 In August 2018, NCDOT announced the project will be funded though in the upcoming 2020-2029 State Transportation Program document, first released as a draft in January 2019 and finalized in September 2019.The project will be let in October 2019 with construction to start soon after.The northernmost section, along US 220 from NC 68 north to the Virginia border, may be the last segment completed with NCDOT waiting to see whether Virginia is going to commit to constructing their section of I-73 south of Roanoke before commitments are made for funding.