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Officials want 74 between 26 and 85 designated an interstate

COLUMBUS—The Polk County Board of Commissioners has pledged its support to improve US 74 to an interstate status from Asheville to Wilmington. 

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Monday and approved a resolution in support of designating US 74 between Interstate 26 and Interstate 85 to a future interstate quality corridor. 

Polk County Manager Marche Pittman said he was approached by the Rutherford County manager about gaining Polk’s support. He said the issue came out of a recent economic development meeting held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. 

The resolution states US 74 needs interstate status to improve freight movement and in-state access through southern North Carolina, which has been identified in previous studies. 

Following is the resolution the Polk County Board of Commissioner approved on Monday night: 

WHEREAS, the need to improve US 74 to an interstate status from Asheville to Wilmington to improve freight movement and in-state access through southern North Carolina has been identified in previous studies; and

WHEREAS, an interstate quality US 74 Corridor will provide better connectivity, business planning, transportation safety and resource efficiency from I-26 to I-85; and

WHEREAS, every county that borders Rutherford County (Polk, Henderson, Buncombe, McDowell, Burke, Cleveland, Cherokee, S.C. and Spartanburg, S.C.) has a federally designated interstate corridor that traverses their counties; and

WHEREAS, local governments and businesses within the corridor collaboratively seek to build a responsive, regional economic development infrastructure to increase trade and industry and to promote opportunity recognizing that these efforts are hampered in Polk County due to the lack of a federal interstate designation along this corridor; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina’s federal legislative delegation has the authority to submit legislation granting a future US-74 interstate status from I-26 to I-85; and

WHEREAS, because a section of Highway 74 east of Charlotte has a federal interstate designation, the section between I-26 and I-85 would require a different interstate name. 

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Polk County Board of Commissioners requests that our North Carolina federal legislative delegation submit and support federal legislation to secure a future interstate designation for the section of US 74 from I-26 to I-85; and, 

BE IT ALSO FURTHER RESOLVED that the clerk provide a copy of this resolution to the NC Transportation Secretary and the Polk County State and Federal legislative delegations requesting their support; and 

BE IT ALSO FURTHER RESOLVED that the Polk County Board of Commissioners requests the support of municipalities and businesses within the corridor between I-26 and I-85 in Polk, Rutherford and Cleveland Counties.