Delivering and hauling in Gastonia and Gaston County, NC

The short version

Gaston County sits just west of Charlotte, across the Catawba River. I-85 runs straight through it, past Kings Mountain, Bessemer City, Gastonia, Lowell, McAdenville and Belmont. [3]

NCDOT plans to widen about 10 miles of I-85 here, from US 321 (Exit 17) to NC 273 (Exit 27). Expect lane closures in that stretch once construction starts. [4][6]

New freight is coming. Walmart's big-item fulfillment center in Kings Mountain is due in 2027, and several plants have announced Gaston sites since late 2025. [10][11][12]

Everything here is as of October 2026. Road work, plant plans and local rules change, so call the receiver and check DriveNC before you roll. [4][18]

Getting in: the I-85 exits

Coming up from South Carolina, you pass Grover and Kings Mountain in Cleveland County first. Exit 8 is NC 161 into Kings Mountain. [3]

Exit 10 splits US 29 and US 74. Exit 10A is US 29 north and US 74 east. Exit 10B is US 74 west toward Kings Mountain and Shelby. [3]

Exit 13 is Edgewood Road for Bessemer City. Exit 14 is NC 274 toward east Bessemer City and west Gastonia. [3]

Exit 17 is US 321, the main north-south road, toward downtown Gastonia and Lincolnton. Southbound, it is signed 17A and 17B. The interchange was rebuilt and finished in February 2021. [3]

East of there: Exit 19 is NC 7, Exit 20 is NC 279 (New Hope Road) toward Dallas, Exit 21 is Cox Road and Exit 22 is Main Street for Cramerton and Lowell. [3]

Exit 23 is NC 7 for Lowell and McAdenville. Exit 26 is Belmont-Mount Holly Road, and Exit 27 is NC 273 for Belmont and Mount Holly, just before the river. [3]

After Exit 27, I-85 crosses the Catawba River into Mecklenburg County. The first Charlotte-side exit is 29, Sam Wilson Road. [3]

These exit numbers come from a public exit list, not an NCDOT page. Our tip: get the receiver's exit in writing. NC 7 has two exits, 19 and 23. [3]

The I-85 widening and other road work

NCDOT's project page says the widening from six to eight lanes is in planning and development. It also replaces interchanges and highway and railroad bridges. [4]

Phase 1 runs from Exit 17 to just west of Exit 23, with Cox Road and US 29/74 work in Gastonia. Phase 2 runs on to just past Exit 27, with the NC 7 and US 29/74 intersection in Belmont. [4]

Phase 3 replaces the Groves Street bridge in Lowell and three railroad bridges. NCDOT lists about $1.5 billion in total estimates for all three phases, subject to change. [4]

In October 2025, NCDOT said the first contract, Exit 23 to Exit 27, would likely start construction in summer 2026. We found no NCDOT notice that work has started as of October 2026. [5]

Even routine work closes lanes. In August 2026, bridge inspections closed I-85's left lanes from Moores Chapel Road to NC 7 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. NC 273 also dropped to one lane with flaggers by day. [6]

Those inspections covered the bridges over I-85 at Aberdeen Boulevard, South Church Street, South Main Street, Groves Street, McAdenville Road, Belmont-Mount Holly Road and NC 273. [6]

On US 29/74 (East Franklin Boulevard) in Gastonia, NCDOT plans to add a third eastbound lane for about 0.76 miles, from Cox Road to just past Lineberger Road. Its June 2026 page lists an August 2026 construction award as preliminary. [7]

NCDOT has also studied NC 279 (South New Hope Road), from Union New Hope Road to Redbud Drive, to add capacity. We found no official start date. [8]

You may hear about Catawba Crossings, a proposed new road and river bridge from South New Hope Road to Steele Creek Road. WFAE reported in 2022 it had no money and was likely decades away. [9]

Our I-85 corridor guide covers the widening's design and the Lane Construction contract in more detail. [5]

Who ships and receives here

Walmart is building a 1.2-million-square-foot fulfillment center at 799 Sara Lee Access Road in Kings Mountain, on the Gaston side. The state announced it in September 2025. [10]

It will ship large items, such as patio furniture and lawnmowers, straight to customers. It is expected to open in 2027 with more than 300 jobs. [10]

Fit Precast plans a $102 million plant and headquarters on 72 acres off South US 321 in south Gaston County. It makes concrete pipe, storm structures and box culverts. [11]

Our tip: precast concrete usually means heavy flatbed and step-deck loads. Ask about weights and crane times before you book. The county's November 2025 release gives no opening date. [11]

Healsee Capsules bought the former Hunter Douglas building in South Ridge Business Park, Bessemer City. It makes plant-based empty capsules and was targeting late 2026 to start. [12]

The county said Healsee expects to add more than 100 jobs over about two years. Our tip: a new plant ramping up often means irregular inbound freight at first. [12]

Textum OPCO is renovating a 550,000-square-foot building in McAdenville for aerospace and defense textiles and composites. The county says work begins in 2026 and ends in late 2027. [13]

That project adds 34 jobs, for 82 at the McAdenville site within two years. Our tip: renovations usually bring equipment freight before regular product loads. [13]

Apple Creek Corporate Center is a county-built park. HEYCO-Werk USA, an automotive plastics molder, picked a 10-acre site there in January 2024. [14]

We didn't find dock hours or gate rules for any of these sites. Get the gate, the window and any check-in steps from the load tender or the receiver. [10][11][12]

Truck limits and posted bridges

NCDOT's Oct. 9, 2026 table of posted primary-route bridges has two Gaston rows. NC 273 over a Duke Power feeder canal is posted at 26 tons single and 39 tons tractor-trailer. [1]

That NC 273 bridge's map point falls south of Belmont, near the river. The table names no town, so check the signs if your stop is on that side. [1]

The other row is NC 274 over a branch of Mill Creek, posted 26 tons single and 31 tons tractor-trailer. Its map point falls north of Cherryville. [1]

NCDOT's truck restriction table, dated March 5, 2024, has only two Gaston rows. Both are the I-85 left-lane bans for trucks with three or more axles over 26,000 lb. [2]

The table has no Gaston rows for US 321, US 29/74, NC 279, NC 7 or NC 273. Those roads still have work zones, posted bridges and any local signs. [1][2]

We couldn't read Gastonia's city code, or the codes for Belmont, Mount Holly or Bessemer City. NCDOT says towns can't ban trucks from state highway system roads, but town street signs still apply. [19]

Rail in Gaston County

Rail lines cross I-85 here. The widening's third phase replaces two Norfolk Southern railroad bridges and one Piedmont & Northern (P&N) bridge. [4]

The P&N is a state-owned line of about 13 miles from Mount Holly to Gastonia, with a short branch toward Belmont. A 2015 report said it meets Norfolk Southern at Gastonia and CSX at Mount Holly. [15]

That 2015 report covered a new operator lease. We couldn't confirm who runs the P&N as of October 2026. Our tip: if a load mentions transload or rail, ask the shipper which railroad serves it. [15]

Scales, rest areas and a call-ahead checklist

The Highway Patrol lists one I-85 station near here: the Charlotte station, about 10 miles southwest of Charlotte, with four scales. NCDOT's 2023 parking plan says a newer northbound station opened in Gaston County. [16][17]

That plan named the Gaston northbound station as one of few with room for trucks overnight. Our weigh stations guide has the details. [17]

There is no public rest area in Gaston County. The closest is the I-85 welcome center at mile marker 2 in Cleveland County, northbound only. DriveNC listed 18 truck spaces there in September 2026. [18]

Before a Gaston County run, check DriveNC for I-85 night closures, ask whether your stop is near the NC 273 or NC 274 posted bridges, and confirm the exit. [1][6][18]