A new interstate project connecting Michigan to the Carolinas is gaining renewed momentum, as a national advocacy group pushes for completion of the long-discussed I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor. The proposed highway would link the Midwest directly to the Southeast, ultimately running from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The National I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor Association is spearheading the effort, seeking funding and political support across the six states along the route: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Proponents argue that the corridor would not only spur economic growth and tourism but also serve as a critical hurricane evacuation route for coastal areas.
While parts of the corridor already exist or are being upgraded, large stretches still need to be built from scratch. In North Carolina, construction is currently underway on a 7.2-mile four-lane freeway near Rockingham, designed to improve traffic flow by rerouting interstate traffic away from congested intersections and local roads. This segment, funded at $278 million through the N.C. Department of Transportation’s State Transportation Improvement Program, is divided into three sections, two of which are already completed or upgraded to interstate standards.
South Carolina has completed environmental studies and acquired land for a section between I-95 and SC 22 near Conway but has not yet begun construction. Officials there are studying two major projects: a northern route connecting Rockingham, North Carolina, to I-95 through Marlboro and Dillon Counties, and a southern route stretching from I-95 to the Myrtle Beach area.
The project has been on the national radar for decades. Interstate 73 was designated as a high-priority route in the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Equity Act, but steady progress has been slowed by funding challenges. Advocates now argue that merging federal and state efforts could finally bring the vision to completion.
Supporters highlight that a continuous north-south interstate would enhance freight movement, expand market access, and reduce travel times between key regions. Critics, however, point to the enormous costs and environmental impacts of building new highways across undeveloped land.
If completed, the I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor would represent one of the most significant interstate expansions in recent decades, connecting millions of people and businesses from the Midwest to the Southeast’s fastest-growing coastal destinations.
