NC 175 heads north, running just east of Chatuge Lake and is located in the Nantahala National Forest.

The Fred L. Woodard Sr. Bridge carries the highway over the Shooting Creek arm of the lake, near the northeast end.

[5] The current bridge began construction in August 2014 just to the east of the original, destroying the business which had stood on the southeast corner of 175 and old 64 for decades.

It opened in September 2015, and at the request of NCDOT, the TVA subsequently lowered the lake level in October to make it shallow enough to complete demolition of the old bridge starting in November.

[6] Environmental assessments are expected to be done in February 2017, with taking of property from homeowners along the route starting in July 2018, and construction beginning in January 2020.