U.S. 74 (NCRoads.com)
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Annex Home
US 74-A became US 74 Business in 1960.
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U.S. 74 (NCRoads.com) < U.S. 70 | U.S. 1 (NCRoads.com) > Annex Home |
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| U.S. 74-A renumbered | ||||
| The route: | The 1st US 74-A appeared in 1951 or 1952. It ran on what had been mainline US 74 through Shelby. US 74-A used Marion St all the way through town. This was also original NC 20's alignment.
US 74-A became US 74 Business in 1960.
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| U.S. 74-A renumbered | ||||
| The route: | The 2nd US 74-A was created in 1951 or 1952 as a renumbering of mainline US 74. A new US 74 utilized new construction around the northside of Monroe.
US 74-A used Franklin St and Charlotte Ave. In 1953, US 74-A west was rerouted to follow Skyway Dr. (part of NC 200 today) north from central Monroe to meet with US 74, which was put on new alignment from MOnroe to Charlotte. Charlotte Ave has been secondary ever since. This route was part of original NC 20 This US 74-A was renumbered as US 74 Business in 1960. Today, the Franklin St. part of US 74-A is secondary routing. 
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| U.S. 74-A 62 miles | ||||
| The route: | Current US 74-A is the 3rd one created. It appeared about 1994 as a renumbering of US 74 which was put on an all-freeway route from Forest City to Asheville.
US 74-A runs from I-40/US 74 exit 44 Enka east with US 19-23 to I-240, then it follows I-240 east to exit 5B. With US 70 it follows Charlotte Ave south to College Ave, then east through the Beaucatcher Tunnel to Tunnel Rd. before splitting from US 70 along South Tunnel Rd. US 74-A multiplexes with NC 81 Swannanoa River Rd across I-240 (no exit), then heads south on Fairway Rd to I-240, where US 74-A multiplexes east to I-40 (240's end). US 74-A continues east across the BLue Ridge Pkwy, then through Fairview to Bat Cave, where it picks up US 64 and NC 9. The route continues east past Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure (where NC 9 drops out of the chase). US 74-A continues east to Ruth, then south through Rutherfordton onto a freeway that carries US 74-A around Spindale where it meets back up with US 74. US 74-A had been original NC 10 in a couple places (Enka to West Asheville and also the NC 81 multiplex); original NC 20 essentially all of the route College Ave eastward to where the route skirts around north Rutherfordton to Ruth. US 74-A is multilane most of the way from Enka to Fairview, and has a number of switchbacks east of Fairview - posted as not recommended for trucks at I-40/240. The route from Bat Cave to Lake Lure is flat but very curvy. | |||