freeway alignment bypassing Spindale, Forest City, Ellenboro, and Mooresboro; the old route was replaced by an extension of US 74 Business. In 1973, US 74 was realigned onto new road south of Lumberton. In 1975, US 74/US 76 was rerouted onto new freeway bypass south of Leland and then east of Belville, its old alignment becoming secondary roads. In 1976, US 74/US 76 was bypassed north of Chadbourn and Whiteville, leaving behind US 74 Bus./US 76 Bus. In 1984, Maxton was bypassed, replaced by an extension of US 74 Bus. In 1985, US 74 was rerouted north of Kings Mountain onto new freeway bypass; its old alignment becoming US 74 Bus. In 1986, Hallsboro and Lake Waccamaw were bypassed; its old alignment replaced by NC 214. Also in 1986, US 74 was extended west, from Asheville to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The routing extension started at its former western terminus with US 70, going northerly, in concurrency with US 70, to I-240, where it overlapped briefly before joining US 19/US 23. From Asheville, in concurrency with US 19/US 23, it went through Canton and Lake Junaluska. From Lake Junaluska, in concurrency with US 23, it went through Waynesville. Near Dillsboro it switches US 23 for US 441 and continues till it splits north within the Qualla Boundary. West of Bryson City, it overlaps with NC 28. In Topton, it joins with US 129 and continues southwesterly till at Murphy, where it joins with US 64 and separates from US 19/US 129. Heading west, in concurrency with US 64, it enters Tennessee; traversing through Ducktown, it reaches Cleveland, where it then follows the US 64 Bypass to I-75. Continuing southeasterly, as a hidden concurrency with I-75, it connects with Chattanooga, ending at its new terminus at I-24. In 1988, US 74 was extended east to its current eastern terminus in Wrightsville Beach. In 1990, US 74 was rerouted onto I-277 (John Belk Freeway), this left a section of Independence Boulevard that was still overlapped with NC 27. In 1992-1993, Bolton was bypassed to the north, with its old alignment becoming an extension of NC 214. In 1994, US 74 was rerouted onto I-40 for , in Asheville, and then onto I-26, from Asheville to Columbus. East of Columbus, it traverses along new freeway to Forest City, where it meets back with its old alignment. The former routing between Asheville and Forest City becomes