74 onto a new divided four-lane highway from Robbinsville to Stecoah. This new routing will feature controlled at-grade intersections, viaduct and tunnel (at Stecoah Gap). At a cost of $383 million, right-of-way acquisition is scheduled to begin in 2014 and construction to begin in 2016; however, this is subject to reprioritization. The project is part of an overall project to bypass the current routing through the Nantahala Gorge, where bottlenecks are common along the two-lane highway through protected valley area within the Nantahala National Forest. The overall project, from Andrews to Almond, would complete a four-lane expressway from Cherokee County to Asheville. The US 74 Bypass, in Cleveland County, is a controlled-access highway bypassing north of Shelby. When completed, it will improve vehicle capacity along the US 74 corridor, reduce future traffic congestion, increase safety and improve roadway continuity between I-26 and I-85. Being built in six sections, the cost is estimated at $295.9 million; currently, three of the six sections are fully funded with construction starting in 2014, ending in 2017. In Mooresboro, there are plans to convert the last remaining at-grade intersections (US 74 Business/Lattimore Road/Academy Street) into an interchange, as well as improving the bridges over Sandy Run Creek. When the interchange and the rest of the Shelby Bypass are completed, US 74 will become a full freeway between I-26 in Asheville and I-85 in Kings Mountain. The Independence Widening project, in Mecklenburg County, is to enhance and improve traffic flow and safety along US 74 in east Charlotte, by converting the corridor into an expressway grade highway from Center City to Matthews. Current construction is being done on three new interchanges at Sharon-Amity Road, Idlewild Road and Conference Drive. The cost of this section is at $101.2 million, with construction completed by October 15, 2016. In Union and Anson counties, the US 74 freeway upgrade and Wadesboro Bypass is an estimated $741 million project. Plans include linking with future Monroe Bypass to existing Rockingham Bypass with upgrading to existing facilities to freeway standards and bypass the cities of both Marshville (to the south) and Wadesboro (to the north). The project is currently unfunded. Junction list See also Special routes of U.S. Route 74 North Carolina Bicycle Route 2 North Carolina Bicycle Route 5 References External links NCRoads.com: US 74 NCRoads.com: US 74-A NCRoads.com: US 74 Business Endpoints of U.S. Highway 74 74 74 74 Transportation in