U.S. Route 70 in North Carolina

US 70 travels through several diverse regions in North Carolina, including the Bald and Black Mountains of Western North Carolina, the rural Foothills, the urban Piedmont, the farmlands of the Inner Banks, and the coastal communities of the Crystal Coast. All of US 70 east of Durham, and smaller segments including Statesville to Salisbury and Lexington to Greensboro, are listed in the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility. US 70 also overlaps the Appalachian Medley, from Hot Springs to Walnut. Western Mountains and Foothills US 70, in concurrency with US 25, enters from Tennessee as a two-lane mountain highway meandering through the Bald Mountains. In Hot Springs it crosses the French Broad River and the Appalachian Trail, then goes northeasterly through Tanyard Gap to Hurricane. Proceeding south, it goes through the Walnut Mountains and then joins NC 213 near Walnut. Continuing on a more southeasterly routing, it becomes the US 25 Bus./US 70 Bus. split-off towards downtown Marshall at Mashburn Gap. At the Hayes Run Road interchange, NC 213 splits and continues towards Mars Hill. Before US 25 Bus./US 70 Bus. rejoins at Ivy River Road, the highway widens to four lanes; afterwards, it follows along Ivy Creek before crossing the Madison/Buncombe county line. In Weaverville, US 25/US 70 joins Future I-26/US 19/US 23 (exit 19), then continues south on the Morris L. McGough Freeway to Asheville. US 25 separates at Merrimon Avenue (exit 23), continuing solo into downtown Asheville. At the Patton Avenue interchange, US 70 switches to an I-240/US 74A concurrency as it goes east along the Billy Graham Freeway. On the eastern side of Beaucatcher Mountain, US 70/US ;74A goes through a commercial corridor that leads to Asheville Mall, where US 74A splits and continues along South Tunnel Road and connects with I-240 at a unique three-level diamond interchange. In the East Asheville area is the historic Oteen Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District as well as the Blue Ridge Parkway. At Jones Mountain, US 70 leaves the Asheville city limits and begins its parallel north of I-40, as it goes through Swannanoa and Black Mountain. At Ridgecrest, US 70 merges with I-40 (exit 65). At Swannanoa Gap it crosses the Eastern Continental Divide (elevation ) and enters McDowell County. At the top of the gap, in addition to a reduced speed limit there is a truck information station that requires all trucks to go through before continuing. The following descent is a 6% grade along Youngs Ridge to Old Fort, along which are several reduce-speed warning lights and three runaway truck ramps. It is likely that, on both on the ascent and the descent, most trucks and some cars will be going slower than posted speed limits, and that, despite the fact that this section is six lanes wide, slower vehicles may be traveling in the passing lanes. At Old Fort, US 70 splits from I-40 (at exit 72) and travels through the downtown area and by the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center. East of Old Fort, US 70 travels northeasterly towards Marion and forms the southern boundary of the Pisgah National Forest. At Pleasant Gardens, it connects with NC 80, which travelers can follow towards Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Crossing the Catawba River and entering Marion, US 70 connects with US 221/NC 226 and then forms a short concurrency with US 221 Bus. along Main Street. East of Marion, US 70 connects with NC 126 in Nebo, where travelers can visit Lake James State Park. Entering Burke County near Bridgewater, US 70 passes through Glen Alpine and then enters Morganton, where it forms a brief concurrency with US 64 as it proceeds along Fleming Drive, while US 70 Bus. passes through the downtown area. Continuing east, it goes through the towns of Drexel, Valdese, Rutherford College, Connelly Springs and Hildebran before crossing into Catawba County at Long View. In Hickory, US 70 serves as the town's commercial corridor as US 321 Bus. begins its concurrency at the US 321 interchange. In Conover, US 321 Bus. turns at Northwest Boulevard towards Newton and then crosses NC 16. Continuing east through Claremont and Catawba, US 70 crosses the Catawba River for the second time and enters Iredell County. Piedmont Triad and the Triangle After passing through Celeste Hinkle and by the Statesville Regional Airport, US 70 enters the city limits of Statesville and connects with US 64/NC 90 at the intersection of Newton Drive and Garner Bagnal Boulevard. Passing south of the downtown area, it begins to parallel the Norfolk Southern Railway south to Salisbury. Crossing US 21 at Shelton Avenue and I-77 (exit 49A), it leaves Statesville and proceeds southeasterly along Statesville Boulevard, also known as the Jim Graham Highway, through an area of farmland and factories that are wedged between the four-lane highway and the railway. /US 70/NC 150, along WilCox Way towards Spencer At from the Yadkin River, NC 150 splits towards Churchland while US 29/US 70 merges with I-85/US 52 (at exit 84). After a concurrency, I-85 splits off and continues towards Greensboro, and I-285 begins (at exit 87). Entering the Lexington city limits, additional route changes occur; I-285/US 52 departs (at exit 87) towards Winston-Salem, and US 64 merges from Mocksville. After skirting north of downtown Lexington, US 64 departs again towards Asheboro, and with US 70 continuing northeast alongside the four-lane expressway. While in Thomasville, it exits off the expressway with the diamond exit with NC 68. Now concurrent with said route, the two routes loops around Downtown High Point in the blend of boulevard and expressway grade, before coming to the exit with I-74. Heading to the northern outskirts of High Point, it exits off from NC 68 with the at-grade junction with Wendover Avenue. Wendover Avenue carries US 70, heading in a northeastern direction as an expressway heading to the northern outskirts of Jamestown. It comes to the exits with Guilford College Road and I-73/US 421, while heading to the official city limits of Greensboro before it temporarily downgrades to a boulevard. The route enters into the commercial retail district, as it passes an exit with I-40. After passing an at-grade junction with Clifton Road, it becomes freeway grade, with six overall lanes. The freeway enters into the northern outskirts of Downtown Greensboro, looping around central district. The route comes to the exits with Spring Garden Street, Holden Street, and Market Street. The route heads towards the Friendly Center, with the namesake Friendly Avenue and Benjamin Parkway, giving direct access. After coming to the exit with Westover Terrace, it comes to junction with Battleground Avenue which carries US 220, before the freeway downgrades to partial expressway. The expressway comes to the exits with Yanceyville Street and Summit Avenue, before meeting at a major junction with the O'Henry Boulevard exit, in which said route carries US 220 and US 29. US 220 leaves O'Henry Boulevard to join with US 70. The highway crosses the Huffine Mill Road exit, passes Penny Road, and shortly thereafter carries Wendover Avenue to its terminus where it becomes Burlington Road. It passes a junction with I-785 and I-840, where the route heads into McLeansville, downgrading to a two lane arterial road. The road takes on the name, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Memorial Highway, and connects to other small towns such as Sedalia and Gibsonville, as well as the Rock Creek and Stoney Creek centers in Whitsett; east of Whitsett, it enters Alamance County. Passing south of Elon, US 70 runs on Church St, a four lane retail corridor, as it enters Burlington's city limits. It connects with NC 87 and NC 100 as well as NC 62 as it enters downtown Burlington. Sharing a brief concurrency with NC 62 through the downtown area, it then proceeds southeasterly to Haw River. As it nears the town of Haw River, it then goes northeasterly again to bypass the town and crosses over the Haw River via Three Governors Bridge; heading easterly again, the highway drops back to two lanes after connecting with NC 49. Entering both Durham and Durham County, I-85/US 70 maintains an east–west routing north of the downtown area, along a stretch of highway dedicated to Dr. John H. Franklin. At exit 174A US 15/US 501 join the freeway; at exit 176B US 501 departs and continues north along Duke Street. US 70 leaves I-85/US 15 at exit 178, and forms a concurrency with I-885, which begins at the interchange. I-85 and US 15 continue north toward Oxford and Petersburg. Traveling on a southeasterly direction along four-lane freeway in East Durham, it has interchanges with US 70 Bus./ NC 98 and Carr Drive. Soon after I-885 departs from the route to head toward I-40, US 70 downgrades to an expressway. At Bethesda, Miami Boulevard (SR 1959) continues south into the Research Triangle Park, while US 70 enters Wake County along New Raleigh Highway. After crossing Raleigh city limits, US 70, here called Glenwood Avenue, makes a connection with I-540 (exit 292), which goes to the front entrance of RDU Airport; the following Lumley Road/Westgate Road interchange (at exit 293) goes to the North Cargo and General Aviation area of RDU Airport. Adjacent to the airport is William B. Umstead State Park. With NC 50 joining US 70 at Creedmoor Road, US 70 crosses under I-440/US 1 after passing by Crabtree Valley Mall. Inside the Raleigh Beltline, US 70/NC 50 travel through a residential area until Wade Avenue, where they join US 401 along Capital Boulevard. In the downtown area, Capital Boulevard splits into Dawson and McDowell Streets; various sites are adjacent or nearby, including the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina Museum of History (via Jones Street), the North Carolina State Capitol (via Morgan Street), the Raleigh Convention Center, the Red Hat Amphitheater, and the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts (via South Street). Leaving the downtown area after the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Western Boulevard interchange, Dawson–McDowell Streets merge and become Saunders Street, which promptly exits the Raleigh Beltline crossing under I-40/US 64. In Garner, US 401 departs along Fayetteville Street towards Fuquay-Varina, followed by NC 50 along Benson Road towards Benson. East of Garner, has an interchange with I-40 (exit 306A) before heading into Clayton. After passing through Clayton, US 70 has an interchange with I-42 at its temporary eastern terminus, merging into the freeway mainline. Coastal Plain and Down East and Coreopsis lanceolata along the Clayton Bypass Continuing through Wilson's Mills and crossing the Neuse River, US 70 enters Selma, where travelers have the choice to stay on mainline US 70, connecting with US 301/NC 39/NC 96, I-95, and US 70A, or take US 70 Bypass to avoid all that. Southeast of Selma, US 70 Bus. rejoins from Smithfield and near Princeton, US 70A rejoins from Pine Level. East of Princeton, it enters Wayne County. Northwest of Goldsboro, I-42 splits off from US 70 along the Goldsboro Bypass northeast towards I-795, while US 70 goes into Goldsboro. In Goldsboro, it also connects with I-795 and then joins a concurrency with US 13/US 117, passing north of the downtown area while US 70 Bus. goes through it via Grantham Street. After , US 117 separates and continues north; at Berkeley Boulevard, US 13 separates towards Snow Hill and also connects to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. East of Goldsboro, US 70 Bus. reunites along Ash Street. Entering Lenoir County, near LaGrange. I-42 reconnects with US 70, where I-42 currently ends, and will continue eastwards with US 70 in the future. US 70 connects with NC 148 at Falling Creek, which goes to the North Carolina Global TransPark. As it enters Kinston, it is joined by US 258, from Snow Hill, as they both bypass south of the downtown area, while US 70 Bus./US 258 Bus. go through the downtown area. Near Dupreeville, US 70 Bus./US 258 Bus. rejoin; they then separate, with US 258 continuing south to Richlands, while NC 58 shares a short concurrency before continuing towards Trenton. Bypassing south of Dover, in Jones County, US 70 travels through the Great Dover Swamp, most of which has been drained and converted to farmland. After it enters Craven County, south of Cove City. At Clarks Road (exit 409) is the Craven County Rest Area. At exit 410A US 17 joins in concurrency as the freeway enters New Bern. The freeway, designated the Richard Spaight Memorial Highway, passes southeast of the downtown area and enters James City after crossing the Trent River via the Freedom Memorial Bridges. Going south, it crosses into Carteret County and then passes west of Newport's downtown as it leaves the Croatan National Forest and into Morehead City. After connecting with the eastern terminus of NC 24, which goes to Swansboro, US 70, here known as Arendell Street, is split in the middle by the NCRR railroad. Adjacent to the Carteret Community College is the Carteret County Visitor Center; the Atlantic Beach Bridge connects Morehead City with Bogue Banks, including Fort Macon State Park. == History ==

Established as an original U.S. Route (1926), US 70 was assigned along the Great Central Highway, in concurrency with NC 10, between Asheville and Beaufort; northwest of Asheville, US 70 shared concurrency with US 25/NC 20 (Dixie Highway) to the Tennessee state line. The original routing of US 70 connects the same cities as it does today through North Carolina, with interstate highways in parallel or in concurrency with it. Early state routes In 1916 the North Carolina State Highway Commission prepared a map for the Five Year Federal Aid Program. The general present-day routing of US 70 was a mix of both improved and unimproved highways. When the highways were signed, the majority of US 70's routing ran along NC 10 which was built from the Georgia state line south of Murphy to Beaufort. However, the routing north and west of Asheville comprised parts of NC 20 and NC 29. US 70 was established as an original U.S. route in 1926. In 1930 US 70/NC 10 was swapped with NC 100 between Gibsonville and Burlington. Also around that time US 70/NC 10 was rerouted in downtown Salisbury via Innes Street to Main Street, leaving behind Fulton and Liberty streets. In 1934 both NC 10 and NC 20 were removed along US 70's route. By 1936, US 70 was placed on First Avenue through Hickory and was removed from Beaman Road near New Bern. In 1939 US 70 was removed from Hollins Road in Marshall. Mid-20th century In 1941, US 70 was swapped with NC 55 from Kinston to west of New Bern. Also, around that same year, US 70 was given its modern routing between the Yadkin River and Lexington. By 1944, US 70 was removed from Old Highway 70 Loop (SR 1620) near Icard; in Havelock, US 70 was removed from Church Road, Miller Boulevard and Roosevelt Boulevard to its modern alignment. Around 1948, US 70 was swapped with US 70A in the Hickory–Conover area and with US 70A in Hillsborough. By 1949, US 70 was placed on its modern routing between Swannanoa and Black Mountain and between Lexington and Thomasville, swapped with US 70A in High Point, removed from Bennett Memorial Drive in Durham, and switched from Wilson Street to Kornegay Street in Dover. In 1952, US 70 was placed on new bypasses in Lexington, Thomasville, and Durham; all former alignments became individual or extensions of existing US 70A. By 1953, US 70 was rerouted back onto Fulton Street and Liberty Street in Salisbury, US 70 was split on one-way streets in downtown Greensboro, and US 70 was rerouted onto Eden and Front Streets in New Bern. In 1954 US 70 was rerouted onto Woodfin Street in Asheville; placed on its modern alignment between Black Mountain and Old Fort, leaving behind Mill Creek Road (SR 1407)/Old US 70 (SR 1400), placed on one-way streets in downtown Raleigh, and rerouted on a more direct route between Smithfield and Princeton along existing secondary roads, leaving behind US 70A through Selma. Around 1956 US 70 was placed on new bypass south of Morganton. By 1957, US 70 was split on one-way streets in downtown Marion, replaced US 70A in Salisbury, leaving the downtown area, and placed on its modern alignment in western Rowan County. It was placed on its modern alignment from Thomasville to Greensboro, then continued east to Efland, its old alignment becoming US 70A; it was placed on new bypass east of Durham, its former alignment along Avondale Drive, Greer Street, and Miami Boulevard becoming parts of NC 55, NC 98, and US 70A respectively. It was placed on bypass north Goldsboro, leaving behind US 70A through the downtown area, and placed on bypass south of Kinston, also leaving behind US 70A through its downtown area. On November 14, 1959, of US 70 east of Greensboro were opened as the first section of a freeway intended to be upgraded to become Interstate 85. Around 1958 US 70 was removed from Ann Street to its current routing along Cedar Street in Beaufort. In 1960 US 25/US 70 was placed on new bypass north of Marshall, leaving behind US 25 Bus./US 70 Bus. In 1961, US 70 was removed from Woodfin Street and onto the East–West Freeway in Asheville; in Salisbury, US 70 was rerouted following Innes Street south to I-85, then continued north in concurrency into Davidson County. In 1963 US 70 was rerouted back along its former alignment between Greensboro and Efland, replacing part of US 70A; the former freeway alignment remains part of I-85. Around 1964 US 70 was placed on new causeway over the Newport River/Intracoastal Waterway; bridges on the old alignment were removed, leaving Old Causeway Road (SR 1205) on Radio Island. Around 1965 US 70 was removed from I-85 in Rowan County, rerouted through downtown Salisbury on one-way streets, then north along Main Street in concurrency with US 29. In 1967 US 70 was rerouted onto O. Henry Boulevard to Wendover Avenue in Greensboro; its old alignment along Market Street was downgraded to secondary roads. In the same year, US 70 was adjusted at the Salisbury and Wilmington Street split. By 1968, US 70 was placed on a new bypass west of Newport, leaving behind Chatham Street (SR 1247). In 1969 US 70 was placed on a new bypass south of La Grange, leaving behind Washington Street (SR 1603). In 1970 US 70 eastbound was removed from Main Street and onto Logan Street in Marion. In the same year, US 70 was placed on a new bypass north of Princeton, leaving behind Dr. Donnie H. Jones Jr. Boulevard (SR 2556). , crossing the Trent River; US 17 can be seen crossing the Neuse River in the background Late 20th century In 1972, US 19/US 23/US 70 was removed from Merrimon Avenue, between Asheville and Woodfin, and placed on a new freeway; US 25 remains along the old alignment. In Raleigh, US 70/NC 50 were removed from Glenwood Avenue and placed on the Raleigh Beltline to North Boulevard/Downtown Boulevard. In Atlantic, US 70 was truncated to its current eastern terminus at School Drive; the former alignment was abandoned, with a bridge removed from the Atlantic Harbor of Refuge Channel. From 1978 to 1979, in phases, US 70 was placed on a new bypass south of Dover and New Bern; the former alignment became Old US Highway 70 (SR 1005). In 1981 US 70 was rerouted from Crosstown Expressway onto Charlotte, Poplar, and Pine Streets (the latter two removed for College Street) to Beaucatcher Tunnel; this replaced part of NC 694, while Crosstown Expressway was rerouted through Beaucatcher Cut. In Salisbury, US 70 was rerouted south along Jake Alexander Boulevard, in concurrency with US 601, to Main Street, where it joined US 29 through the city; the old alignment along Innes, Liberty, Fulton, and Lee Streets was downgraded to secondary roads. In Burlington, US 70/NC 62 was realigned along one-way streets along Church and Fisher Streets, eliminating the use of Davis and Hoke Streets. In 1982 US 25/US 70 was placed on a new alignment north of Marshall to Weaverville; the old alignment became an extension of existing business loops in Marshall and Weaverville, and some sections were downgraded to secondary roads around Woodfin. In the same year, upgrades between Black Mountain and Old Fort were completed, allowing the addition of I-40 alongside US 70. In 1987 US 25/US 70 was placed on a new bypass west of Walnut, leaving behind Walnut Drive (SR 1349). In 1989 US 70 was removed from downtown Raleigh and was completely rerouted onto the Raleigh Beltline going east, then south, continuing at I-40 southeasterly to exit 306; the former alignment through Raleigh and Garner became US 70 Bus., though unsigned inside the Beltline. In 1990 US 70 was rerouted onto Industrial Boulevard and Monroe Street, from Newton Drive to east of I-77, in Statesville; the former alignment along Front Street and Salisbury Road was downgraded to secondary roads. In 1991, one-way streets along Logan, New, and Garden Streets were discontinued and reallocated to the city of Marion to maintain; US 70 reverted to two-way traffic along Main and Court Streets. In the same year, US 70 was removed from the Raleigh Beltline and rerouted along Glenwood Avenue, Wade Avenue, Capital Boulevard, Dawson–McDowell Streets, and Saunders Street. South of the Raleigh Beltline, it continued along Saunders, then Wilmington Street, and through Garner to I-40; the reroute in Wake County replaced all of US 70 Bus. In 1993 US 70 was rerouted onto a new bypass north of Haw River, leaving Main Street (SR 1801) and a short concurrency with NC 49. Also, construction was completed on a project that widened the road between Relaigih and Morehead City to a total of four lanes. In Orange and Durham counties, US 70's concurrency with I-85 was extended as part of a major reconfiguration of exits 172 and 173. The original configuration had Hillsborough Road weave in and out of I-85 between the two exits; the realignment of US 70 allowed NCDOT to remove the weave and re-purpose exit 172 as an interchange for NC 147 (completed in 2001). The former alignment became an extension of US 70 Bus., which for the remainder of the decade had a hidden concurrency with I-85/US 70, with the weave persisting during construction. In 1997 NCDOT established the oddity known as the four US 70s of Selma–Smithfield: US 70, US 70A, US 70 Bus. and US 70 Bypass. Before 1997, US 70 was routed through Smithfield while US 70A followed the pre-1954 route through Selma. The new configuration established US 70 following its former route east to Selma, with a short bypass route of I-95 (no interchange), then reconnecting to an existing section of US 70 east of I-95; US 70A was truncated near the I-95 interchange in Selma, while the former alignment through Smithfield became a business route. 21st century On June 9, 2008, the Clayton Bypass opened, redirecting US 70 onto I-40 between exits 306 to 309 and then on a new four-lane freeway bypass south of Clayton. Planning for the bypass began in 1991, but construction did not start until 2005 because of several delays regarding the dwarf wedgemussel, an endangered species, habitat in the area. Originally scheduled for completion in June 2009, a severe drought in 2007–2008 allowed construction to proceed more rapidly than anticipated. NCDOT was given the approval by AASHTO to officially designate US 70 along the bypass on May 6, 2008, with the former alignment becoming an extension of US 70 Bus. Compared to the former alignment through Clayton, the bypass is estimated to cut fifteen minutes of travel time for drivers traveling between Raleigh and eastern North Carolina. In 2010, US 70 was placed on Statesville Boulevard, a then new four-lane expressway running east of Statesville towards Salisbury; the former alignment was downgraded to a secondary road. In December 2011, the first section of the Goldsboro Bypass was opened from I-795 to Wayne Memorial Drive. The section was temporarily numbered as NC 44, while the western and eastern sections were under construction. The western section of the bypass from US 70 west of Goldsboro to I-795 opened on October 17, 2015. The final section from Wayne Memorial Drive to US 70 was completed in May 2016. The route was listed as US 70 Bypass., while the routes in the city are currently being signed as US 70 and US 70 Business. In May 2022, US 70 Bypass was replaced by I-42; I-42 signage replaced US 70 Bypass signage in Fall 2024. In 2013, US 70 was placed on a new freeway, with an interchange with NC 148 at Falling Creek. Justification for the improvement was given as a need for better service to the Global TransPark; the old alignment was reduced from four to two lanes, becoming Sanderson Way (SR 2032). In east Durham, the construction of the East End Connector linking NC 147 and US 70 began in February 2015 as part of the I-885 proposal. The project also altered the interchanges at Carr Road and NC 98 (Holloway Street), to a dumbbell and a diamond interchange, respectively. Once scheduled to be completed in January 2020, the East End Connector and related road improvement projects were eventually completed on June 30, 2022. I-885 was officially designated along the entire freeway portion of US 70, a route that continues past US 70 down toward I-40 through the Research Triangle Park. On October 5, 2019, NCDOT submitted an application to AASHTO, and received approval, for the re-routing of US 70 in Greensboro, High Point, and part of Thomasville. Under the new state plan, the highway continues west along Wendover Avenue through Greensboro to NC 68 (Eastchester Drive) in High Point, and then onto NC 68, south-bound from High Point to the southern terminus of NC 68 in Thomasville. According to NCDOT, this change should provide a more direct, continuous route through the cities of Greensboro and High Point, improve regional connectivity, and remove traffic from concurrent interstate routes (e.g. I-40's "Death Valley" interchange in Greensboro, and the I-85/US 29 interchange near Jamestown). A project to create the Slocum Gate interchange at Cherry Point MCAS was completed in March 2020. In November 2023, AASHTO approved the eliminating part of US 70 Bus., between Garner and Clayton, and rerouted mainline US 70 off the Clayton Bypass and back along its former alignment through there. I-42 had been designated on the Clayton Bypass in 2022, although it was not fully signed as such until 2025. A section of US 70 at Wilson's Mills, connecting to the Clayton Bypass in the west was upgraded to a freeway for an estimated $31 million. The plan called for US 70 to be carried on a bridge over Wilson Mills Road while a bridge will carry Swift Creek Road over US 70. Interchanges were made at both roads and a connector road paralleling US 70 between the two roads was also built. Construction was planned to begin in 2020 and finish around 2022. After some further delays due to drainage issues along the segment, the project was officially completed on December 17, 2025, after all the "Speed Limit 70" signs were added. I-42 signage will be added once it is approved by the FHWA. == Future ==

Interstate 42 (Clayton to Morehead City) A multi-county project, also known as the "US 70 Corridor" or "Super 70", is a collection of several projects along US 70 to improve passenger and freight movement eventually leading to the establishment of Interstate 42 (I-42), which is the US Department of Transportation's High Priority Corridor #82. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), signed by then President Barack Obama on December 14, 2015, added the US 70 corridor between Garner and Morehead City to the Interstate system as a future Interstate. Justification for the designation included better connections with Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, the North Carolina Global Transpark, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and the Port of Morehead City with the rest of state and the eastern seaboard. With no specified number codified in the act, the Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA) expected this corridor to be called Interstate 46 (I-46) or another suitable designation, and the US Highway 70 Corridor Commission recommended Interstate 50 (I-50). On March 30, 2016, Governor Pat McCrory and various officials unveiled "Future Interstate" signage along the corridor. For the Spring 2016 AASHTO Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering, NCDOT proposed Interstate 36 (I-36) for this route since there were no other routes with that number in the state. However, on May 24, 2016, AASHTO assigned Interstate 42 for the route. The entire project has a budgeted cost (as of late 2018) of about $1.3 billion, and about 29 miles still without a budget. Some projects like the Clayton and Goldsboro bypasses are completed, while others have yet to be scheduled. The project involves the counties of Wake, Johnston, Wayne, Lenoir, Jones, Craven, and Carteret. In October 2021, AASHTO approved two segments of I-42, the Clayton Bypass and the Goldsboro Bypass; this was followed by the Federal Highway Administration subsequent approval in March 2022. In May 2022, AASHTO also approved the elimination of US 70 Bypass, clearing the way for NCDOT to fully redesignate the route. Signage for the route was expected to be put up later in 2022, but was delayed indefinitely for reasons that were initially unknown. In July 2023, NCDOT announced that they were proposing to renumber NC 42 to NC 36 (which was the number originally suggested for the new interstate before 42 was chosen) between NC 50 and U.S. Route 70 Business (US 70 Bus) in Clayton in order to avoid confusing motorist when the Clayton bypass is designated as I-42. Once I-42 is signed onto the Clayton Bypass, US 70 will be rerouted onto its old routing through Clayton, which is currently designated as part of US 70 Bus. NCDOT requested public input on this proposal at an open house on October 12, 2023. US 70 has also been upgraded to interstate highway standards between Dover and New Bern, but this cannot be signed as I-42 until the Kinston Bypass is completed as this segment is not connected to the Interstate highway system. I-42 is expected to be completed in its entirety by 2032 and will include the installation of broadband fiber along the entire route. Smithfield/Selma improvements Improvements are in the planning stages for the segment of US 70 between Wilson's Mills and Princeton. Some of this section is already a freeway but will require improvements to bring it up to interstate standards and add an interchange with I-95. Adding the interchange will require shifting I-95, which is going to be widened in this area, east to incorporate the new changes. This proposed project is still in the study phase and not currently budgeted nor does it have a timeline for completion. I-95 and US 70 Business Route (exit 95) is being reconstructed though. Princeton Bypass to Goldsboro Bypass The existing Princeton Bypass eastward to the Goldsboro Bypass will be improved to interstate standards, which is estimated to cost $170 million. The project for the upgrade of US 70 will be done in two parts: the first will be in the Princeton area between US 70A to North Pearl Street/Edwards Roads (construction is scheduled to start in 2025) with second part starting there and ending at the Goldsboro Bypass (construction is scheduled to start in 2028). Currently, project funding has been suspended by NCDOT due to agency's budget issues. The agency is currently working with state legislators to find alternative sources of revenue. In June 2022, NCDOT announced that they had chosen Alternative 1SB for the Kinston Bypass. This alternative would be approximately of a four-lane, median divided freeway accessible via ramps at 10 interchanges. Part of the project will also build service roads along the freeway as well as approximately of new roadway that will be south of the current US 70 alignment in the Kinston area. When complete, the bypass would improve regional mobility, connectivity, and capacity for US 70, reducing traffic congestion and delays that exist along US 70 between La Grange and Dover. The westernmost section, which is approximately and includes the interchange at Jim Sutton Road/Willie Measley Road, was included in NCDOT 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement, which allowed preliminary engineering activities to resume. The four remaining sections east of this section were reinserted into 2024-2033 STIP Projects Map. However, as of 2023, no funding has been set aside for the project, which is expected to cost $716.2 million. James City freeway In James City, a segment of the US 70 improvement project will upgrade the existing highway to freeway standards by elevating it over existing surface streets as a six-lane, median divided freeway, improving the frontage roads, removing 49 businesses and 17 homes, converting the five intersections along this segment to interchanges with all but one of them being dogbones (the other will be a parclo), and eliminating a railroad crossing just south of exit 417. The project, which is projected to cost $66 million, will connect to the existing US 70 freeway in New Bern. Construction was scheduled to begin in early 2020 and be complete in early 2024. However, the design-build project did not start until January 2021 and its completion was delayed by a year to the end of 2024. Construction on the project finally began in Spring 2022 and as of February 2023, the project is about completed. However, its completion was delayed again, this time to the middle of 2025. The final cost of the project is estimated to be $275.161 million with $147 million coming from a federal grant the state received in 2018. This segment will be a four-lane, median divided freeway accessible via ramps at three interchanges. Havelock Bypass The Havelock Bypass is a four-lane freeway intended to improve existing sections of US 70 and a bypass west of Havelock, through the Croatan National Forest. The routing through Havelock became US 70 Bus. Draft and environmental studies began in September 2011 and were completed in January 2016. Property acquisition started in 2016, with construction expected to begin in February 2019 and be completed in 2022 at an estimated cost of $173 million. However, construction did not officially begin until August 2019 and with its completion set for May 2024; it was later changed to late-Summer 2024. Since that time, the completion was pushed out to Fall 2025 due to weather delays, although the US 70 east overpass at the east end of the bypass was opened to traffic on June 20, 2024. According to Balfour Beatty, the project includes the construction of 15 bridges, which will require around 4.43 million cubic meters of borrow material and 288,000 tonnes of asphalt. The bypass opened to traffic on December 19, 2025, although construction will not be completed until late-2026. Northern Carteret Bypass According to the Comprehensive Transportation Plans from Carteret and Craven counties, I-42 is proposed to be routed on a new alignment which will be called the Northern Carteret Bypass. It will pass north of Morehead City before curving back south and terminating at US 70 north of Beaufort. This was further confirmed when the ECC (Eastern Carolina Council) noted that I-42 would likely be built to bypass Morehead City to the north due to the inability to build it through the city itself. However, no funding has been provided for this bypass as of 2024. == Major intersections ==

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