Route Description
I-140 begins at its interchange with US 421 as a half cloverleaf northwest of downtown Wilmington. From US 421, I-140 continues in a northeasterly direction where it crosses the Northeast Cape Fear River on the Dan Cameron Bridge. After crossing the river, the route travels in an easterly direction where it meets North Carolina Highway 133 (NC 133) at Exit 18 as another half cloverleaf interchange in Wrightsboro. From NC 133, I-140 continues to the west en route to its eastern terminus at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-40 and US 17 in Murraysville. The completed segment of I-140 is 6.7 miles (10.8 km) in length.
The most notable feature of the existing route is the bridge spanning the Northeast Cape Fear River. The bridge measures 1.43 miles (2.30 km) in length with a main span of 479 feet (146 m) and 82 feet (25 m) of vertical clearance above the river, Rat Island and adjacent marshlands. Its construction consists of precast girders with cast-in-place decks leading to the main span consisting of cast-in-place cantilevered box girder elements. In November 2005, the North Carolina Board of Transportation voted unanimously to name the I-140 bridge across the Northeast Cape Fear River in honor of former Wilmington mayor and businessman Dan Cameron.
In an effort to protect scenic viewsheds for motorists utilizing the freeway, the Special Highway Overlay District of the New Hanover County Zoning Ordinance was adopted by the County Commission in June 2001. Some of the restrictions of the overlay include the banning the construction of billboards, limiting outdoor storage and increasing setback requirements for structures adjacent to the roadway. Only nine applications for billboards along I-140 were processed and approved prior to its passage.
Read more about this topic: Interstate 140 (North Carolina)
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