History with ‘Hud’: Remembering when I-40 first connected Wilmington to the west coast

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Interstate 40 is one of the most important roadways in North Carolina and the country. Extending more than 2,500 miles all the way from Wilmington to California, the paved interstate is used by millions each day. But the connection to Wilmington almost didn’t happen.

A rough draft plan for an interstate system linking major cities began in 1943, with plans for a major highway from Greensboro to Tennessee. The roadway was officially set in motion by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, and was given the number 40 after its approval on August 14, 1957.

The western part of the highway was built parallel to a large portion of historic U.S. Route 66, with the eastern terminus initially planned to stop in Greensboro at the intersection of I-85.

But in 1968, miles of interstate were added to connect I-40 to I-95 south of Raleigh.

It wasn’t until much later when the Federal Highway Administration approved extending the road all the way to the coast following decades of campaigning from law makers, with Wilmington being the new ending point.

The last segment connecting the Port City to the rest of the road was opened for traffic on June 29, 1990 — connecting Raleigh to Wilmington and creating the third longest interstate in the country.

Following its dedication, which thousands of people attended, a sign was constructed displaying the distance of 2,554 miles from Wilmington to Barstow, California. However, the sign is no longer there after the NCDOT chose not to replace it in 2009 following frequent thefts.

Since opening in 1990, the population of Wilmington has exploded from 56,000 people to more than 120,000 people today. A big part of that growth being the road which made getting to and from the Port City much easier.

Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (‘Hud’) has always had two major loves – weather and history. While you can watch him talk about weather each evening on WWAY, he looks forward to bringing you a little piece of history each Thursday on WWAY’s website.

To read other History with ‘Hud’ segments, click HERE.