EXIT 61 (old 12) - US 460 WB, US 460 Bus: 8 - 61 EXIT 63 (old 13, old 1) - US 1, US 460 Bus: 2 - 63 PET-DI LINE: 1 - 64 EXIT 65 - Squirrel Level Rd: 1 - 65 EXIT 68 (old 14, old 2) - I-95, US 460 EB: 3 - 68 EXIT 69 (old 15, old 3) - Wythe St: 0 - 68		Creation: The first piece of I-85 to be open was 5 miles from I-95 to US 1-460 Petersburg. This was the beginning of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, which opened in 1958. The 1961 Map was the first to actually label this as I-85. Adjustments: The first free piece of I-85 to open came in 1966, from NC State Line to US 1 South Hill. In 1969, I-85 was extended from Petersburg to US 460. In 1970, I-85 was extended from US 460 south to VA 40. The last piece between US 1 South Hill and VA 40 opened in 1971. Posting: Fully posted; I-85 is signed for Durham and Atlanta at the I-95 split.  Like I-64 and I-95 near Richmond, I-85 is usually not signed with cutout shields, but rather with the shield and directional marker on a single black-background signboard. Comments: This is the Main Street of the South, but the relatively short Virginia section is also relatively uneventful. I-85 to US 1 to I-40 is a good alternative to I-95 which used to be under perpetual construction from Rocky Mt, NC to Emporia. I-85 was the first Virginia 2di to be totally finished. I-85 totally blows off US 1 (near US 460 exit), VA 142, and US 301 ALT. The 1959 Official Map labels the NC stretch of I-85 in the Henderson area as US 293. What's up with that? Additional detailed info on I-85 exists on Scott Kozel's site

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