Route Description
Interstate 77 begins at the South Carolina state line, near Fort Mill, in concurrency with US 21. I-77 goes through the city of Charlotte as a major north-south corridor, connecting the Center City with the suburbs of Pineville, Huntersville, Cornelius, and Davidson. Between I-485 (exit 2) and I-277 (exit 9), the freeway is 6-lanes that typically experience slow traffic congestion during weekday rush hours (7:00-9:30 a.m./4:00-6:30 p.m.). Just north of Center City, I-77 makes a unique interchange configuration with Interstate 85, with north and southbound lanes crisscrossing briefly. Between I-85 (exit 13) and I-485 (exit 19), I-77 features the state's only HOV lanes. After I-485, I-77 reduces to 5-lanes (3 lanes northbound), then to 4-lanes after Gilead Road (exit 23).
At Lake Norman, I-77 crosses into Iredell County and becomes a more rural interstate, passing by Mooresville and then Statesville, where it intersects with Interstate 40. After Statesville, I-77 becomes a full-fledged rural interstate, with only the town of Elkin serving as a possible rest stop in the area; the speed limit of entire stretch is 70 mph (110 km/h). The final 5 miles (8.0 km) of I-77 is concurrent with Interstate 74 to the Virginia state line (where I-74 ends), all within view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Read more about this topic: Interstate 77 In North Carolina
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