On Wednesday, the North Carolina Department of Transportation formally approved a unique request from UNC: two stretches of Interstate 40 in Orange and Durham Counties will be officially renamed in honor of former basketball head coaches Dean Smith and Roy Williams.

The portion of the highway between exits 266 and 270 will be renamed the Roy Williams Highway, while the stretch between exits 270 and 273 will be christened the Dean Smith Highway. Both stretches provide transportation to and from the Dean Smith Center and the UNC campus.

“Dean Smith and Roy Williams are two of the greatest to ever have coached college basketball,” Governor Roy Cooper said in a statement. “And while their combined five national championships helped make UNC one of the premier basketball institutions in the country, it is their work off the court and in their communities that truly sets them apart. North Carolinians across the state are grateful for their leadership and these honorary road namings will help us recognize them for their hard work and sacrifice.”

Smith and Williams combined to coach 67 seasons at Carolina, winning 1,364 games and five national championships. Both are also members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

“I’m flattered and consider myself to be a very lucky person to receive such an honor,” said Williams. “This came as a complete surprise. I never had an idea this was in the works. It’s something our family and friends will share with a great deal of pride and will mean even more years from now as our grandkids and their families can see those signs with pride and enjoyment.”

Smith’s widow, Linnea, and his five children accepted the honor on the late coach’s behalf.

“This is a tremendous honor,” the family said in a statement. “We are grateful to the Town of Chapel Hill and the North Carolina Department of Transportation for arranging this lasting recognition. Though we know our dad didn’t want to be in the spotlight, he traveled these roads often both as a recruiter and a competitor. We hope as others drive through this area, either coming to Chapel Hill, supporting a home or rival team or are just passing through, they might have a positive memory of Coach Smith, about a game, the basketball teams he coached or time spent in this town and at the university.”

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
Here's a List of Every Transfer to Join the UNC Men's Basketball Program This Offseason (2025)
Several transfers have announced their intentions to join head coach Hubert Davis and UNC next season. Here’s a list of those incoming players: Luka Bogavac – SC Derby (ABA League) The first international commitment of the Hubert Davis-Jim Tanner era, Luka Bogavac was one of the top college-eligible players in Europe that college teams had […]
UNC Men's Basketball's ACC Opponents Revealed for 2025-26 Season
The ACC announced the conference opponents for each school in men’s basketball for the 2025-26 season. The coming season will be the first since the league shifted back to an 18-game conference schedule. With the change, UNC will play two opponents twice, 14 opponents once and not play one other league school at all during […]
Report: UNC Men's Basketball to Begin Home-And-Home Series With Georgetown
According to a report from college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, UNC will begin a home-and-home series with Georgetown beginning this coming season. The first game will reportedly be in Chapel Hill in December, with a return trip to Georgetown scheduled for the following season. NEWS: Georgetown and North Carolina will begin a home-and-home series this […]
Hubert Davis Named to Coaching Staff for USA Basketball U19 Camp
UNC men’s basketball head coach Hubert Davis was named to the coaching staff for the 2025 USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team training camp in Colorado next month. The camp will begin June 14 in preparation for the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup in Switzerland later in the summer. USA Basketball Men's U19 National […]
Chansky's Notebook: The Straw
UNC's Larry Miller was the dream All-American, a 6-foot-4 gunslinging southpaw who was handsome as a devil and a ferocious competitor.
UNC Men's Basketball Star Larry Miller, 2-Time ACC Player of the Year, Dies at 79
Larry Miller, who starred for the UNC men’s basketball team under head coach Dean Smith in the 1960s, died Sunday in Pennsylvania, the program announced Monday afternoon. Miller was 79. Rest in peace, Larry Miller. A Tar Heel forever 🩵 🔗: https://t.co/ngLUgPrBx6 pic.twitter.com/jCpzOFicOR — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) May 12, 2025 Miller helped the Tar Heels […]
Chansky's Notebook: Deja Blue?
You had to keep scrolling and scrolling on ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25 poll to find UNC, slotted in at No. 25.
ACC Returning to 18-Game Schedule for Men's Basketball Beginning in 2025-26 Season
The ACC announced it would be returning to an 18-game conference schedule model for men’s basketball Wednesday afternoon. The change will go into effect immediately. The league had been using a 20-game format since the 2019-20 season (with the exception of the 2020-21 season). “As a league, we have been transparent about the importance of […]
Chansky's Notebook: Time to Heal?
Speculation is rife that Zayden High will return to the UNC basketball program this coming season. That is premature.
UNC Men's Basketball to Face Ohio State in Atlanta For CBS Sports Classic
Another key non-conference date for UNC next season has been finalized. The Tar Heels will face Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on December 20. A tip-off time will be announced later, though UNC’s game is confirmed to be the first of the day’s doubleheader. Mark your calendars […]
›