Interstate 885

Interstate 885 (I-885) and North Carolina Highway 885 (NC 885) is an 11.5-mile highway in the state of North Carolina. It connects NC 540 and I-40 to I-85 near the city of Durham. This highway was completed on June 30, 2022, when a new section called the East End Connector opened, linking two older roads: NC 147 to the south and US 70 to the north.

The highway helps drivers travel around the east side of downtown Durham without going through the busy city center. It also makes it easier to get from I-40 and I-85 to important places like the Research Triangle Park and, using NC 147, to downtown Durham itself.

Route description

NC 885 starts where it meets NC 540. The whole road is called the Triangle Expressway, a name it shares with part of NC 540. Along its path, it has one spot where it connects with Davis Drive and Hopson Road. NC 885 ends where it meets I-40, and right there, I-885 begins.

I-885 runs north through the Research Triangle Park and has three close spots to connect with East Cornwallis Road, T.W. Alexander Drive, and Ellis Road. At the edge of Durham city, NC 147 goes toward downtown Durham, while I-885 turns northeast on the East End Connector. It then joins US 70, turning northwest along with it. The road heads straight north and reaches US 70 Business and NC 98 at a special kind of crossing called a compressed diamond interchange. After passing Cheek Road, I-885 ends where it meets its parent road, I-85.

Tolls

Main article: Triangle Expressway

Tolls on NC 885 are collected using special electronic tools in cars. Cameras watch the roads to make sure everyone pays. Drivers can use a system called NC Quick Pass or similar tools to pay easily. If someone doesn’t use these tools, they will get a bill in the mail with extra fees if not paid quickly.

History

See also: North Carolina Highway 147 § History, and U.S. Route 70 in North Carolina § History

The first part of what became Interstate 885 was built in 1957. It was a section of a road called US 70, linking the East End Connector to another road called I-85. Plans for the East End Connector appeared in 1959 but were delayed for many years. In the early 1970s, another part of the road called NC 147 was built.

In the 2000s, the US 70 road between I-85 and Cheek Road was made wider and improved. Finally, in 2014, plans were made to add signs for I-885. Building the East End Connector began in 2015. In May 2022, the road was approved as I-885, and the East End Connector opened to traffic on June 30, 2022. Part of the old NC 147 was then renamed NC 885.

Future

In 2019, there was a plan to make a part of Interstate 885 wider, adding more lanes to help cars move better. But later, another group decided not to continue with this plan, so it’s not clear if it will happen.

There was also an idea in 2012 to extend a road called NC 885 further south to a place named McCrimmon Parkway near Morrisville. This project was supposed to start getting ready in 2024 and begin building in 2027, but those dates have changed and it will take longer.

Exit List

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations
Wake	Morrisville				McCrimmon Parkway
		0.0	0.0	1	NC 540 Toll to I-40 / I-540 / US 1 – Raleigh, Sanford
Durham	Research Triangle Park	0.7	1.1	2 / 3	Davis Drive / Hopson Road
					T.W. Alexander Drive
		3.1	5.0	5	I-40 to NC 54 – Raleigh, Chapel Hill
		4.1	6.6	6	Research Triangle Park / East Cornwallis Road
		4.7	7.6	7	T.W. Alexander Drive
		5.8	9.3	8	Ellis Road
	Durham	7.7	12.4	9	NC 147 north – Durham
		8.6	13.8	10	US 70 east – Raleigh
		9.8	15.8	11	US 70 Bus. west / NC 98 – Durham, Wake Forest
		10.8	17.4	12	Cheek Road
		11.5	18.5	13	I-85 south / US 15 south / US 70 west – Greensboro I-85 north / US 15 north – Henderson, Petersburg
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Route transition       Unopened