Just in time for Spring and Summer trips to the beach, Charlotteans are in for some good news.
Most of us who drive from the Charlotte area to either the NC beaches or the Myrtle Beach, SC area must use Highway 74 for at least the first part of the journey. Well, now that the Monroe Expressway is open, we will all be able to get to the beach faster! In most cases, about 30 minutes faster!
Check out the map.
The Monroe Expressway is also known as the “U.S. 74 Bypass Toll Road”
it opened in November 2018. The road is 18 miles long and extends from Hwy 74 near the I-485 interchange, to Marshville just east of the city of Monroe. There are 8 interchanges and access points along the full length of the Expressway. The Expressway bypasses 25 stop lights on Hwy 74, as well as local business traffic in Monroe. The road is expected to ease some of the heavy commercial truck traffic on local Hwy 74. The speed limit on the Expressway is 65 mph. The new road will not only save you time, but your sanity by avoiding miles and miles of slow and hectic traffic.
The Monroe Expressway is a toll road and costs $3.92 for a standard passenger vehicle to travel the full length of it. Vehicles with more than 2 axles pay more. Tolls and mileage traveled is checked electronically against vehicle license plates. You can sign up for an NC Quick Pass and pre-pay tolls for a 35% discount, or the NCDOT will simply send you a bill for your toll charges by mail. Get your NC Quick Pass here
