The eastern terminus of I-587 is located at US 264 and North Carolina Highway 11 Bypass (NC 11 Byp.)

On establishment of the North Carolina Highway System, the primary route between Wilson and Greenville was NC 91.

I-587 begins an easterly turn north of Walstonburg and interchanges with NC 91 and US 264, before completing the curve west of Farmville.

I-587 continues for another 6.6 miles (10.6 km) through rural North Carolina before intersecting US 264 and NC 11 Byp.

[2][3] The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) measures average daily traffic volumes along many of the roadways it maintains.

[8][9] On September 7, 2016, Governor Pat McCrory said he would ask for the section of US 264 between Zebulon and Greenville to be designated an Interstate Highway.

[11][12][13] In April 2017, NCDOT began posting Future I-587 signs along the length of the route.

[17] NCDOT intends to extend I-587 west along US 264 from its current western terminus in Wilson to US 64 and US 264 in Zebulon.

[18] In addition, the department expects to extend the designation of I-87 northward from its current terminus in Wendell along US 64 toward Norfolk, Virginia.

[19] Currently, NCDOT has a timetable to upgrade US 264 between Zebulon and Wilson to Interstate standards between 2025-2026.