History
The first section of what would become Interstate 485 opened in the early 1970s, connecting a newly opened section of I-85 with U.S. 29 near the Cabarrus-Mecklenburg county line. This section became a part of Interstate 485 on May 5, 1999, the first section of the highway on the north end of the county.
In 1975, planning began for the Charlotte outerbelt.
On July 8, 1988, Gov. Jim Martin and state transportation secretary Seddon Goode attended a groundbreaking near U.S. 521, marking the start of construction on the first 1.3-mile section between U.S. 521 and N.C. 51. Martin also announced the designation "Interstate 485" for what had previously been called the outerbelt. The section opened November 1, 1990, two months earlier than planned.
A 2.6 mile, $67.2 million section of I-485 from U.S. 521 to I-77 opened October 24, 1994. The section included a four-level interchange at I-77. On December 9, 1994, the section from N.C. 51 to Rea Road opened.
On July 1, 1997, a $13.9 million 2-mile section of I-485 opened between I-77 and N.C. 49, a section designated The Seddon "Rusty" Goode Jr. Freeway, named for a member of the N.C. Board of Transportation who helped decide where I-485 would be built.
On August 15, 1997, 2.3 miles of I-485 opened between Rea Road and N.C. 16 (Providence Road). An $8.6 million 1.4-mile section from N.C. 49 to Brown-Grier Road in the Steele Creek community opened in two stages August 26 and 27; the name of Brown-Grier Road changed to Arrowood Road when that road was extended. Seven more miles opened September 15, connecting N.C. 16 to U.S. 74.
After the upgrade to the section between I-85 and U.S. 29 was finished in May 1999, the section from U.S. 29 to N.C. 49 opened August 13, 1999. 2.3 miles from U.S. 74 to Idlewild Road opened in December 1999.
A $10.2 million, three-mile section opened between Idlewild Road and Lawyers Road in Mint Hill In June 2000.
A 7.5-mile, $55.4 million section opened September 3, 2003. It was hoped that 12.5 miles could open, connecting N.C. 49 to Lawyers Road, but only the section north of N.C. 27 (Albemarle Road) opened at that time. I-485 reached an important milestone November 19, 2003, when the last five miles opened between. I-485 finally connected I-85 on the north end of Charlotte to I-77 on the south end. In all, the outerbelt stretched 37 miles.
On October 19, 2004, I-485 reached another milestone, with a $100 million, seven-mile section opening from Arrowood Road to I-85 west of Charlotte. The outerbelt provided a connection between I-77 south of the city to I-85 and would relieve traffic on Billy Graham Parkway.
2.3 miles from I-85 to N.C. 27 (Mount Holly Road) opened December 15, 2006. A mile and a half opened from N.C. 27 to N.C. 16 (Brookshire Boulevard) on May 9, 2007. I-485 reached I-77 as 5.5 miles opened December 4, 2008 more than a year late between N.C. 16 and N.C. 115.
The final segment, from I-77 to I-85 near UNC Charlotte, has begun the Right of Way Acquisition phase with contracts awarded in June 2010.
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