Wade Avenue | |
|---|---|
 Freeway portion of Wade Avenue in purple, surface road in red | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 6.1 mi (9.8 km) |
| 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 |
| County | Wake |
| Highway system | |
Wade Avenue (western segment also known as Raleigh-Chapel Hill Expressway or Wade Avenue Extension) is a route in The Triangle region of North Carolina that links Interstate 40 (I-40), I-440, and downtown Raleigh. The western segment of this road is a four-lane freeway and the eastern segment is an urban boulevard with a mix of at-grade intersections and grade-separated interchanges; I-440 (known locally as the Beltline) 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 (SR 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 was named after Senator Benjamin Wade, a prominent anti-slavery figure, at a time when it passed through a Black neighborhood built in the 1870s.[2]
