AM_Carolinas Discover CLT_Q4 2018 | Page 9

Strong transportation infrastructure • Intersection of three interstates: I-77, I-85, I-40 provide direct access across all points north, south, east and west • Two beltways around entire Metro Charlotte: Loops I-485, and I-277 • Six rail lines in Charlotte, with links to 22 states in the eastern United States. • 25,000 daily Lynx Light Rail passengers Easy port connection to the rest of the nation The Port of Charleston is the busiest container port along the Southeast and Gulf coasts, located nearly 210 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The Charleston Harbor is being deepened from 47 feet to 52 feet to meet the depth requirements of the largest container ships that call into Charleston; this will allow all post-panamax ships to be served 24 hours a day. The deepening project is expected to be complete by 2020. Once completed, the Port of Charleston will be the deepest port on the East Coast. Ongoing expansion The Lynx Light Rail connection serves the Greater Charlotte area with 33,000 daily passengers. As of March 2018, the Blue Line spans across 26 stations from Pineville, through the heart of Uptown, and ends in University. The Blue Line offers nearly 19 miles of congestion-free commuting. 85 Highways: I-77, I-85, I-485 77 LYNX Red Line* LYNX Blue Line CityLYNX Gold Line* 277 485 LYNX Silver Line* *Proposed transit lines to be completed by 2031 Source: Charlotte Observer 9