Interstate 87/587

I-587 and I-87 are future interstates

Here is the I-587 info

Interstate 587 will overlay the freeway along U.S. 264 east from the split with U.S. 64 (Future I-87) at Zebulon to Greenville. The rural freeway joins Raleigh with Wilson, where U.S. 264 overlaps with Interstate 795 southeast between I-95 and its continuation south to Goldsboro.

The Quad-East plan called for connecting four of the largest metropolitan areas in North Carolina east of Interstate 95, including Greenville, Wilson, Goldsboro and Kinston. Envisioned as an interstate quality loop, I-795 constitutes the Wilson to Golsboro leg and Future I-587 along U.S. 264 represents the northern section

I-87 info

I-87 will extend from its current terminus at Rolesville Road to an undetermined location in Norfolk, Virginia. Current plans have the interstate running east along US 64 to Williamston. This section of US 64 is built as a freeway, but will need to be upgraded to Interstate highway standards. In Williamston, the interstate is planned to leave US 64 and begin following an alignment along present-day US 17.

A feasibility study for the section between Williamston and the Virginia state line was completed in 2018. NCDOT maps show the interstate roughly following the US 17 corridor between Williamston and South Mills, North Carolina. There are several areas, where the Interstate may deviate from the current routing of US 17, and be placed on a new freeway. To the north of South Mill, NCDOT has laid out two plans on how the Interstate would proceed to Virginia. One plan shows I-87 running north along US 17 to the Virginia state line. In contrast, a second plan shows an interchange with I-87 and US 17 just north of modern-day McPherson Road and the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center. I-87 would then proceed to the east along new routing to NC 168/Virginia State Route 168 (SR 168). The interchange with Route 168 would take place just north of the North Carolina-Virginia state line. If NCDOT was to choose this alignment as the preferred route, I-87 would presumably follow SR 168 to Norfolk. NCDOT estimates that the section between Williamston and the Virginia state line could cost between $849.7 million and $945.2 million.

Some of these upgrades are part of the DOT 10-year plan released in 2017, with upgrading of highways around Elizabeth City given a start date of 2023.

As of July 24, 2019, Virginia does not have a timetable to complete their section of Interstate 87. US 17 is a four-lane expressway between the North Carolina state line and Norfolk. State Route 168 is a four-lane expressway for approximately 1.8 miles between the state line and Battlefield Boulevard. North of Battlefield Boulevard, SR 168 is a four lane toll limited access freeway known as the Chesapeake Expressway.