164-996: U.S. Route 70 ( US 70 ) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Globe, Arizona , to the Crystal Coast of the US state of North Carolina . In North Carolina, it is a major 488-mile-long (785 km) east–west highway that runs from the Tennessee border to the Atlantic Ocean. From the Tennessee state line near Paint Rock to Asheville it follows the historic Dixie Highway , running concurrently with US 25 . The highway connects several major cities including Asheville, High Point , Greensboro , Durham , Raleigh , Goldsboro , and New Bern . From Beaufort on east, US 70 shares part of
328-399: A 6.4-mile (10.3 km) section of US 70 will be converted to interstate standards. 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. With the release of the 2020 draft STIP, it was revealed that NCDOT
492-425: A banner such as alternate or bypass —are also managed by AASHTO. These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business. The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named United States Numbered Highways since its initial publication in 1926. Within the route log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as
656-444: A bridge over Wilson Mills Road while a bridge will carry Swift Creek Road over US 70. Interchanges will be made at both roads and a connector road paralleling US 70 between the two roads will also be built. Construction was planned to begin in 2020 and finish around 2022. However, COVID-19 funding issues postponed the awarding of the construction contract from September 2020 to March 2021. Construction officially began on May 12, 2021, and
820-494: A brief concurrency between Cary and Raleigh. After passing through Raleigh, US 70 turned to the south to run through Garner before turning east to pass through Auburn and Clayton. Upon reaching Smithfield, the highway turned to the left and followed briefly along NC 22 to the northeast. Just before reaching Selma, US 70/NC 10 turned right to head to the southeast. The hard-surfaced highway passed through Goldsboro and La Grange before reaching Kinston. In Kinston,
984-476: 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 . At Mebane , US 70 crosses into Orange County . Passing through
1148-693: A bypass west of Havelock, through the Croatan National Forest. The routing through Havelock would become 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
1312-514: A distinctively-shaped white shield with large black numerals in the center. Often, the shield is displayed against a black square or rectangular background. Each state manufactures their own signage, and as such subtle variations exist all across the United States. Individual states may use cut-out or rectangular designs, some have black outlines, and California prints the letters "US" above the numerals. One- and two-digit shields generally feature
1476-535: A four-lane highway throughout much of the state, and notable sections of US 70 have been converted to freeway or expresway standards, including those in Greensboro, Clayton, and New Ben. Several new projects beginning in the 2000s have placed US 70 on interstate grade freeways. On May 24, 2016, AASHTO assigned the Future ;I-42 designation to the majority of US 70's routing east of Garner . Additionally,
1640-630: A freeway of six lanes. The freeway loops around central Greensboro, passing 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 passing an exit with Westover Terrace, it comes to junction with Battleground Avenue which carries US 220, before the freeway downgrades to partial expressway. The expressway passes exits with Yanceyville Street and Summit Avenue, before meeting at
1804-604: A main route. Odd numbers generally increase from east to west; U.S. Route 1 (US 1) follows the Atlantic Coast and US 101 follows the Pacific Coast. (US 101 is one of the many exceptions to the standard numbering grid; its first "digit" is "10", and it is a main route on its own and not a spur of US 1.) Even numbers tend to increase from north to south; US 2 closely follows the Canadian border, and US 98 hugs
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#17328803768621968-436: 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. US 70 heads towards, as it passes exit with Huffine Mill Road, before taking on the name "Burlington Road" after Wendover Avenue terminates at an at-grade junction with said route. It passes a junction with I-785 and I-840 where the road heads into McLeansville , downgrading to
2132-587: 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
2296-561: A part of popular culture. US 101 continues east and then south to end at Olympia, Washington . The western terminus of US 2 is now at Everett, Washington . Marshall, North Carolina Marshall is a town in Madison County, North Carolina , United States. The population was 872 at the 2010 census . It is the county seat of Madison County. Marshall is part of the Asheville metropolitan area . The townsite of Marshall
2460-698: A part of the U.S. Numbered System." U.S. Route 3 (US 3) meets this obligation; in New Hampshire , it does not follow tolled portions of the Everett Turnpike . However, US Routes in the system do use parts of five toll roads: U.S. Routes in the contiguous United States follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or. Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from
2624-668: 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 ,
2788-591: A rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway from which they spurred. The five-man committee met September 25, and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on October 26. The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture on October 30, and he approved it November 18, 1925. The new system
2952-593: 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 11.9 miles (19.2 km) 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
3116-517: 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
3280-629: A short freeway segment in east Durham was officially designated as I-885 on June 30, 2022, a route that connects I-40 to I-85 through the Research Triangle Park and east Durham. 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
3444-481: 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
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#17328803768623608-681: A two lane 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
3772-696: 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
3936-463: 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
4100-617: Is a north–south route, unlike its parent US 22 , which is east–west. As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the parent; for example, US 60 had spurs, running from east to west, designated as US 160 in Missouri , US 260 in Oklahoma , US 360 in Texas , and US 460 and US 560 in New Mexico . As with
4264-436: Is a spur off US 64 . Some divided routes , such as US 19E and US 19W , exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on the intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway. Before the U.S. Routes were designated, auto trails designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through
4428-503: Is blocked on one side by the French Broad River and on all other sides by steep mountainous terrain. Madison County residents say Marshall is "a block wide, a mile long, sky high and hell deep." The Bank of French Broad , Capitola Manufacturing Company Cotton Yarn Mill , Madison County Courthouse , Marshall High School , Marshall Main Street Historic District , James H. White House , and Jeff White House are listed on
4592-509: Is currently listed as US 70 Bypass., while the routes in the city are currently being signed as US 70 and US 70 Business. 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,
4756-422: Is currently working with state legislators to find alternative sources of revenue. The Kinston Bypass is a project that has been in the planning stages since the 1990s. The project was put on hold until 2007 when NCDOT revitalized the project. While several northern bypasses were planned, in January 2014, the northern bypasses were removed in favor of a southern alternative, but the project was defunded in 2014 with
4920-581: Is estimated to cost $ 170 million. The 6.7-mile (10.8 km) 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
5084-467: Is expected to be completed by the middle of Fall 2024. The Swift Creek Road exit was partially opened to traffic in Spring 2024. Improvements are in the planning stages for the 13.8-mile (22.2 km) 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
U.S. Route 70 in North Carolina - Misplaced Pages Continue
5248-745: Is in the process of eliminating all intrastate U.S. Highways less than 300 miles (480 km) in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". A version of this policy has been in place since 1937. The original major transcontinental routes in 1925, along with
5412-408: Is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km ) (6.91%) is water. Marshall is located on the eastern bank of the French Broad River , one of the major river systems of western North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 777 people, 346 households, and 195 families residing in the town. As of the census of 2000, there were 842 people, 390 households, and 225 families residing in
5576-777: Is the Carteret County Visitor Center; the Atlantic Beach Bridge connects Morehead City with Bogue Banks , including Fort Macon State Park . Through the downtown area, it reaches the end of the peninsula and the Port of Morehead City . Crossing over the Newport River / Intracoastal Waterway , it travels along Radio Island and then crosses Beaufort Channel (Gallants Creek) via Grayden Paul Bridge into downtown Beaufort . Traveling along Cedar and Live Oak Streets, US 70 goes north out of Beaufort and then east, crossing over
5740-656: The Gulf Freeway carried US 75 , the Pasadena Freeway carried US 66 , and the Pulaski Skyway carries US 1 and US 9 . The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 appropriated funding for the Interstate Highway System, to construct a vast network of freeways across the country. By 1957, AASHO had decided to assign a new grid to the new routes, to be numbered in the opposite directions as
5904-662: The Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , in Havelock . Going south, it crosses into Carteret County and then passes west of Newport 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, along Arendell Street, is split in the middle by the NCRR railroad. Adjacent to the Carteret Community College
6068-573: The National Register of Historic Places . During the Civil War, Marshall, as the seat of Confederate administration for Madison County, was the scene of conflict with the largely pro-Union rural population. On May 13, 1861, the election day for delegates to the state convention on secession from the Union, a man shot and killed the pro-secession county sheriff after a dispute in which the sheriff had shot
6232-603: The New England states got together to establish the six-state New England Interstate Routes . Behind the scenes, the federal aid program had begun with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , providing 50% monetary support from the federal government for improvement of major roads. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3 in every 7 roads had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads
6396-731: 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
6560-613: The North Carolina Transportation Museum before passing through Spencer . At the Yadkin River , the four-lane highway reduces to two-lanes as it crosses over into Davidson County . Adjacent to the bridge over which US 29/US 70/NC 150 travels are the Wil-Cox Bridge , a concrete arch pedestrian bridge , and two North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) Warren truss bridges. At 1.16 miles (1.87 km) from
6724-528: The Pacific coast . Many local disputes arose related to the committee's choices between designation of two roughly equal parallel routes, which were often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many split routes (specifically US 40 between Manhattan, Kansas and Limon, Colorado and US 50 between Baldwin City, Kansas and Garden City, Kansas ). In effect, each of
U.S. Route 70 in North Carolina - Misplaced Pages Continue
6888-546: 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
7052-998: 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
7216-744: The Shelton Laurel massacre . From the 1950s to the 1980s, Marshall was the seat of the Ponder machine , which controlled all the patronage jobs in Madison County. The town was impacted by Hurricane Helene in 2024. The hurricane destroyed several buildings in Marshall, and damaged the town hall. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km ), of which, 3.5 square miles (9.1 km )
7380-415: The auto trails which they roughly replaced, were as follows: US 10, US 60, and US 90 only ran about two thirds of the way across the country, while US 11 and US 60 ran significantly diagonally. US 60's violation of two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US 60 eventually was designated as US 66 in 1926, and later it became
7544-453: 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
7708-409: The 1940s and 1950s to adopt the same number as the U.S. Route they connected to – mostly in the western provinces. Examples include British Columbia 's highways 93 , 95 , 97 , and 99 ; Manitoba 's highways 59 , 75 , and 83 ; or Ontario King's Highway 71 . The reverse happened with U.S. Route 57 , originally a Texas state highway numbered to match Mexican Federal Highway 57 . In the 1950s,
7872-628: 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 2,786 feet (849 m)) 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 5-mile (8.0 km) descent
8036-771: The Catawba River for the second time and enters Iredell County . 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
8200-460: 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 10-mile (16 km) Clayton Bypass and the 21.7-mile (34.9 km) Goldsboro Bypass ; this was followed by the Federal Highway Administration subsequent approval in March 2022. In May 2022, AASHTO also approved
8364-426: 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
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#17328803768628528-413: 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
8692-488: The Eno River again, it borders along the Eno River State Park , while traveling through another area of the Duke Forest. At Eno , US 70 merges onto I-85 (exit 170), while US 70 Bus. continues along its former alignment to Bennett Place . 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
8856-688: 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 .61 miles (0.98 km), 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
9020-425: The Gulf Coast. The longest routes connecting major cities are generally numbered to end in a 1 or a 0; however, extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless. These guidelines are very rough, and exceptions to all of the basic numbering rules exist. The numbering system also extended beyond the borders of the United States in an unofficial manner. Many Canadian highways were renumbered in
9184-406: 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
9348-545: The Jim Graham Highway, through an area of farmland and factories that are wedged between the four-lane highway and the railway. After crossing into Rowan County , US 70 goes through Cleveland and shares a short concurrency with NC 801 near Barber before entering Salisbury. On Jake Alexander Boulevard, US 70 shares a concurrency with US 601 until the Rowan Mills area, where it switches onto Main Street with US 29 and later NC 150 . Traveling northeasterly through downtown Salisbury, it then goes by
9512-447: 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. A 5-mile (8.0 km) section of US 70 at Wilson's Mills , connecting to the Clayton Bypass in the west will be upgraded to a freeway for an estimated $ 31 million. The plan calls for US 70 to be carried on
9676-537: 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 . At Charlotte Avenue (exit 5B), US 70/US 74A splits from I-240 before it goes through the Beaucatcher Cut. At College Street, which changes into Tunnel Road, US 70/US 74A passes through Beaucatcher Tunnel (built in 1927). On
9840-463: 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
10004-487: The North River and Ward Creek to Otway . Going southeast to Smyrna , it then turns northeasterly along the Core Sound . After crossing the Salter's Creek via Dan Taylor Memorial Bridge it connects with NC 12 continuing to Cedar Island and the Outer Banks . Through the Sea Level community and into Atlantic , where US 70 ends at School Drive, at 2,500 feet (760 m), the road ends at Little Port Brook. Established as an original U.S. Route (1926), US 70
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#173288037686210168-544: The Northeast, New York held out for fewer routes designated as US highways. The Pennsylvania representative, who had not attended the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only US 220 still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future I-86 .) Because US 20 seemed indirect, passing through Yellowstone National Park , Idaho and Oregon requested that US 30 be swapped with US 20 to
10332-474: The Outer Banks Scenic Byway, a National Scenic Byway , before ending in the community of Atlantic , located along Core Sound . US 70 is an original US Highway, signed on November 11, 1926, when the US Highway System was approved. Since then, the highway has been realigned in places. One of the larger extensions of US 70 came in 1931 when the highway was extended concurrently along North Carolina Highway 101 (NC 101) from Beaufort to Atlantic. There are
10496-425: The U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to the system. In general, U.S. Routes do not have a minimum design standard, unlike the later Interstate Highways , and are not usually built to freeway standards. Some stretches of U.S. Routes do meet those standards. Many are designated using the main streets of the cities and towns through which they run. New additions to
10660-595: The U.S. Highway grid. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement—rather than replace—the U.S. Route numbers, in many cases (especially in the West ) the US highways were rerouted along the new Interstates. Major decommissioning of former routes began with California 's highway renumbering in 1964 . The 1985 removal of US 66 is often seen as the end of an era of US highways. A few major connections not served by Interstate Highways include US 6 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island and US 93 from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, though
10824-476: The US Highway system, three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of one or two-digit routes. US 201 , for example, splits from US 1 at Brunswick, Maine , and runs north to Canada. Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are connected to their parents only by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their parents, Also, a spur may travel in different cardinal directions than its parent, such as US 522 , which
10988-477: The US highway, which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a satisfyingly round number. Route 66 came to have a prominent place in popular culture, being featured in song and films. With 32 states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on November 11, 1926. This plan included a number of directionally split routes, several discontinuous routes (including US 6 , US 19 and US 50 ), and some termini at state lines. By
11152-464: The United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , recommended by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1925. After getting feedback from
11316-544: The Yadkin River, NC 150 splits towards Churchland while US 29/US 70 merges with I-85 / US 52 (at exit 84). After a 4.31-mile (6.94 km) 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
11480-409: The approval of the states along the former US 60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object—Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US 60 would split at Springfield, Missouri , into US 60E and US 60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of US 66 to the Chicago-Los Angeles portion of
11644-405: The auto trail associations were not able to formally address the meetings. However, as a compromise, they talked with the Joint Board members. The associations finally settled on a general agreement with the numbering plans, as named trails would still be included. The tentative system added up to 81,000 miles (130,000 km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time. The second full meeting
11808-403: The average family size was 2.81. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.5 males. The median income for a household in the town
11972-400: 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 Gleenwood 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;
12136-523: 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
12300-581: 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 . US 70, in concurrency with US 25 , enters from Tennessee as
12464-603: The communities of Miles and Efland , and parallels the NCRR railroad just to the north, US 70 makes a unique median divide in Duke Forest to merge with the I-85 Connector (SR 1239); constructed in the mid-1950s when US 70 was rerouted here onto what is now I-40/I-85. Crossing the Eno River , US 70 passes along the northern edge of Hillsborough , while US 70 Bus. goes through its downtown area. Crossing
12628-534: 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
12792-417: 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
12956-755: 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 2.8 miles (4.5 km) 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
13120-726: 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
13284-519: 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
13448-465: The east. After intersecting NC 101 the road type changed to a topsoil road. The highway continued as a topsoil road until North Harlowe, where it became a graded road . Just before entering Beaufort the highway changed back to a hard surface road. US 70 and NC 10 both ended in Beaufort. In 1928 US 70/NC 10 was swapped with route NC 101 towards Beaufort. Around 1929 US 70
13612-563: 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
13776-557: 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
13940-621: 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 ,
14104-464: The first documented person to drive an automobile from San Francisco to New York using only a connection of dirt roads, cow paths, and railroad beds. His journey, covered by the press, became a national sensation and called for a system of long-distance roads. In the early 1910s, auto trail organizations—most prominently the Lincoln Highway —began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for
14268-495: 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
14432-510: 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
14596-458: 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
14760-407: 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 3.81-mile (6.13 km) four-lane expressway running east of Statesville towards Salisbury; the former alignment was downgraded to a secondary road. In December 2011,
14924-497: The former alignment through Raleigh and Garner became US 70 Bus. , though unsigned inside the Raleigh 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
15088-452: 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
15252-736: 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. Traveling southeast along the U.S. Marine Corp Highway, US 70 passes by the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport , and then enters the Croatan National Forest before reaching
15416-591: The freeway mainline. 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
15580-512: 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
15744-541: 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
15908-509: The heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering since 1989 use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants. The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state, with some states such as Delaware using "route" and others such as Colorado using "highway". In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson became
16072-482: The highway continues northeasterly as a four-lane expressway . While still in Thomasville , it exits off the expressway at a diamond exit with NC 68. Now concurrent with said route, the two routes loops around Downtown High Point as a major arterial thoroughfare, before passing an exit with I-74 . Heading to the outskirts of High Point, it exits off NC 68 at an at-grade junction with Wendover Avenue. Now using
16236-399: The highway turned due south until reaching Newton. In Newton, US 70/NC 10 turned to the left and followed a topsoil road to the southeast. The highway made several turns between the northeast and the southeast before reaching Statesville. The highway turned left in Statesville to follow along a hard-surfaced highway to Salisbury. Upon reaching Salisbury, US 70/NC 10 turned to
16400-513: The highway turned to the northeast and ran briefly concurrent with NC 11 before running east toward Fort Barnwell. As the highway neared the Neuse River, it turned to the southeast to parallel the river to New Bern. Passing through New Bern, the highway continued to follow the Neuse until reaching Havelock where the river turns further to the east. Shortly after passing Havelock, the road turned toward
16564-454: The interchange will require shifting I-95, which is going to be widened in this area, 2,000 feet (610 m) 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. The existing Princeton Bypass eastward to the Goldsboro Bypass will be improved to interstate standards, which
16728-403: The latter is planned to be upgraded to Interstate 11 . Three state capitals in the contiguous U.S. are served only by U.S. Routes: Dover, Delaware ; Jefferson City, Missouri ; and Pierre, South Dakota . In 1995, the National Highway System was defined to include both the Interstate Highway System and other roads designated as important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. AASHTO
16892-436: The left and followed concurrently along US 170 to the northeast. In Greensboro, the route turned to the east through Burlington to Graham. The highway followed a brief concurrency with NC 62 between Graham and Mebane before again turning to the east. The route ran through Hillsborough and Durham before turning south through Brassfield and Nelson. In Cary, US 70/NC 10 met up with US 1/NC 50 and followed
17056-514: The lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0". Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, U.S. Route 264 (US 264)
17220-518: The man's son. Later, Confederate authorities restricted the distribution of salt, which was needed to preserve meat in the winter. In January 1863, a group of men raided the salt warehouse in Marshall, then proceeded to ransack the home of Colonel Lawrence Allen of the 64th North Carolina Regiment (the columned house below the courthouse dome in the Main Street photo). In retaliation, the 64th North Carolina Regiment summarily executed 13 men and boys in
17384-475: The more colorful names and historic value of the auto trail systems. The New York Times wrote, "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the Lincoln Highway or dream dreams as he speeds over the Jefferson Highway , but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?" (A popular song later promised, " Get your kicks on Route 66! ") The writer Ernest McGaffey was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take
17548-403: The name Wendover Avenue, US 70 heads in a northeastern direction as it becomes a major boulevard heading to the outskirts of Jamestown . It passes exits with Guilford College Road and I-73 , while heading to the official city limits of Greensboro . The route enters into a commercial retail district, as it passes an exit with I-40 . After passing an at-grade junction with Clifton Road, it becomes
17712-467: The new recreation of long-distance automobile travel. The Yellowstone Trail was another of the earliest examples. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else. Wisconsin was the first state in the U.S. to number its highways , erecting signs in May 1918. Other states soon followed. In 1922,
17876-469: 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. United States Numbered Highway System The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways ) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States . As the designation and numbering of these highways were coordinated among
18040-458: The numbering grid for the new Interstate Highway System was established as intentionally opposite from the US grid insofar as the direction the route numbers increase. Interstate Highway numbers increase from west-to-east and south-to-north, to keep identically numbered routes geographically apart in order to keep them from being confused with one another, and it omits 50 and 60 which would potentially conflict with US 50 and US 60 . In
18204-499: The old alignment along Hillsborough Road and by the state capital remained part of US 1 / NC 50 . 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 Innis Street to Main Street, leaving behind Fulton and Liberty streets. In 1931 US 70 was extended northeast from Beaufort to Atlantic, ending at Cedar Island Road (SR 1387). Around 1932 US 70
18368-456: 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
18532-487: The optional routes into another route. In 1934, AASHO tried to eliminate many of the split routes by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or in one case US 37 . AASHO described its renumbering concept in the October 1934 issue of American Highways : "Wherever an alternate route is not suitable for its own unique two-digit designation, standard procedure assigns
18696-453: The other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the Midwest to have added too many routes to the system. The group adopted the shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, at that meeting, as well as the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east–west and ten major north–south routes,
18860-412: The place of legends, and 'hokum' for history." When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with a suffixed letter after the number indicating "north", "south", "east", or "west". While a few roads in the system are still numbered in this manner, AASHO believes that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of
19024-407: The population. There were 390 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and
19188-535: The project, which is expected to cost $ 716.2 million. Additionally, the easternmost interchange between US 70/Future I-42 and Caswell Station Road/Wyse Fork Road east of Kinston currently faces local opposition due to it impacting part of the land where the Battle of Wyse Fork was fought on. In James City, a 5.1-mile (8.2 km) segment of the US 70 improvement project will upgrade the existing highway to freeway standards by elevating it over existing surface streets as
19352-540: The release of the 2015–2024 State Transportation Improvement Plan, and studies were suspended. In June 2022, NCDOT announced that they had chosen Alternative 1SB for the Kinston Bypass. This alternative would be approximately 21 miles (34 km) 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 6.5 miles (10.5 km) of new roadway that will be south of
19516-507: 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 . In Orange and Durham counties, US 70's concurrency with I-85 was extended 2.5 miles (4.0 km) 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
19680-589: The route and the nominal direction of travel. Second, they are displayed at intersections with other major roads, so that intersecting traffic can follow their chosen course. Third, they can be displayed on large green guide signs that indicate upcoming interchanges on freeways and expressways. Since 1926, some divided routes were designated to serve related areas, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, US 11 splits into US 11E (east) and US 11W (west) in Bristol, Virginia , and
19844-415: 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 ;
20008-580: The routes rejoin in Knoxville, Tennessee . Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; US 6N in Pennsylvania does not rejoin US 6 at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934; its current policy is to deny approval of new split routes and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto". Special routes —those with
20172-500: The same large, bold numerals on a square-dimension shield, while 3-digit routes may either use the same shield with a narrower font, or a wider rectangular-dimension shield. Special routes may be indicated with a banner above the route number, or with a letter suffixed to the route number. Signs are generally displayed in several different locations. First, they are shown along the side of the route at regular intervals or after major intersections (called reassurance markers ), which shows
20336-406: The same year, US 70 was placed on a new bypass north of Princeton, leaving behind Dr. Donnie H. Jones Jr. Boulevard (SR 2556). 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
20500-483: 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 Beltway going east, then south, continuing at I-40 southeasterly to exit 306;
20664-475: The south along the hard surface road and followed it to Asheville. North of Biltmore, US 70 turned left and followed along a hard surfaced road in concurrency with NC 10. Between Old Fort and Garden City the road switched to an oil-treated road and then briefly switched to a topsoil road between Garden City and Marion. As the road left Marion to the east, it again became a hard surface road. The highway continued east through Morganton and Hickory. In Conover,
20828-588: 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
20992-501: The southwest to Oklahoma City , from where it ran west to Los Angeles . Kentucky strongly objected to this designated route, as it had been left off any of the major east–west routes, instead receiving the US 62 designation. In January 1926, the committee designated this, along with the part of US 52 east of Ashland, Kentucky , as US 60 . They assigned US 62 to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on
21156-522: The splits in US 11 , US 19 , US 25 , US 31 , US 45 , US 49 , US 73 , and US 99 . For the most part, the U.S. Routes were the primary means of inter-city vehicle travel; the main exceptions were toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and parkway routes such as the Merritt Parkway . Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways:
21320-682: The states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways , but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926. The route numbers and locations are coordinated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The only federal involvement in AASHTO is a nonvoting seat for the United States Department of Transportation . Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with
21484-548: The states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926. Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when the Interstate Highway System was laid out and began construction under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower . After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from
21648-532: The system, however, must "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". As of 1989, the United States Numbered Highways system had a total length of 157,724 miles (253,832 km). Except for toll bridges and tunnels , very few U.S. Routes are toll roads . AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a special route , and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as
21812-491: The system. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as a means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades,
21976-540: The time the first route log was published in April 1927, major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania in order to align the routes to the existing auto trails. In addition, U.S. Route 15 had been extended across Virginia . Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway System focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some thought a numbered highway system to be cold compared to
22140-404: The town. The population density was 240.1 people per square mile (92.7 people/km ). There were 443 housing units at an average density of 126.6 per square mile (48.9/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 98.57% White , 0.48% African American , 0.36% Native American , 0.24% Asian , 0.12% from other races , and 0.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of
22304-403: 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
22468-543: The two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as—for instance—US 40 North and US 40 South, but were always posted as simply US 40N and US 40S. The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US 60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, which ran more north–south than west–east in Illinois, and then angled sharply to
22632-468: The two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present. AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes from sharing a number within the same state. As with other guidelines, exceptions exist across the U.S. Some two-digit numbers have never been applied to any U.S. Route, including 37, 39, 47, 86, and 88. Route numbers are displayed on
22796-471: The unqualified number to the older or shorter route, while the other route uses the same number marked by a standard strip above its shield carrying the word 'Alternate'." Most states adhere to this approach. However, some maintain legacy routes that violate the rules in various ways. Examples can be found in California , Mississippi , Nebraska , Oregon , and Tennessee . In 1952, AASHO permanently recognized
22960-399: Was $ 24,188, and the median income for a family was $ 36,250. Males had a median income of $ 26,172 versus $ 22,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 16,245. About 13.7% of families and 23.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over. The Amazon Prime Video series The Peripheral shot scenes in
23124-735: Was also chosen, based on the shield found on the Great Seal of the United States . The auto trail associations rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details—May 15 for the West , May 27 for the Mississippi Valley , June 3 for the Great Lakes , June 8 for the South , June 15 for the North Atlantic , and June 15 for New England . Representatives of
23288-482: 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. In 1916
23452-544: Was attempting to start construction in 2020, but this was delayed several times due to design and funding issues before a $ 242.35 million design-build contract for construction was finally awarded to Balfour Beatty in February 2023. Right-of-way acquisition will begin in Fall 2023 with construction beginning in Spring 2024. Completion is set for Summer 2028. The Havelock Bypass is a planned 10.1-mile (16.3 km) four-lane freeway intended to improve existing sections of US 70 and
23616-499: Was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city was connected to a major route. While the Lincoln Highway Association understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the US 30 designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14–15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints. In
23780-572: Was completed in 1923. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting. AASHO recommended that the Secretary of Agriculture work with the states to designate these routes. Secretary Howard M. Gore appointed the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , as recommended by AASHO, on March 2, 1925. The Board
23944-620: Was completed in March 2020. The Gallants Channel Bridge was a project to replace the Grayden Paul Bridge by rerouting US 70 over Gallants Channel in Beaufort with a 65-foot (20 m) fixed span bridge, widened to four-lanes with a median at a new location, and building a new bridge on Turner Street, for an estimated $ 66.4 million. Construction began on March 25, 2015, by Conti Enterprises, Inc., of Edison, New Jersey . All work but landscaping
24108-418: Was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal Bureau of Public Roads officials. At the first meeting, on April 20 and 21, the group chose the name "U.S. Highway" as the designation for the routes. They decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the U.S. Route shield
24272-509: Was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions". After working with states to get their approval, the committee expanded the highway system to 75,800 miles (122,000 km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved August 4. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on August 27 by Edwin Warley James of the BPR, who matched parity to direction, and laid out
24436-495: 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
24600-447: Was established as an original U.S. route in 1926. US 70 was established as an original US highway running from US 66 near Holbrook, Arizona, to Beaufort, North Carolina. The highway entered the state at the Tennessee state line and followed along a topsoil road concurrently with NC 20. In Marshall, US 70 turned onto NC 20's former routing and followed it to the south. Upon reaching NC 29, US 70 turned to
24764-640: 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
24928-424: Was held August 3 and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. William F. Williams of Massachusetts and Frederick S. Greene of New York favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system to have four major through routes as an example to
25092-508: Was later changed to late-Summer 2024. Since that time, the completion has been 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 Newport River Bridge will be reconfigured from two-lanes to four-lanes. According to
25256-582: 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
25420-403: Was placed on its modern routing between Marion and Nebo; its former routing becoming part of NC 105 . North of Newton, US 70 was given a new primary routing in concurrency with NC 110 . In Raleigh, US 70 was placed on a new primary routing along Western Boulevard, then north along Boylan Avenue to South Street, then Fayetteville Street to Lenoir Street, and finally East Street;
25584-594: 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
25748-479: 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, 11.3 miles (18.2 km) of US 70 east of Greensboro were opened as
25912-476: 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
26076-400: 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
26240-412: 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
26404-497: Was rerouted in downtown Asheville from Biltmore Avenue onto Tunnel Road; the old alignment remained part of US 25. 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. In 1941, US 70 was swapped with NC 55 from Kinston to west of New Bern. Also, around that same year, US 70
26568-408: Was scheduled to be completed by July 15, 2018, with final completion expected in January 2019. After its completion, the bascule bridge was demolished and US 70 was routed out of downtown Beaufort. 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
26732-437: 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 1 ⁄ 3 completed. However, its completion has been delayed again, this time to middle of 2025. Between James City and Havelock,
26896-581: Was truncated near the I-95 interchange in Selma, while the former alignment through Smithfield became a business route. On June 9, 2008, the Clayton Bypass opened, redirecting US 70 onto I-40 between exits 306 to 309 and then on a new 10.7-mile (17.2 km) 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
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