The bridge was not only a bottleneck for traffic moving between Charlotte and Greensboro (and between the larger metropolitan areas of Atlanta and Washington, D.C./Baltimore); it was also structurally deficient and in need of replacement.

In terms of cost, national importance, and imminent structural failure, it became the highest-profile construction project in North Carolina.

One planned road was the Salisbury bypass, 15 miles (24 km) long with a $1 million 880-foot (270 m) twin-span bridge over the Yadkin River.

[2] After the September 11 attacks, the I-85 bridge was regarded as a potential target for terrorists due to its status as a vital link for the region and even the East Coast.

[4] The project to build a wider, safer replacement bridge was expected to cost $147 million, with right-of-way acquisition in the years 2003 through 2005 and construction starting by 2007 or 2008.

[5] In 2005, the state prepared to ask for bids, but concerns about damage to the Trading Ford Native American cultural site delayed the project two years.

[9] On September 29, 2010, state and local officials held a groundbreaking ceremony on the Davidson County side of the project.