Wade Avenue
Wade Avenue | |
|---|---|
 Freeway portion of Wade Avenue in purple, surface road in red | |
| Major junctions | |
| west end |  I-40 near Raleigh |
| east end |    US 401 / US 70 / NC 50 in Raleigh |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Highway system | |
Wade Avenue (western segment also known as Raleigh-Chapel Hill Expressway or Wade Avenue Extension) is a major road in The Triangle region of North Carolina that links Interstate 40 (I-40), I-440 (Cliff Benson Beltline), and downtown Raleigh. The western segment of this road is a four-lane freeway and the eastern segment is an urban boulevard; I-440 beltway splits the segments. Wade Avenue provides a shortcut to North Raleigh for I-40 traffic (to and from Durham) via I-440; thus, along the west segment the eastbound direction is signed as TO I-440 and the westbound direction is signed as TO I-40. Wade Avenue's eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 401 (US 401; Capital Boulevard), shortly after an interchange with US 70 (Glenwood Avenue) and North Carolina Highway 50 (NC 50; Creedmoor Road).
The Wade Avenue/I-440/US 1 interchange is subject to frequent traffic jams, as is the Wade Avenue/I-40 interchange. The first exit off Wade Avenue traveling east (Edwards Mill Road) is commonly used as a way to get to the PNC Arena and Carter–Finley Stadium, which are easily visible from the freeway. The Blue Ridge Road exit is commonly used as a route to get to the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, and the North Carolina Museum of Art.
Wade Avenue is designated Secondary Road 1728 (SC 1728) from I-40 to Glenwood Avenue. The short piece east of Glenwood Avenue carries US 70 and NC 50.[1] Prior to the completion of I-40 to South Raleigh (and on to Wilmington), and the southern portion of the Beltline (I-440), I-40 was temporarily signed along Wade Avenue's western segment, where it terminated at the Raleigh Beltline, which was then just U.S. Highway 1/64.
The road is named after Stacy Wilson Wade. He was the North Carolina Secretary of State from 1933 to 1936. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees for North Carolina State University.[2][circular reference]
Nearby landmarks
- PNC Arena
- Carter–Finley Stadium
- North Carolina State Fairgrounds
- Meredith College
- North Carolina Museum of Art
- Peace College
- North Carolina State University
See also
- Hillsborough Street, which runs parallel to Wade Avenue to the south.