I-485 & I-77 Charlotte Interchange

via Google Earth

The new four-level interchange at I-485 and I-77 in Charlotte was designed to improve traffic flow through this congested area.  The interchange is part of the southwest Outer Loop around Charlotte.  To save costs on bridge construction, the North Carolina Department of Transportation used weathered steel and single span, pre-stressed concrete on the beams.  The upper bridge rises 90 feet above the existing terrain.  To retain the sloped earth around the interchange, reinforced earth walls were built along some parts of the interchange.