Charlotte, North Carolina

====Roads and highways====
[[File:I-85 I-485 turbine interchange construction aerial 2013.jpg|thumb|I-85/I-485 [[Interchange (road)#Turbine interchange|turbine interchange]] under construction just north of Charlotte, 2013]]
Charlotte's central location between the population centers of the northeast and southeast has made it a transportation focal point and primary distribution center, with two major interstate highways, [[Interstate 85|I-85]] and [[Interstate 77|I-77]], intersecting near the city's center. The latter highway also connects to the population centers of the [[Rust Belt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.charlottemagazine.com/from-rust-belt-to-bible-belt/|title=From Rust Belt to Bible Belt|last=Markovich|first=Jeremy|date=August 26, 2014|website=Charlotte Magazine|access-date=February 14, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/latest-news/article9012590.html|title=Rust Belt folks take liking to the area|last=Baldwin|first=Amy|date=September 28, 2008|website=[[Charlotte Observer]]|access-date=February 14, 2022}}</ref>

Charlotte's [[beltway]], designated [[Interstate 485|I-485]] and simply called "485" by local residents, was under construction for over 20 years, but funding problems slowed its progress.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/history-made-i-485-opens-40-years-after-planning-b/52128080/|title=Historical Perspective: I-485 opens 40 years after planning began|date=June 5, 2015|website=wsoctv.com|access-date=June 11, 2022}}</ref> The final segment was finished in mid-2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/charlotteouterloop/|title=NCDOT: I-485 Charlotte Outer Loop|website=Ncdot.gov|access-date=June 13, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621073437/http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/CharlotteOuterLoop/|archive-date=June 21, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> I-485 has a total circumference of approximately {{convert|67|mi|abbr=on}}. Within the city, the [[Interstate 277 (North Carolina)|I-277]] loop freeway encircles Charlotte's uptown (usually referred to by its two separate sections, the [[John M. Belk|John Belk Freeway]] and the Brookshire Freeway) while [[Charlotte Route 4]] links major roads in a loop between I-277 and I-485. [[Independence Freeway]], which carries [[U.S. Route 74|U.S. 74]] and links downtown with the Matthews area, is undergoing an expansion and widening in the eastern part of the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/traffic/ncdot-considering-optional-toll-lanes-to-relieve-congestion-on-independence-blvd/275-42dc93ad-b231-4d39-b0bc-8368c4aecc69|title=Toll lanes being considered for Independence Blvd|author=WCNC Staff|date=January 29, 2019|website=WCNC.com|access-date=January 29, 2019}}</ref>