Special routes of U.S. Route 74
Several special routes of U.S. Route 74 exist. In order from west to east they are as follows.
Current
Asheville–Forest City alternate route
U.S. Route 74 Alternate was established in 1994, replaced the old mainline US 74 route when US 74 was moved onto the Solon David Smart Memorial Highway and I-26. The alignment of US 74A varies greatly from the current parent route. US 74A traverses through downtown Asheville, goes through the mountain resort communities of Chimney Rock and Lake Lure, continues to Ruth, passes between the towns of Rutherfordton and Spindale, and bypasses Forest City to the south. US 74, joins I-40 eastbound west of Asheville, and switches onto I-26 eastbound through Fletcher, bypassing most of urban Asheville. Continuing along a southeasterly course, the parent US 74 passes by Hendersonville and splits from I-26 at Columbus; after passing south of Rutherfordton, US 74 meets the eastern terminus of US 74A.US 74A is concurrent with US 64 from Ruth in the east through Lake Lure, where NC 9 joins, and Chimney Rock; the three routes separate in Bat Cave. NC 9 splits to the north, US 64 to the south; US 74A alone continues west from that point. In Asheville, US 74A has many concurrencies; US 70 is concurrent with US 74A in east and downtown Asheville and Interstate 26, I-240, US 19/US 23 are concurrent with US 74A west of downtown. Near US 74A's western terminus, US 19/US 23 are concurrent with US 74A. NC 81 overlaps with US 74A for a short segment in southeast Asheville. Between Asheville and Gerton, US 74A bears the street name Charlotte Highway. East of Gerton, the road is named the Gerton Highway until arriving at Bat Cave. Through towns and cities, the road takes various names including Main Street and Railroad Avenue.
US 74A is overlapped by two North Carolina scenic byways: Drovers Road and Black Mountain Rag.
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Rutherfordton–Forest City business loop
U.S. Route 74 Business was established in 1960 as a renumbering of US 74A, it traversed along Washington Street and Charlotte Road in Rutherfordton. In December 1970, US 74 was extended east through Spindale, Forest City, and Ellenboro when US 74 was placed on new freeway bypass. In 1994, US 74 was moved south onto a new alignment towards Columbus, converting the old mainline into US 74A; as a result, US 74 Business was rerouted in Rutherfordton to go south in concurrency with US 221 to the US 74 freeway.;Major junctions
Shelby Bypass
U.S. Route 74 Bypass is the future designation of the Shelby Bypass; currently being constructed in phases. The designation, listed on NCDOT documents, has not been submitted/approved by AASHTO.First segment opened in April 2020 from US 74, east of Mooresboro, to NC 226. In June 2025, the second segment was opened, extending the bypass to NC 150. The last segment of the bypass will reunite with US 74 east of Shelby, near Long Branch Road, with an anticipated completion date in 2029.
Shelby business loop
U.S. Route 74 Business was established in 1960 as a renumbering of US 74A, following Marion Street and Warren Street. In December 1971, the eastern portion of Warren Street was changed, forcing eastbound US 74 Business to be rerouted north on DeKalb Street then onto Marion Street.;Major junctions
Kings Mountain business loop
U.S. Route 74 Business was established in 1984, it was a renumbering of the old mainline US 74 through Kings Mountain. US 74 Business begins at US 74 west of Kings Mountain. The route is routed along Shelby Road into the town. US 74 Business runs through the downtown of area Kings Mountain before reaching US 74 again on the eastern side of Kings Mountain.;Major junctions
Monroe Expressway
U.S. Route 74 Bypass, also known as the Monroe Expressway, is a toll road that bypass north of Monroe, between Stallings and east of Wingate. The highway's purpose is to improve mobility and capacity along the US 74 corridor. At a cost of approximately $840 million and right-of-way acquisition already completed, construction was originally to begin in October 2012; however, because of several environmental issues and litigation, the project was delayed until May 2015. On November 27, 2018, the Monroe Expressway opened to traffic.The Monroe Expressway uses all-electronic tolling, with tolls payable with valid transponder or Bill by mail, which uses automatic license plate recognition. Tolls are collected per gantry, seven in total, which are located between each exit along the bypass. As of July 24, 2018, the total trip rate is $2.54 with valid transponder and $3.92 via bill by mail.
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Rockingham–Hamlet business loop
U.S. Route 74 Business was established in 2003 as a renumbering of the mainline US 74 through Rockingham and Hamlet.;Major junctions
Laurinburg–Maxton business loop
U.S. Route 74 Business was established in 1967 as a renumbering of mainline US 74 through Laurinburg. In 1984, it was extended east replacing mainline US 74 through Maxton.;Major junctions
Maxton–Lumberton alternate route
U.S. Route 74 Alternate was established in 2007 when mainline US 74 and I-74 were realigned to a new freeway south of the old route, between Maxton to near Lumberton. The route, just south of the banks of the Lumber River, goes through mostly farmland. In between, NC 710 connect travelers to Pembroke, where the University of North Carolina at Pembroke is located. Highway signs along the route are signed as "Alternate" or "ALT" above US 74; as opposed to US 74A, which is used in Western North Carolina.;Major junctions
Chadbourn–Whiteville business loop
U.S. Route 74 Business was established in 1975 to replace the old mainline US 74 through Chadbourn and Whiteville. The route is mostly in concurrency with US 76 Business.;Major junctions