EDENTON, N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory unveiled a “Future I-87” since to represent a future interstate will connect northeastern North Carolina to Raleigh and Hampton Roads, Virginia on Monday. The interstate is a part of the governor’s 25-Year Vision in the state. “Interstate 87 will provide a much-needed connection for this region that will better link its citizens to vital services, support freight movement, and open the door to new economic opportunity,” McCrory said. “Thank you to our congressional delegation and others involved with achieving this important milestone that will help us strengthen communities along this corridor, and North Carolina as a whole, through improved transportation infrastructure.”The Interstate-87 designation and the U.S. 70 corridor designation was included in the federal Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, which was signed into law in December. “Interstate connections open the door to new opportunity and are a powerful tool in the recruitment and retention of business and industry,” Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson said. “The Future I-87 is a critical step for this region and its economic future, and a significant transportation milestone. Interstate designations are exactly the kind of transportation investments we want to continue leveraging throughout the state.”McCrory also announced his plans to seek federal approval of a future interstate designation for U.S. 264 to Greenville. Greenville is the state’s largest metropolitan area that does not have an interstate. The decision is expected at the end of 2016.
