NORTH CAROLINA – If you are new to North Carolina, you might think the “Southern charm” extends to the highways. You would be wrong. Driving in the Tar Heel State is a tale of two extremes. In the mountains, you have narrow lanes and blind curves. In the cities, you have high-speed aggression that rivals Atlanta.
But there is one specific stretch of road that locals consistently rank as the most stressful drive in the state: I-85 in Charlotte (The “Concord Gauntlet”).
It is a high-speed corridor with a 70 mph speed limit, but traffic often flows at 85+, and aggressive weaving is the norm. But Charlotte isn’t the only danger zone. From the “stroad” chaos of Raleigh’s Capital Boulevard to the endless construction of I-26, here are the red zones you need to watch out for in 2026.
1. The “Speedway”: I-85 (Charlotte to Concord)
While I-77 gets complaints for gridlock, I-85 gets the reputation for danger. The stretch running from Charlotte City Center northeast toward Concord Mills is intense…