Interstate 285 (I-285) in the US state of North Carolina is the designation for a freeway connecting the cities of Lexington and Winston-Salem. The route was approved in February 2018 and was first signed in November 2018. An auxiliary route of I-85, it branches off of its parent route and runs northeast, bypassing central Lexington, before turning due north and heading toward Winston-Salem, terminating at an interchange with I-40. I-285 is cosigned with US Highway 52 (US 52) for its entire route, and as of November 2018, still uses US 52 milemarkers and exit numbers. Other routes cosigned along parts of the route include I-85 Business (I-85 Bus), US 29, US 70, and North Carolina Highway 8 (NC 8). I-285 has been approved for an extension along the US 52 freeway through Winston-Salem to meet the future Winston-Salem Northern Beltway. Route description The southern terminus of I-285 is at the southwestern corner of the city of Lexington, at a partial interchange with I-85, with northbound-to-northbound and southbound-to-southbound the only possible movement; other directions require the use of surface streets in Lexington, using exit 84 (NC 47), the first exit on I-285. From the southern terminus, the route is also cosigned with US 52, US 29, US 70, and I-85 Bus. The route follows the western boundary of Lexington's corporate limits, acting as a bypass of the city. Exit 85 is for Green Needles Road, while exit 86 provides access to Salisbury Road and Main Street, an old alignment of US 29/US 70. Exit 87 is a partial interchange and marks the northern end of the concurrency with I-85 Bus/US 29/US 70, which branch off to the northeast here. Exit 89 (US 64/Center Street) provides access for drivers heading from southbound I-85 Bus and northbound I-285, and vice-versa, as those movements are not covered at the direct interchange at exit 87. North of US 64, the route passes the communities of Bethesda and Welcome. At exit 89, NC 8 joins the freeway and the road turns from northeast to due north. The next interchange is exit 97 (Old US 52) which provides access to both Welcome and the community of Midway. After exit 100 (Hickory Tree Road), I-285 enters the city of Winston-Salem. Exit 103 is for South Main Street, and exit 105 is for Clemmonsville Road. The I-285 designation ends at exit 107 (I-40), though the freeway continues on as