Interstate 73 (I-73) is a north–south Interstate Highway, located within the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of a longer planned corridor, defined by various federal laws to run from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, but only the part south of West Virginia is under study as of 2012. The corridor passes through the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, and Michigan. Ohio and Michigan do not plan to build any part of the highway, as the I-73 corridor in both of these states is already served by existing freeways or four-lane highways that will eventually be upgraded to freeways. West Virginia is building its section, mostly along U.S. Highway 52, as a four-lane divided highway, but not meeting the Interstate Highway standards. On the other hand, North Carolina and South Carolina have built sections and Virginia plans to build its part. Thus Interstate 73 will, once scheduled projects are completed, run from South Carolina to Roanoke, Virginia, where it will end at Interstate 81. Associated with these plans are those for the extension of Interstate 74 from Cincinnati to Myrtle Beach, with several highway overlaps contemplated.
Currently, there is one continuous section of Interstate 73, totaling 93.5 miles (150.5 km), first traversing the US 220 freeway 70.0 miles (112.7 km) from Ellerbe, North Carolina to I-85 in Greensboro, North Carolina then along the southwestern segment of the Greensboro Outer Loop 12 miles (19 km) from US 220 to Bryan Blvd., then 9.5 miles (15.3 km) along a freeway from Bryan Blvd west then north to US 220 near Summerfield, North Carolina.
