Transportation
I-85 Widening – Gaston County
Location not confirmed
Verified Project Information
Summary
The I-85 Widening – Gaston County program proposes widening approximately 10 miles of I-85 from six to eight lanes between U.S. 321 in Gastonia and N.C. 273 in Belmont, with interchange, roadway-bridge and railroad-bridge improvements.
Current stage: Final design.
Current condition: Active.
Key Facts
Estimated Cost
No overall project cost is published.
Latest Progress
2026-03-20: NCDOT's current project page lists phase-specific estimates of $587.705 million and $65.3 million for the Exit 17 section, $567.805 million and $41.9 million for the Exit 23–27 section, and $240 million for the bridge-replacement section. These estimates are retained separately rather than summed into an inferred program total.
Project Leaders
North Carolina Department of Transportation
Project owner, Project sponsor
Project Funding
Funding type: Public · Status: Allocated
U.S. Department of Transportation: $100.00 million (2022)
Other funding contributors: North Carolina Department of Transportation
Timeline
NCDOT publishes current phase estimates
NCDOT's current project page lists phase-specific estimates of $587.705 million and $65.3 million for the Exit 17 section, $567.805 million and $41.9 million for the Exit 23–27 section, and $240 million for the bridge-replacement section. These estimates are retained separately rather than summed into an inferred program total.
Stage after event: Final designGeotechnical investigation begins ahead of widening
NCDOT scheduled overnight lane closures to support geotechnical investigation for the future I-85 widening, including the South Fork Catawba River bridge and related structures in the Exit 23–27 segment.
Stage after event: Final designNCDOT awards Exit 23–27 design-build contract
NCDOT awarded Lane Construction a $337 million design-build contract for the four-mile segment between N.C. 7/Exit 23 and N.C. 273/Exit 27. Design work was underway and construction was expected to begin in summer 2026; this contract covers one section of the broader program.
Stage after event: Final designI-85 Futures receives $100 million INFRA award
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded NCDOT a $100 million INFRA grant for the I-85 Futures scope, which includes widening, interchange and bridge improvements and multimodal and intelligent-transportation elements.
Stage after event: Funded or programmedNCDOT holds public meetings on proposed widening
NCDOT presented the proposed six-to-eight-lane widening, interchange improvements and bridge replacements for the Gaston County corridor during the project's public-meeting phase.
Stage after event: Preliminary design or environmental review
Geography
Project site / location
No site geography relationship is published.
Affected / impact geography
No separate impact geography is published.
Map
No physical geometry is currently eligible for public mapping.
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Government Sources
- North Carolina Department of TransportationI-85 Widening – Gaston County – Project Highlights2026-05-13Primary
- Primary
- Supporting
- North Carolina Department of TransportationLane Closures Scheduled for Interstate 85 in Gaston County2025-10-17Supporting
- Primary
- Supporting
- Primary
- Supporting
- North Carolina Department of TransportationNCDOT State Maintained Roads Feature LayerPrimary
Media Coverage
Axios · 2022-09-16
I-85 widening project gets $100M federal boost (opens original source in a new tab)
Axios reports on the $100 million INFRA award, the 10-mile six-to-eight-lane widening, congestion context, multimodal features and a then-current 2030 completion outlook.