A section of a highway in Eastern North Carolina, part of which runs through Greenville, has been federally approved to become an interstate. PRE’s Meredith Radford has more.
After the State Department of Transportation made improvements to the road, including widening and resurfacing it, part of U.S. 264 will now become Interstate 587.
Before this designation, Greenville was one of the largest cities in the country not served by an interstate. Reaching from I-95 and I-795 in Wilson County to N.C. 11 and U.S. 264 interchange in Greenville, the new interstate runs 37 miles across Wilson, Greene and Pitt Counties.
I-587 has been in the works for years. A news release says that the new interstate will make travel easier and bolster the area’s economic development prospects. The release says new I-587 signs will be installed next year.
For Public Radio East, I’m Meredith Radford.